As unconventional as it may seem, especially to my age demographic, I'm quite smitten with Classic Country/ Country Western. Through most of its history, it has expressed a prevalent sympathy for collapse of relationship, self loathing, despair, loneliness, hopelessness, and social disenfranchisement. This isn't a fair general summary of the entirety of the scope its sentiments, as all music as an expressive medium possesses this capacity. But in my subject experience, it has shown itself to be some of the saddest music of the last century; colloquial and lyrically frank, it is a common mans anthem.
These are a few songs and lyrical excerpts that have brought me comfort over the years:
Make the World Go Away / Eddy Arnold
Do you remember when you loved me
Before the world took me astray?
If you do, then forgive me
And make the world go away
Make the world go away
And get it off my shoulders
Say the things you used to say
And make the world go away
Mr. Jukebox / Ernest Tubb
So here Mr Jukebox please take my last dime
Tell me the story of my life one more time
Bring back the memories of the past that was wrong
Here's my last drink to you then goodnight and so long
Hard Headed Me / Roger Miller
Well, she gave me fair warnin', many times my wife said
She said, if you aim to keep me, quit your fool hearty ways
I said, now listen woman, you better leave me alone
How long is forever that's how long she'll be gone
Hard, hard headed me
I spoke out of turn once too often
I'd be better off in my coffin
Hard headed me
It Ain't No Big Thing / Tex Williams
Every day the hurt grows bigger than before
But I'll pretend I don't know this
But If I can hold you one day more
You've got the look of someone who's goin'
You're gonna leave me and it's showin'
A little tear I can feel start to flow
It ain't no big thing but it's growin'
I'm So Lonesome I could Cry / Hank Williams
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
Like me, he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry