Why I Hate Country Music

I like most kinds of music, except for two: Country and Western (I don't consider "Hip Hop" and "Rap" music; it is shit).

I used to listen to some C&W (my wiife likes it), but when I deployed to Op Desert Shield, I was so immersed in the stuff that I literally got sick of it.

This is the culminating story:

I was picked for a detail that required me to separate from most of my unit. This detail had to pakc up and get a bunch of gear ready for shipment back to Germany. I was one of about 12 guys, all guys I pretty much knew. However, the guys that I knew outranked me. No bigge; it was not a bad detail and we all got along pretty well.. Except that thee guys were hard tried and true Rednecks.

Now I had listened to Country music a lot (not by choice, but such is life in the Army); when in tents with the platoon it would be playing a lot. Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, you name it and I can probably sing the lyrics and tell you who tries to sing it. When I got sick of it I would put on my handy Walkman and immerse myself in the music of my choice (at the time - Late 80's/early 90's) I was into the post-Punk/European New Wave scene (Depeche Mode/New Order/Smiths/Joy Divison/Clash/Ramones/etc/etc/).

Not this time. The tent next to us during this detail was playing serious and obnoxious rap crap, and it would not stop... at all, until very late at night. Well, my tried and true Redneck Friends had had enough, and broke out Hank Williams. Not Hank Wiliams, JR, but twangy, sing-songy Hank Williams and would wait until the troops in the Tent Next Door (we didn't know them; they were from a different unit) would finally stop their rap crap and begin with Ol' Hank. And. Would. Not. Stop. It was so loud and obnoxious that I could not drown it
out with my walkman (they eventually "ordered" me to turn it off, in case they needed my batteries. Assholes (I say that with the utmost respect to the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps of the United States Army).

This battle lasted for about three days.

There are few exceptions today (some patriotic 9/11 songs and Charlie Daniels), but I am pretty burned out on it. The experience of that, plus living in Texas for 3 years will burn anyone out.

I have graduated to more metal and hard rock (Rammstein, Metallica, Ministry), but I am a total 80's geek through and through.

Now you know (if you were ever interested in the first place).

And, if SSG J. Smith (you know who you are) ever reads this, thanks for nothing, and do I have permission to speak yet???

Always Ready, Sergeant!

God, I really miss it all...