ASNN

22) No Fences - Garth Brooks

You might be surprised to see a country album on my list. Then again, if you know I live in Tehachapi, California, you might NOT be, since Tehachapi is fairly hickish. I always say that they issue the gunrack and "smellhound" with every pickup here... so Garth is pretty much par for the course.

However, I purchased No Fences long before I moved to Tehachapi; in fact, it was one of the albums that carried me through when I was living in Costa Rica, after nearly all of my CDs had been stolen in customs. I was cruising around on the weekend with a guy from Tennessee and two sisters whose father was on sabbatical in San Jose. The guy had this cassette that we listened to over and over, partially because it was about the only tape we had in the car, partially because it was about the only tie to the US we had. And what better tie to US culture than country?!

The album is classic country about drinkin' and lovin' and achin'. Garth comes out *against* wife-beating (which may be saying something considering it *is* country) in "The Thunder Rolls" which received national attention for the video. Even in its twang, one can appreciate the lyrics that describe the stress and agony a wife whose husband is cheating on her would go through:

Every light is burnin'
In a house across town
She's pacin' by the telephone
In her faded flannel gown
Askin' for miracle
Hopin' she's not right
Prayin' it's the weather
That's kept him out all night
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls
[...]
She's waitin' by the window
When he pulls into the drive
She rushes out to hold him
Thankful he's alive
But on the wind and rain
A strange new perfume blows
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes
And he knows that she knows
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls
-- "The Thunder Rolls"

Perhaps the video controversy came in the final verse, which was cut for the album:

She runs back down the hallway
To the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol
Kept in the dresser drawer
Tells the lady in the mirror
He won't do this again
Cause tonight will be the last time
She'll wonder where he's been
-- "The Thunder Rolls"

Y'see, in country, women didn't go killing their cheating husbands, especially not in a song sung by a man, and especially not in 1990. Women were expected to "Stand by [Their] Man" according to the formula, so the song about a vindictive wife was a little risque.

In any case, not all of the songs on the album are quite so deep. "Friends in Low Places" is one of the ultimate bar and kiss-off songs around, one that (in the right bar) the first stanza can set off a singalong that everyone wants to join. It's a typical country story: boy dates girl, girl dumps man, girl marries other boy, first boy shows up at the wedding to get completely bombed and tell off girl in front of everyone. You know, a love story. :-)

An honest love story is told in "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House". Through a rash of poker and other country references, Garth declares his love and devotion to his woman. The description of his beau is priceless:

Yeah, a pickup truck is her limousine
And her favorite dress is her faded blue jeans
She loves me tender when the goin' gets tough
Sometimes we fight just so we can make up
-- "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House"

It's corny, it's country, but it's still one of my favorite albums.

Posted by pcg at November 18, 2003 9:35 PM