Publication Date
11-2023
Document Type
Bibliography
Organizational Units
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Lamont School of Music, Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Keywords
Country music, Politics, Perception
Abstract
The general perception that country music aligns itself with the political right is perhaps most exemplified by the songs, “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” by Toby Keith and “Okie from Muskogee” by Merle Haggard. Both songs speak of patriotic values that are traditionally associated with that side of politics. However, At the same time, some country songs, particularly older music, align more with the political left, such as “Man in Black” by Johnny Cash and “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. Nadine Hubbs (2014) has shown how country music is often associated with the poor and lower class and therefore also the “bigoted white people of the country”, and thus, many people seek to disassociate themselves from it. Because of these contradictions, this paper delves into the politics of country music to figure out why the general conception is that the genre is right leaning. Through this, I construct a more nuanced perception of country music that more accurately represents its populist roots while also deconstructing the negative view of country music.
Copyright Date
11-17-2023
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Rights Holder
Christa Noe
Provenance
Received from author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
4 pgs
File Size
84.7 KB
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Recommended Citation
Noe, Christa, "Politics and Country Music: Analyzing Why Country Music Is Associated with the Political Right" (2023). Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship. 158.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/musicology_student/158