The boundaries between genres in music are like moving goalposts. They are not like concrete demarcations. There is always blending, meshing, and borrowing. Adventurous artists crave opportunities to venture afield from one genre and dabble in another. What is punk? It's rough-hewn, fierce, rollicking, and the gleeful antithesis of tidy. The in-your-face, wiseguy attitude is its fingerprint, When punk met country, the result was compelling. Die-hard purists may wince, but we grinned. We examine a few examples.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"Tennessee Whiskey" by Alex Melton
Every country fan knows this song. It was recorded by some of the legends of country, like George Jones and David Allan Coe, per Whiskey Riff. But it was really Chris Stapleton who launched it into the stratosphere with his pumped-up version. It's on his ten-year-old Traveller album, a classic in its own time. Melton has made a name for himself on YouTube and TikTok by adapting songs to new genres. He did it with this one, and the outcome is pretty dandy. The assertive drums and guitars are great. Melton imparts a swaggering inflection that is Stapleton-worthy.
"Here for the Party" by Gretchen Wilson
Wilson, who co-wrote this song, brings her best good-girl-gone-wild spirit to the effort. That pure, pleasure-seeking, fun-loving mindset is unadulterated punk. So are the opening lines. "Well I'm an eight ball shooting double-fisted drinking son of a gun / I wear my jeans a little tight / Just to watch the little boys come undone / I'm here for the beer and the [expletive]-busting band...." Throw caution, manners, and the niceties to the wind 'cause Gretchen is here! What else would you expect from the fabulous Redneck Woman?
"Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood
Before you scoff at this choice, hear me out. To me, punk is about feeling marginalized and being unjustly trampled upon. Feeling like you were shoved into the weeds. And deciding you aren't going to put up with that anymore, so you are pushing back. Making your voice heard in a roar, not a whisper. Well, this wronged-tough-gal Carrie Underwood song, one of her very best, is an expression (eruption?) of rebellious emotion. When she sings about grabbing her Louisville Slugger and clobbering her wayward guy's ride with it, you know she means business. That's punk.
"Follow Your Arrow" by Kacey Musgraves
This Musgraves co-write has a message that is so boldly punk it's not funny. It's about being exactly who you are and letting the chips fall where they fall. Not trying to please everyone and worrying about steely social norms and silly expectations. It's intense and beautiful. "So you might as well do whatever you want...Follow your arrow wherever it points...." Be your own compass. Always.
