# Your Favorite All-Time Country Music Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583 "2010-07-30T15:02:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/101 "2010-08-02T20:16:27Z")
Since we’ve made it to Page 3 of the thread, I’m wondering if we need a new thread for the sub-topic of Country Instrumentals. Just to test that idea, let’s focus on them for as little while. I can’t name a single one from recent times, but Steel Guitar Rag (which I mentioned early on) is quintessential Country for me. Orange Blossom Special. What else? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/102 "2010-08-02T21:02:24Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Since we’ve made it to Page 3 of the thread, I’m wondering if we need a new thread for the sub-topic of Country Instrumentals. Just to test that idea, let’s focus on them for as little while. > > I can’t name a single one from recent times, but Steel Guitar Rag (which I mentioned early on) is quintessential Country for me. Orange Blossom Special. What else? Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Yakety Sax/Yakety Axe, Last Date. Note that there are words to Orange Blossom Special. I only recall hearing it sung by Johnny Cash. [Cash’s recollection of recording it, and the lyrics.](http://www.stevenmenke.com/OrangeBlossomSpecial%20.htm) From liner notes on the RCA album “60 Years of Country Music”: _A novelty fiddle instrumental originally known as “South Florida Blues,” the song was re-titled in the mid-1930s by the manager of the Rouse Brothers in conjunction with the christening of the Seaboard Railroad’s New York-to-Miami train called the “Orange Blossom Special.” Ervin Rouse later added lyrics to the tune for a 1939 Rouse Brothers recording._ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/103 "2010-08-02T21:40:03Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > > [@Zeldar](#): > > > > Since we’ve made it to Page 3 of the thread, I’m wondering if we need a new thread for the sub-topic of Country Instrumentals. Just to test that idea, let’s focus on them for as little while. > > > > I can’t name a single one from recent times, but Steel Guitar Rag (which I mentioned early on) is quintessential Country for me. Orange Blossom Special. What else? > > Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Yakety Sax/Yakety Axe, Last Date. > > Note that there are words to Orange Blossom Special. I only recall hearing it sung by Johnny Cash. > > [Cash’s recollection of recording it, and the lyrics.](http://www.stevenmenke.com/OrangeBlossomSpecial%20.htm) > > From liner notes on the RCA album “60 Years of Country Music”: > _A novelty fiddle instrumental originally known as “South Florida Blues,” the song was re-titled in the mid-1930s by the manager of the Rouse Brothers in conjunction with the christening of the Seaboard Railroad’s New York-to-Miami train called the “Orange Blossom Special.” Ervin Rouse later added lyrics to the tune for a 1939 Rouse Brothers recording._ Cool link, **Gary T** , and the mention of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” makes me think of “Duelin’ Banjos” which Is almost TOO Country. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/104 "2010-08-02T21:58:43Z")
I decided to look around at YouTube for some instrumentals. See if these make you think of better ones: [Tommy Emmanuel - Guitar Boogie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbvSBNLLoo) [Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed - “The Claw”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNvwxJsGN5Q) [Earl Scruggs And Lester Flatt - Cripple Creek](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4sqishGuYw) [MERLE TRAVIS Cannonball Rag](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8vOTKMqzw4&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Cinebar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Cinebar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinebar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/105 "2010-08-02T22:15:04Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > I don’t think I could pick just one. There’s just way too many good ones. > > Actually, if I had to pick one, it would probably be Hank Jr’s Family Tradition. Maybe not the best song ever but singing along to it is fun. Great song…until he trashed it during the '08 presidential campaign by substituting “McCain/Palin tradition” for “family tradition.” I doubt I’ll be able to ever enjoy the original version again. :mad: I like just about everything by David Allan Coe but he was a huge disappointment at the concert I went to of his a couple of years ago. He played for 30-35 minutes _tops_ and was probably drunk - at any rate, I could barely understand the words to the songs he was singing, even the ones I would normally be able to sing along with. Someone, who was closer to the stage than I was, told me it looked like he had puke down the front of his shirt. I really don’t like any of the current country music but there was a lot of good stuff in the early 80’s. Songs like, “CC, Water Back” (George Jones) and “Jose Quervo (I Had Too Much Tequila Last Night)” by Shelly West. Yes, there is a pattern there with bar songs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/106 "2010-08-02T22:16:25Z")
