Religion And Country Music Analysis

Music as a whole is an essential aspect of pop culture that affects the lives of Americans almost every single day. Musicians, songs, and music videos influence the daily lives of millions of people and country music is one of the most popular genres. Recent studies have found that, “Adolescents are strongly influenced by popular media, adolescents aged 15 to 18 years listen to an average of 3 hours of music per day, and 98 million US residents listen to country music” (Lowell et al., 2014, p.1). With so many people listening to music, it is nearly impossible to argue that the lyrics present within these songs aren’t in some way affecting the lives and emotions of listeners. Country music is the epitome of rural America; it brings back memories,

Themes such as religion, kindness, and graciousness are pillars of what country songs detail. According to the article, “Religion and Country Music,” “The influence of religion is deeply embedded in country music, and in the region in which the music was spawned” (Hayes, 2010, p. 247). One example of an artifact that highlights wholesome values is the song titled, “Me and God,” by Josh Turner. This song displays Turner’s love and respect for religion on a national stage. Some of the lyrics from this song include, “Ain't nobody come in between me and God. One day we'll live together, where the angels trod, me and God” (Turner, 2006). This is an extremely wholesome song, published in a time when religion and music just aren’t intertwining. According to the article, “What Has America Been Singing About,” teenagers, “use the images and messages in lyrics to acquire knowledge of the social world and to develop and refine the image that they want to project”(Christenson et al., 2018, p.2). Since the youth in our society are clearly very influenced by popular culture and the lyrics behind popular music, country music is creating change by airing positive messages about faith and creating a safe environment for those who listen to do the same. Country musicians also center many of their songs on being a Good Samaritan and upstanding citizen, like Tim McGraw does in his song, “Humble and Kind.” The

Although country music is definitively not the only genre that has lyrics focused on love, country takes the top spot for the romanticism and respect that it delivers. According to the article, "Messages in the Music," when talking about country music it states, "Nearly the entire genre focuses on the relationship between a man and woman and overall, conveys empowering messages" (Stickle & Tewksbury, 2015, p.10). Country music bases most of its images of love around commitment and mutual respect, which in return gives listeners a feeling, even if it's brief, of what a devoted and affectionate relationship feels like. The song, "Amazed," by Lonestar, presents a perfect example of how the lyrics of country songs can display love. Lonestar sings, "I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you by my side, forever and ever" (Lonestar, 1999). This song demonstrates compassion, commitment, and devotion, which all combine to warm the hearts and souls of listeners everywhere. Another common aspect of love that country music addresses is the yearning for a connection deeper than just attraction. According to Stickle and Tewksbury, "It seems clear, that in a majority of country songs the singers (both men and women) desire a relationship, which is deeper than a physical attraction" (Stickle & Tewksbury, 2015, p.11). By looking past just the physical