Topic > Public Perceptions of Country Music in the United States

Worldviews and Country MusicCountry music is an old and important genre. It has always been extremely influential both within American culture and Western culture more generally. Country music (in its early days) was known for its sad, sorrow-filled lyrics, which made it popular because it reflected the mood of those who chose to listen to it. When we look at the broad spectrum of music, we can see that genres very often influence other genres. This has certainly happened to country music, as country music in 2017 often contains upbeat lyrics, accompanied by a wide variety of themes. Music is more than just words set to a tune, songs are often a story or situation that happened to the artist, and as country music has progressively diversified, it has become a channel through which many different people express their feelings.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. People's lifestyles show the kind of worldview they have. Christian academic James Sire defines a worldview as “… a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, which may be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions that may be true, partially true, or entirely false) that we hold (consciously or unconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the fundamental constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation upon which we live.” These fundamental orientations of the heart can shine through when a musician puts pen to paper and writes lyrics. For this reason, it can be said that the music we listen to reflects our broader worldview. Because the values ​​embedded in the songs we like partially reveal our beliefs and ideas about the world around us and our assumptions. When it comes to a Christian worldview, we believe that God is omnipotent and that our purpose on earth is to glorify Him in all things. what we say and do. There are many songs that clearly do not arise from a Christian worldview. A good example of a song that doesn't come from a Christian worldview is “Family Tradition” by Hank Williams Jr. This song comes from a very worldly worldview. He talks about drinking to get drunk, smoking to get high, and living the life you live to engage in (casual) sexual relationships. This is not from a Christian worldview. This is obvious because the Bible explicitly forbids substance abuse, as author J Stephen Lang notes when he writes “…[people] who belong to the Kingdom of God should lead lives that reflect what God desires for his people …this does not include altering our mind and behavior with chemicals instead of finding our fulfillment in God.”, it can easily be shown that songs like Family Tradition promote a worldview of secularism and hedonism. We also know that the Bible promotes traditional marriage and does not approve of sexual relations outside of the sacred bond of marriage. Thus, texts that discuss casual sex are in direct contradiction to what a Christian worldview values. This is clearly a song that espouses a biblical message, as it directly references events from the Bible, such as the death of Christ and the cleansing of sin. after said death. This is in stark contrast to a song like “Family Tradition” which contains lyrics about worldly pleasures and desires. Although artists sometimes bury messages in metaphors and other lyrical devices, it's usually obvious when a song supports a worldview. As.