When I was a little girl, I absolutely adored Taylor Swift. I wanted to have a shiny guitar, cowgirl boots, and bright curly blonde hair. I spent hours in my room singing along to Fearless and wondered: How did she do it?
Now, fast forward to 2019 and she’s making pure bubblegum pop albums. You could say she’s left her Nashville days behind. However, a few weeks ago I was “riding shotgun” (excuse the old Taylor reference) in the car with my parents and we couldn’t decide on a station to settle on. I was scanning through and finally landed on the island’s country station. I heard the country twang and someone singing about beer and it got me thinking: Okay. If this middle-aged scruffy man supposedly rocking a flannel while drinking beer all day can sing a hit country song that he probably can’t even relate to that much, then why can’t I?
So I began my list. I wrote down every phrase I heard that was repeated in at least two songs. It was pretty easy, to be honest. Southerners are limited to about ten topics, apparently.
I left the list alone for a while. I didn’t really have plans to actually start writing a song. But then one day, it hit me. I had this irritating melody stuck in my head the entire day, which then inspired the journey of writing my country song, “Hometown Honey.”
Song: Hometown Honey
Verse 1
My baby girl was sitting on the dashboard
Her fingers in my hair she was making me want more
Chilling outside with my boys at the barbecue
Telling them all about my new thing she’s kinda cute
Pre-Chorus
Now there’s ladies all around me
Drinking whiskey
Shotgunning on the back of my chevy
I can’t control it
I’m getting tipsy
Sweet little thing now she’s looking right at me
(“one, two, three four”)
Chorus
Baby let’s take the back road home
I can make you some pump-kin pie
Let’s go
Baby let’s take the back road home
I got a pack of beer with your name on it
Honey let’s go
(“Here we go now!”)
* instrumental break before second verse – lots of guitars, maybe a harmonica
Verse 2
Hometown honey cookin’ chicken in the kitchen
Sweet Baby Rays – now baby that’s bitchin!
Never been the type to be waiting on a girl
But you got a hold on me, baby! (“You’re my world”)
Pre-Chorus 2
Now it’s only you around me
Shooting whiskey
Shotgunning on the back of my chevy
I can’t control it
I love you, baby
Sweet little thing now you’re looking right at me
(“one, two, three four”)
Chorus 3
Baby let’s take the back road home
I can make you some pump-kin pie
Let’s go
Baby let’s take the back road home
I got a pack of beer with your name on it
Honey let’s go
* now repeat the chorus again (this time no instruments – only clapping and lots of country drawl)
Now, I could go super in-depth about the lyrics. But honestly, there’s not really much depth, but I did try hitting most of the points on my list. It’s from the perspective of a young country guy, stuck choosing from lots of ladies but one, in particular, is his “hometown honey.” He partakes in many activities, including drinking with his boys, looking at women sitting on his car, and making some sweet homemade pumpkin pie for his special baby girl. I’d say my favourite lines are “shotgunning on the back of my chevy” or “hometown honey cookin’ chicken in the kitchen” since they’re both major stereotypes and it’s hilarious to sing about these things. I’ve also added some phrases in quotation marks that indicate that our country boy (me) is making little side comments during the song.
Now, of course, this is all very light-hearted but it is interesting to point out the many blatantly obvious misogynistic themes there are in country music. I wanted to enjoy the irony of a young girl crafting a song about the irresistibility of Southern ladies sitting pretty on trucks while waiting for a hunk of a drunk man to shower them with free beer and pumpkin pie.
But before you know it, you’ll catch me at your local bar serenading you with this power ballad. See you there, ladies!