# In 2001 this English boy did a bad, bad, bad thing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931 "2020-01-04T12:06:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/1 "2020-01-04T12:06:41Z")
The other day I made a confession to **Beck** , and it brought back the memory of a day when I just stepped beyond the pale, a moment of disturbing and transgressive behaviour. It was 2001; I was working in an office in London at the time, so it was fairly easy for me to slip out at lunchtime and do this terrible thing. When I got back, still shaken from the enormity of what I had done, I confessed to a co-worker. She was disturbed by my story but surprisingly sympathetic. _Well,_ she said,\* it could have been worse. \* [Spoiler]I had bought my first country music album, Lost Highway, The Best Of Hank Williams. A little while later I became a repeat offender and bought Short Sharp Shocked by Michelle Shocked. After that it just got worse. Now, you may think that I am overstating things here, but in 2001 in respectable British circles these were the actions of a pariah – you just didn’t do that. When I told my friend L what I had done she was truly bemused and appalled. By way of trying to justify myself I played her Anchorage by Michelle Shocked. _Oh yes_, she said, _I know that song. But it’s not Country…._ That was how it was then, and to a certain extent it still is. _Country is bad, and if I like it, it clearly isn’t country_. Well. This English boy likes Country. There, I’ve said it and I’m not ashamed. [/Spoiler] j ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/2 "2020-01-04T13:10:02Z")
I’ve never done that, and can’t imagine any civilized person doing it. You should be ashamed! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/3 "2020-01-04T13:35:51Z")
The spoilered text was even worse than I guessed. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/4 "2020-01-04T13:36:38Z")
Michelle Shocked is country? Maybe in England. Not over here. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/5 "2020-01-04T13:42:20Z")
Hey! You’re stealing **Beck’s** schtick! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/6 "2020-01-04T13:54:22Z")
Don’t you Brits have Skiffle bands for this sort of thing? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/7 "2020-01-04T14:36:58Z")
That is truly bad, bad, bad. (:)). You couldn’t have started with a better intro into country if you tried. Hank is universally the ‘best’ IMHO. I like Shocked as well. I suggest you look into the ‘Driveby Truckers’. And, of course my all time favorite ‘Merle Haggard’ he’s a master. BTW, my bad, bad, bad schtick is fair game for anyone. I don’t mind. (:)) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/8 "2020-01-04T15:20:18Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Michelle Shocked is country? Maybe in England. Not over here. Gateway drug. Actually, I could feel my hackles rising as I read this post - then I thought to myself, If I’m getting defensive about _this_, then I really am in too deep to ever get out… j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/9 "2020-01-04T15:21:48Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Hey! You’re stealing **Beck’s** schtick! … yes I did; but then this thread is kind of inspired by her anyway. Hope you didn’t mind, **Beck**. j ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/10 "2020-01-04T15:48:44Z")
You Brits get up to some vile, repugnant stuff under the guise of “eccentricity” - but this takes the (“nailed it”) cake. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/11 "2020-01-04T17:04:10Z")
I was gonna say that’s pretty cool that you’re friends with Beck. THen I realized… ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/12 "2020-01-04T19:16:21Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > I was gonna say that’s pretty cool that you’re friends with Beck. THen I realized… What? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/13 "2020-01-04T19:24:47Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > … yes I did; but then this thread is kind of inspired by her anyway. Aren’t they all??? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/14 "2020-01-04T19:51:41Z")
It may not be said with certainty that country music was the cause of the fall of the English Empire. But it would be impossible to argue that it was not the final nail in its coffin. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/15 "2020-01-04T20:05:56Z")
It’s far from my preferred genre, but every genre has something to offer. Nothing wrong with a little bit of country, and ain’t nothing to be ashamed of especially with Hank Williams. (Michelle Shocked isn’t really what I would call “country.”) Hell, there’s even good Top 40 pop country music (see: Brad Paisley). But, yeah, if you like Country and Michelle Shocked, surely you must be familiar with Neko Case. If not, you might enjoy her work, either solo or as Neko Case with Her Boyfriends. (The earlier albums with Her Boyfriends is more up-beat [alternative] country, and her solo work, depending on the album, explores more Americana/American-folk, indie-folk, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/16 "2020-01-04T20:17:26Z")
Hayes Carll, just sayin’ ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/17 "2020-01-04T22:21:50Z")
Try some Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash next. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/18 "2020-01-04T23:41:42Z")
The closest thing to country I’ll willingly listen to is Charlie Daniels and maybe some Lynyrd Skynyrd and some early Eagles. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/19 "2020-01-04T23:46:51Z")
It’s important to note that it’s Hank Williams _Senior_ and not Hank Williams Jr… Senior is perfectly fine. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931/20 "2020-01-05T00:19:11Z")
Patsy Cline. That is all. Though I do have an unreasonable fondness for _El Paso_. And the Steve Martin version with chimps. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-2001-this-english-boy-did-a-bad-bad-bad-thing/845931.md?page=2)