Charlie Daniels name-checks a bunch of instrumental fiddle tunes in _The Devil Went Down to Georgia_: [Granny Does Your Dog Bite](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOr2i7aoN3Y&feature=related)? [Fire on the Mountain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5F4aE54es4) (I can’t find _Chicken in the Bread Pan_, though.) My favorite bluegrass instrumental is [Jerusalem Ridge](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhKazRtFIS0&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/107 "2010-08-02T23:43:59Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > George Jones singing “Wine Colored Roses” kills me. I play it solo piano sometimes at cocktail hour, along with “If Drinking Don’t Kill Me.” Wait! You’re playing George Jones songs, solo, on a piano at cocktail hour. Is this in a country bar? If in a mainstream bar, what do your customer’s think(or do they even know?) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/108 "2010-08-02T23:50:14Z")
(non-instrumentals) Lots of my favorites already mentioned. I skimmed the thread and may have missed some, but didn’t notice these: Don Williams - _I Believe In You_ Waylon Jennings - _Luckenbach, Texas_ Conway Twitty - _I Don’t Know A Thing About Love_ George Strait - _Fool Hearted Memory_, and _Blame It On Mexico_, and like 50 other songs. Kenny Rogers - _Lucille_ Tanya Tucker - _Texas (When I Die)_ B.J. Thomas - _Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song_ Eddie Rabbitt - _I Love A Rainy Night_, and _On Second Thought_ Alabama - _If You’re Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band)_ Bellamy Brothers - _More of You_ Hal Ketchum - _Small Town Saturday Night_ I could keep going all night. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/109 "2010-08-02T23:54:30Z")
So what’s with David Allen Coe and mentioning his name in every single fucking song of his? He has some great songs though. ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/110 "2010-08-03T01:11:49Z")
Here’s some more great bluegrass tunes: _Stone Walls and Steel Bars_, _How Mountain Girls Can Love_, and _The Fields Have Turned Brown_, by Carter & Ralph Stanley. _Foggy Mountain Breakdown_, _Salty Dog_, _Cora Is Gone_, and _My Little Girl In Tennessee_ by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs. _Blue Moon Of Kentucky_, _Orange Blossom Special_, _Wayfaring Stranger_, and _Muleskinner Blues_ by Bill Monroe and The Blue Grass Boys _Take Me In Your Lifeboat_ by Del McCoury _My Little Georgia Rose_ by Travis Tritt & Ricky Skaggs _Pretty Polly_ by Ralph Stanley & Patty Loveless _Dooley_ by The Dillards (the Darlings from The Andy Griffith Show) and many more. Bluegrass is a great part of country music that doesn’t get a lot of respect because of the perception that it’s for hillbillies. ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ did a lot to undo the stigma put on bluegrass that was largely because of its use in ‘Deliverance’. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/111 "2010-08-03T01:17:16Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > So what’s with David Allen Coe and mentioning his name in every single fucking song of his? > > He has some great songs though. He may have written [280](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Allan_Coe) songs. How many did he mention himself in? Yeah, I know he did in his most famous–"You don’t have to call me darlin,’ darlin.’ But it rhymed, at least, with the rest of the verse. Sometime a rhyme is just a rhyme. Or not. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/112 "2010-08-03T01:30:12Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > > [@tr0psn4j](#): > > > > So what’s with David Allen Coe and mentioning his name in every single fucking song of his? > > > > He has some great songs though. > > He may have written [280](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Allan_Coe) songs. How many did he mention himself in? > > Yeah, I know he did in his most famous–"You don’t have to call me darlin,’ darlin.’ But it rhymed, at least, with the rest of the verse. Sometime a rhyme is just a rhyme. Or not. Long Haired Redneck is an other one. > [@](#): > > 'Cause I can sing all them songs about Texas > And I still do all the sad ones that I know. > They tell me I look like Merle Haggard > And sound a lot like David Allan Coe. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/113 "2010-08-03T03:18:17Z")
