Top Five Songs Part 5: Country

        We've all heard the jokes about what you get if you play a country music song backwards, your truck, your house, you dog and your wife, but in truth many of them are truly great songs that deserve our attention.  Just as before here are my top five country songs.

        #5 Where Were You by Alan Jackson.  Many people probably consider this a song of opportunity.  It garnered him a lot of exposure on the backdrop of a national tragedy.  I think the reason why I included it is every year I remember the attacks, and I truly do remember exactly where I was when it happened.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I feel I owe it to those who died to remember it.  After all, those who forget the past are damned to repeat it (yes I know that isn't how the quote goes, but I fell my version is more accurate).

        #4 Whiskey Lullaby By Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss  This song could not be any more depressing, but since that's my thing, I love it.  It takes what sadness can do to you to the extreme, and then does the same thing with guilt.  This song inspired many of my early works, when I first started dabbling in writing.  In a way is set the tone for a lot of what came after.

        #3 Country Boy Aaron Lewis.  This is a fairly new song, but it's awesome!  The message of this is clear, be yourself, and stand up for what you believe in.  Don't trade who you are to make yourself more marketable.  I live by that, and if we all did the world would be a better place!

        #2 There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney  This song does not apply to me per sea, but what it does do is remind us how our children can sneak into our lives, take them over, and we could not be happier.  I can honestly say I did not give up any dream to have children, but I am going to do everything I can to make sure my daughter's dreams come true!  She is now my life, and what an epic life it is.

        #1 My Little Girl by Tim McGraw  Come on, do I really need to explain this?  In just a few short minutes this song captures everything I feel about my own little girl.  I may sound like I'm beating a dead horse again, but for those of you who have kids you will understand, and for those that don't, well I hope someday you do.

        Well there you go, I didn't lose a single house, wife, dog in any of these songs, a truck was lost, but we will ignore that (not really, I don't have one) .  It's unfortunate that country and pop are becoming so intertwined.  I wish it would stop, because if it doesn't I fear we will lose great songs like these, to the cookie-cutter empire! 

        Just one more list to go, and it's an easy one!