Tension, Conflict and Contradiction in Country Music Analysis Assignment 1-3-2

Tension, Conflict and Contradiction

 in Country Music Analysis

                Music singers and songwriters call country songs a three minute word-movie from the turn of the century in Appalachia reflecting on everyday trials, hopes, fears and troubles.  In many homes, churches, taverns, dance halls and radio stations, country music is a way of reflecting on life.  The lyrical content of country songs as analyzed over time, is steady and revolving around the topics of home, family, patriotism, love and liquor (Lewis, 1991).   And yet looking at “core values” of country music the inconsistencies, conflict in some cases are contradictions, freedom of individual expressions are voiced in a yearning for a dependent stable family life. The degree and interconnectedness are expressed in the fact of tension, conflicts and contradictions of the values expressed in country music leaving a problem with harmonious and consistent value pattern (Lewis, 1991)

                The author has grouped a disharmonious lyrical content in the nature of tension, conflict and contradiction. The tension and frustration that are in song lyrics that discuss the wife a at home, doing housework and overwhelmed by screaming children when the husband lets her know that he is going to the local bar with his buddies after work.  The conflict would be the view of the male sex role of urban and rural conflicting between the expectations of social classes, and the contradicting the inconsistencies pattern of expectations and value between both sexes.  

The author also abstracts three general axes from the cultural variation that he charts these as 1) connections between the individual and society; 2) social relations of freedom or restraint; and 3) orientations towards the past (usually defined as rural) as opposed to the present (usually defined as urban) (Lewis, 1991). 

                Country music has migrated from the southern environment to major urban areas across the United States.  The original culture of country music spread after World War Two and the Korean War exposing the country music as southern servicemen moved across the country. In 1981 there was a flurry of crossover hits from pop music to country music the conflict was pointed out in the difference between a traditional country audience and the diffusion of pop country music. 

The author talks about interpersonal relationship between men and women in the lyrics of country songs.  At one time a deep, earthy, and universally respected genre of folk music embraced by people from all walks of life, and performed by heartland poets who wrote touching melodies and thought-provoking but subtle messages about life, love, and loss, country music has now grown into a dim shadow of its former greatness.

The article is very negative towards urbanization of country music.  Take for instance rap, it is an urbanized music that is becoming more mainstream in rural areas, it also has a lot of swearing, violence towards women and fighting. The author talks about social change and the mass migration of the music originating from the south towards urbanization, and how it affects pop culture.  He then talks about interpersonal relationship that causes tension, conflict and contradictions between men and women, how they relate towards one another.  

The important aspect of the article is the behavior of relationships in country songs.  The author concludes the journal article with interpersonal relations of attraction and appropriate sex role models, and how the audiences of music listeners are listening to the lyrics (Lewis, 1991).  The conflict and contradiction in country music may contain certain “core values” to the listener and those different cultural values (Lewis, 1991).  Country music also has a strong conservatism and traditionalism that rings through the lyrics (Lewis, 1991).

Reference

Lewis, G. H. (1991). Duellin' Values: Tension, Conflict and Contradiction in Country Music. Journal Of

     Popular Culture, 24(4), 103-117.