I’m loving this thread! I haven’t finished reading (and listening!) yet, but had to add my contribution. [Waylon - Bob Wills is Still the King](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwkiPsRI2Fo) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/114 "2010-08-03T03:32:33Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > (I can’t find _Chicken in the Bread Pan_, though.) “Chicken in the Bread Pan” (or “Chicken in the Bread Tray”) is sometimes just an alternate title for “Granny Will Your Dog Bite.” It can go like this, for example: Chicken in the bread pan Scratching out dough Granny, will your dog bite? No, child, no. Granny, will your hen peck? No, child, no. Pappy cut her bill off A long time ago. But these are not _quite_ titles (or “lyrics”) in the same sense as in other kinds of music; many of these phrases started as [square dance patter](http://www.ceder.net/choreo/patter_sayings.php4) (chosen for rhythm), and were only later adopted for separate instrumental music. Sometimes they were actually [nursery rhymes](http://www.amazon.com/Granny-Will-Your-Dog-Bite/dp/0874835607/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280805123&sr=1-1) first, _then_ dance patter. Sometimes the same music is known by multiple titles, or the same title used for different pieces of music. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/115 "2010-08-03T04:12:14Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > B.J. Thomas - _Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song_ It doesn’t matter who’s in the car, if that song is on, **everybody’s** singing along. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/116 "2010-08-05T16:53:02Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > > [@samclem](#): > > > > He may have written [280](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Allan_Coe) songs. How many did he mention himself in? > > > > Yeah, I know he did in his most famous–"You don’t have to call me darlin,’ darlin.’ But it rhymed, at least, with the rest of the verse. Sometime a rhyme is just a rhyme. Or not. > > Long Haired Redneck is an other one. > > > [@](#): > > > > 'Cause I can sing all them songs about Texas > > And I still do all the sad ones that I know. > > They tell me I look like Merle Haggard > > And sound a lot like David Allan Coe. And also, Willie, Waylon and Me. “My name is David Allen Coe and I’m from Dallas Texas” ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/117 "2010-08-06T14:14:19Z")
Well, it’s really all just a question of who’s runner-up after “I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry” of course. Most of my immediate runner-up suggestions have been mentioned; I’ll throw in one written by a non-country band: “Lodi” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It’s certainly on the short-short-short list of ‘essential songs for a country bar band’. (Assuming male vocalist, it’s probably #4 or so, behind “So Lonesome I Could Cry”, “Mama Tried”, and at least one JC song) Way less classic, and at best ‘alt-country’, but a great song, is “Tear Stained Eye” by Son Volt. Relately, does Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” count as country? More in the ‘particular performance’ than timeless song category, I’d also nominate Gillian Welch (and David Rawlings), maybe “By the Mark” or “Acony Bell”. There’s some classic performances on the Trios albums, too (Dolly Parton, EmmyLou Harris, and, yes, Linda Ronstadt) ---
**Author:** ![Juntas\_Doorman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@Juntas\_Doorman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juntas_Doorman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/118 "2010-08-06T19:22:12Z")
Being reminded of him a few days ago on this thread, I stuck on a CD today after lunch and my four-year-old said, ‘That’s like the Spongebob Squarepants song!’ ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/119 "2010-08-06T20:54:14Z")
Lord, that’s a tough one. A sampling would include: You Just Can’t See Him From the Road - Chris Ledoux Good Hearted Woman - Waylon & Willie Flowers on the Wall - Statler Brothers Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way - Waylon Jennings So You Think You’re a Cowboy - Emmylou Harris Great Day to be Alive - Travis Tritt ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583/120 "2010-08-06T22:41:45Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > > [@Jaledin](#): > > > > George Jones singing “Wine Colored Roses” kills me. I play it solo piano sometimes at cocktail hour, along with “If Drinking Don’t Kill Me.” > > Wait! You’re playing George Jones songs, solo, on a piano at cocktail hour. Is this in a country bar? If in a mainstream bar, what do your customer’s think(or do they even know?) Sure – it’s just a little microbrewery at happy hour with a thin crowd. I don’t even think most people recognize the tunes. I also like to do “Holly Wants to Go to California” by Funkadelic – like someone once said, nobody ever got fired for playing a pretty song. My proudest moment was a Dennis Hopper tribute after he died “Blue Velvet,” “In Dreams,” and a little Danny Boy (Bill Evans arrangement) –\> When the Saints (2nd-line New Orleans style). I don’t think anybody noticed. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-country-music-song/548583.md?page=7)