TI and JT

I was listening to the new chart-topping song “Dead and Gone” by rapper T.I. and pop-star Justin Timberlake, and noticed an odd omission. Near the end of the song, there is a set of verses with each line beginning with one of the cardinal directions – but not all of them:

“I turn my head to the east… I don’t see nobody by my side

I turn my head to the west… still nobody in sight

So I turn my head to the north, swallow that pill that they call pride

The old me is dead and gone, but the new me will be alright”

Leaving out the South is especially surprising since T.I. is from Atlanta, Georgia and Justin Timberlake is from Tennessee near Memphis. To add to the mystery, T.I. is the self-proclaimed “King of the South.”

One theory to explain this discrepancy comes from the BBC radio blog:

“The handy thing with this song, though, is that half way through Justin clarifies his geographical position (metaphorical or otherwise) by, according to the lyrics, turning his head every direction except South. So hopefully, that’s where he is . . .”

I’m not convinced that this explains the cold-shoulder to the South, but it is at least an ego-soothing explanation. You can listen to the song here:
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Dead_And_Gone/21198567

Jeff, Brian, and I all decided to do southern music posts, and Jeff has already put up a number of classics, ranging from old school blues to The Man in Black. However, I am not a fan of most music considered “Southern.” As a rule, I don’t listen to country performed after 1980 (but my iTunes isn’t bursting with Hank Williams or Gene Autry, either), cannot really get into jazz/blues, and do not listen to a lot of bluegrass or even southern “gospel” music that Jeff has mentioned in this space (I blame Catholicism). To be honest, I’m a little closer to…

"I'm a rocker through and through. Here's a list of my favorite bands: AC/DC, Van Halen NOT Van Hagar, Skynyrd, Def Leppard..."

Click to read more…

In case you’re wondering, this post has nothing to do with the vaguely racist Disney movie featuring “Uncle Remus” singing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”  Rather it’s a collection of Jeff’s favorite southern songs.

Uncle Remus

Although the three of us have tried to remove a lot of our Southern background; nothing seems to stick with a person like the music from whence they hail.  And maybe that’s a good thing in this case; seeing as how most of the country’s great music ultimately came from the South. (Although truthfully, so does some of the country’s worst music.  Still, what kind of music does the the North got? Punk? How about the West?  Cowboy songs? It’s no contest, really.)

Anyway, without further ado — here is my top 5.

This is going to be hard given how many southern songs I like.  Still, here’s a representative sample:

1) Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues

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2) The Freedom Singers – This Little Light of Mine

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3) Jerry Lee Lewis – Honky Tonk Rock’n'roll Piano Man

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4) Fats Domino – Jambalaya

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5) Allison Krauss – Oh Atlanta

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