I would like everyone to welcome to the studio DJ Daizy Nukes She is fluent in country and banjo and she’s going to help translate this little diddy. Parlez-vous banjo?
“Dirt Road Anthem” - Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean has been hitting the airwaves since early 2005 with such hits as “Big Green Tractor,” “Why,” “She’s Country” and “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”
He's a Georgia native.
Minus the fact that he wears earrings, Aldean is overall one of country music’s sexiest men, quite the feat since he’s up against such stars as Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and many others.
He looks like a pirate. Pirates are so hot right now.
Aldean’s latest song “Dirt Road Anthem” has been the talk of the country music community due to the fact that Aldean raps in it.
Rap and country are not a new combination, but they are the “it” combination.
It’s a little like mixing oil and vinegar isn’t it? They don’t want to fully blend, but they taste so good together! Its a musical vinaigrette.
In 2006, Cowboy Troy hit the music scene with songs such as “I Play Chicken With The Train,” which integrated rap and country. Similarly, in 2010 Gangstagrass came out with “Long Hard Times to Come” (the title track for the hit FX drama Justified [DJ Daizy Nukes is a big fan of this show obv]), which was a combination of rap and bluegrass.
And bluegrass isn’t just some new form of “grass” the kids are into these days. Its making a comeback in the music world.
So while this is not groundbreaking work, Aldean is the first well-known country artist to attempt such a feat.
According to tasteofcountry.com, Aldean sings in his usual twangy country vocals during the chorus over an emotional, and (no pun intended) anthemic sounding guitar. But during the verses, the ‘Don’t You Wanna Stay’ singer strays from his usual musical style with fast-paced, rap inspired verses about driving through the country backroads.
“Back in the day Pott’s farm was the place to go
Load the truck up, hit the dirt road
Jump the barbwire, spread the word
Light the bonfire, then call the girls
The king in the can and the Marlboro man
Jack n’ Jim were a few good men”
My aunt from Tennessee says this song is “good old, home grown, truth.” I suppose this is what you do in Tennessee. Hit up farms, ride on bumpy roads, and free your inner pyro. And hang out with chicks. Does this warrant a bless your heart?
Bless your heart, that’s not just in Tennessee, that’s in any rural area.
In some instances I think Aldean stretches a bit with the rapping.
“And we like cornbread, and biscuits,
And if it's broke ‘round here we fix it”
This feels like a forced rap to me. Anyone who lacks an appreciation for the things Aldean sings about will surely make fun of a line like this.
Yes, let’s promote the stereotypical food that Southerners eat: corn and bread, and lots of it. Also, bad grammar is necessary if you’re trying to put something back together. The more grammaticaly incorrect you are, the easier it is to fix it. I’m fixin’ to go on with this here ti-rade, but I ain’t got no more words.
You were right. Someone made fun of that.
I put this here to make you hungry.
It seems as though lines like this negate the emotional connection he achieves so smoothly in other sections.
“Memory lane up in the headlights,
It's got me reminiscing on them good times.
I'm turning off of real life, drivin' that's right,
I'm hittin' easy street on mud tires”
Because of my country heritage, this section is particularly sentimental for me as I think it would be for any country person.
Like my aunt.
But I do enjoy the nostalgia he’s trying to convey. Driving is something personal for everyone. Take a road trip on the Highway of Life.
Overall, I think Aldean went out on a limb with this song. It’s quite a big step to be the first well-known, white, country artist to adapt rap attributes in a serious manner.
Hope he wore his seatbelt.
"Life is a road and I wanna keep going..."
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