It’s funny these days how we seem to have to delicately ask people if they are fans of country music.  To begin, neither the asker nor the askee knows WHICH country music is being asked about.  Each may wonder if the reference is to the dreck that has taken up the large majority of “country” radio station playlists over the last 20-30 years, or whether it is the stuff that resonates within like each word was sung in your soul?  Having listened almost exclusively to real country music in utero and until the Beatles showed up on The Ed Sullivan Show, we have a definite affinity with real country music.  We may not be able to define “real country music” (though we will try in the posts to come), but we know it when we hear it.

And with that as an intro, we are going to intermittently post songs that we believe define “real country” music and put the rest of that soul-less crud to pasture.  You may be surprised at times by what we consider to be real country.  We hope so anyway.

First up, for no particular reason, is Merle Haggard and his soaring ballad, If I Could Only Fly. We know that Haggard voices some interesting opinions that can make you scratch your head and/or groan.   But there is no denying that he has written and sung some great songs over the years.   This is one of those songs.  You can really feel the regret and longing in this song.  Check it out.

Merle Haggard–If I Could Only Fly

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