Thoughts on Love Skewed by Country Music

This blog will be forever known as my confession blog:
I watched American Idol tonight (#1) and it was the elimination round for the Grand Ole Op'ry week. Because it takes 2 minutes to say who has been eliminated the geniuses at FOX fill up the hour with actual musicians of the genre. I have to say I love country music. (#2) I saw Brad Paisley sing his new song "Then" and normally I think he looks a little bit like one of the rats from The Secret of NIHM (#3) but when he started singing I became strangely attracted to him. (#4) I'm watching and feeling my eyes start to swell and my throat close up a little (#5) and then I realize...it isn't Brad Paisley..it's the damn song! I have spent the last year and a half of my life trying to discover what I think love is or isn't and, truth be told, it hasn't been an easy process. Now I know what has been messin' me up. It's the country music! Every song in country music is meant to tell a story. Usually that story has something to do with love. Love of tractor, love of beer but often times love of a person. As the song finished, it dawned on me that I have been listening to country songs since I was a kid and all my thoughts on love have been subliminally altered by the lyrics. No wonder I have been disappointed in all my past relationships. (#6) Who the hell can live up to lyrics like, "I'm not a man who's ever been insecure about the world he's been living in/I don't break easy/ I have my pride/ but if you need to be satisfied/I'm Shameless"? Or the classic "I'll make you happy/make you dreams come true/walk to the ends of the earth for you/to make you feel my love" ? No real guy ever stood a chance. Granted, up until lately, the caliber of men I dated were more Larry the Cable Guy less Garth Brooks(#7)....but even so. My mind has been brainwashed into believing love should be like country music and that just isn't always true. (I wanted to say-isn't ever true--but it has to be true sometimes because some one has to feel that way to write those lyrics so either they are delusional or they really feel that kind of earth shattering love.) Now I wonder if I am not completely jaded and cynical for believing that the kind of love these artists sing about is not a love that will stand the test of time. Garth Brooks left his wife and kids to marry Trisha Yearwood and statistically country boys are more likely to cheat. So is it just music? Is it creative license? Whatever it is, I'm onto you now country music! No more manipulating me! It's time to stand up against the impossible love and go for the more reasonable choice. Give me Motown or give me death!