The late, legendary songwriter Harlan Howard, was once asked to define country music. His response was the now famous quote, "Country music is three chords and the truth".

It seems these days both the "three chords" as well as "the truth" have been grossly missing in the music coming out of Music Row. The three chords are getting lost in a maze of drum machines, vocal distortions and assorted other electronic gadgetry.

Even more disturbing, the fundamental foundation of country music-- "the truth"-- has given way to that phenomenon called "political correctness." At one time, there was no subject that country music was afraid to tackle. Yes, George Jones sang about being "A One Woman Man," Marty Robbins sang about "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife," and Donna Fargo sang about being "The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA." On the flip side, Loretta Lynn sang about "The Pill" and Tammy Wynette sang about "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" when these subjects were still taboo in mainstream society. Hank Williams sang about "Your Cheatin’ Heart" when, although left largely unspoken, society acknowledged that this sort of behavior did indeed occur. There were songs about Honky Tonk Angels, and just who was responsible for making those Honky Tonk Angels. There were songs about murder and prison, about killing a man just to watch him die. Songs about vagrants that had no one place they called home, but were "King Of The Road." There were songs about good timing, carousing men, and women that gave their good timing, men ultimatums. There were songs about drinking and raising hell and dancing on tables. No, country music was never a shrinking violet when it came to songs about the darker side of life, nor did it back down from controversial issues.

Then along came the age of political correctness, coupled with Music Row’s thirst for a broader appeal within mainstream society. Suddenly country music, and it’s "image," were deemed woefully "politically Incorrect" by the Nashville establishment. Instead of embracing and promoting its beauties, its rich history, its deep roots in American culture, and the pride of the people who lived it, sang it and listened to it, they chose instead to look at it as an embarrassment who’s "image" represented a backwoods, impoverished and uneducated group of assorted "hicks," hillbillies," and "rednecks."

They felt the way to garner a larger mainstream audience, was to target urban and suburban listening audiences, and they felt what their perception of country music’s image was would offend and turn off this target audience. So upon embarking on their quest to appeal to "the masses." they set out to change this image by systematically eradicating anything and everything that held a link to what they saw as this politically incorrect image: Twang was associated with "hillbilly" or "hick," so that had to go. Lyrics that dealt with "blue collar" issues were associated with "redneck," so that had to go. The traditionally country instruments (fiddle, banjo, steel, mandolin, dobro), were kept so far in the background, if they were even present at all, they were barely audible. After all, this "new audience" was more comfortable with bass heavy beats and drum loops, someone might find these quaint instruments- offensive!

The most striking change was song content. Suddenly gone were songs that even mentioned drinking, cheating, or heaven forbid-- prison! They were replaced with, as Alan Jackson fired off in his zinger, the "Three Minute Positive Not Too County Up-tempo Love Song" (otherwise known as the "I love you/ you love me/ happy happy/ joy joy" syndrome). Or the uplifting, feel good, but hollow anthems of wide eyed optimism of how wonderful life is: "Blessed", "I Hope You Dance", "Love’s The Only House". Or mindless, insipid pop ditties that are about nothing in particular, have nothing to do with anyone’s life and are instantly forgotten the minute they leave the airwaves because they evoke no emotion one way or another.

In this politically correct age, the thinking seems to be, if you mention things like drinking, cheating, prison and such, you are promoting and supporting them, and therefore might offend someone. WRONG!!

What the suits on Music Row don’t seem to realize is, that country music never "promoted" drinking, cheating, lying or murder. There were never public outbreaks of this type of behavior when any song who’s content involved them ever topped the charts, nor did listeners complain they were "offensive." They are, nonetheless, an indisputable fact of life and pretending they don’t exist, doesn’t make it so. These songs, as all GOOD country songs do, told a story and the stories had a moral. Everyone makes mistakes, hits bumps in the road at some point, and will suffer a loss of some kind and grieve that loss. Even the most rock solid relationships eventually go through their ups and downs.

These types of songs never promoted, but gave comfort and strength that there were others going through the same things. In presenting just the clean, shiny, "everything is beautiful" side of life, Music Row has succeeded in sucking the heart and soul out of the music, simply to avoid offending a crowd just as happy to listen to Celine Dion, as they are to Garth Brooks, and didn’t begin to understand the dynamics behind the genre of country music, nor did they ultimately care to. This became painfully apparent in the days that followed 9/11, when country stations were scrambling to find emotionally appropriate songs to air and wound up dusting off mainly pre-1994 songs, because the pickings for songs recorded after that were mighty slim as far as substance and reflecting our emotions.

Another most disturbing aspect, in regard to this political correctness, has to do with the CMT Country Freedom Concert, the fundraiser for the victims of 9/11. Charlie Daniels was scheduled to perform, and the show came and went, and there was no appearance by Charlie. The following day he announced he’d decided not to perform at all after he was told he would not be permitted to perform a song he’d written in response to the 9/11 attacks, titled "This Ain’t No Rag It’s A Flag." CMT told him they felt the song didn’t fit in with the "tone" of the show, and that some people might find it offensive. Charlie posted the lyrics on his website, and I was baffled as to CMT’s decision. The only ones who might possibly have taken offence were the very same ones who snuffed out 3000 lives and left massive destruction in their wake. And someone was worrying about offending THEM?! When does political correctness cross the line into censure?

Political correctness, this obsessive-ness not to "offend," has rendered mainstream country hollow, emotionless and impotent. Music Row bemoans their slumping sales. I ask, what have they produced in the last 7 years that has touched people’s emotions enough to become a country classic? Which songs will stand the test of time and still be remembered and performed 5, 10, 20 or even 50 years from now? Have they produced any future legends that will still be around decades from now? Will they finally figure out that the mega-success of O Brother was due to the fact the country fanbase CAN indeed handle a good dose of reality, were more than starved for it and embraced it with arms wide open? There are plenty of country artists on the fringes, the Indies that are playing the good, the bad and the ugly sides of country music, and they’re not worried about being politically correct or offending anyone. Their sales don’t seem to be slumping, but growing by leaps and bounds- up 212% over the past year, good enough to land some of them on the top 40 country album charts.

Wake up Music Row. The REAL fans and artists are tired of all the political correctness crap, it doesn’t belong in our music. We want our music back in it’s undiluted form. We’re NOT ashamed of being country music fans and artists- or of lovin’ it, warts and all.

If YOU find it offensive- maybe YOU shouldn’t be in the country music industry.