“Americana”

“Honky Tonk Music”
late 1920’s ~
“Nashville Sound”
late 1950’s ~
“Bakersfield Sound”
late 1950’s ~
“Country Rock” “Outlaw Country” “Countrypolitan”
late 1960’s ~ late 1960’s ~ early 1980’s late 1960’s ~ late 1970’s
“Alternative Country” “Country Pop”
early 1990’s ~ late 1970’s ~

Banjo

Lap Steel Guitar

More Pedal Steel Guitars

Hank Williams (1923-1953)

Roy Rogers (1911-1998)

Willie Nelson, 1966

Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, 1975

Waylon Jennings (1937-2002)

1973

Honky Tonk Heroes
Low down leaving sun, I've done Piano rolled blues, I danced holes in my shoes
Did everything that needs done There weren't another other way to be
Woe is me,why can't I see For lovable losers and no account boozers
I'd best be leaving well enough alone And honky tonk heroes like me
Them neon light nights, couldn't stay out of fights Where does it go, the good Lord only knows
Keep a-haunting me in memories Seems like it was just the other day
Well there's one in every crowd, for crying out loud I was down in Green Gables, hawking them tables
Why was it always turning out to be me? And generally blowing all my hard earned pay
Where does it go, the good Lord only knows Piano rolled blues, I danced holes in my shoes
Seems like it was just the other day There weren't another other way to be
I was down at Green Gables, a-hawking them tables For them lovable losers and no account boozers
And generally blowing all my hard earned pay And honky tonk heroes like me, yeah
Piano rolled blues, danced holes in my shoes
There weren't another other way to be
For lovable losers, no account boozers
And honky tonk heroes like me
Where does it go, the good Lord only knows
Seems like it was just the other day
I was down in Green Gables, hawking them tables
And generally blowing all my hard earned pay

Johnny Cash
(1932 - 2003)

Kris Kristofferson (1936- )

Me and Bobby McGee
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, headin' for the trains,
feelin' nearly faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
took us all the way to New Orleans.
Took my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
and was blowin' sad while Bobby sang the blues,
With them windshield wipers slappin' time and
Bobby clappin' hands we finally sang up every song
that driver knew.
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
and nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free,
Feelin' good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues,
and buddy, that was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.

From the coalmines of Kentucky to the California sun,
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul,
Standin' right beside me through everythin' I done,
and every night she kept me from the cold.
The somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away,
she was lookin' for the love I hope she'll find,
Well I'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday,
holdin' Bobby's body close to mine.
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose,
and nothin' left was all she left to me,
Feelin' good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues,
and buddy, that was good enough for me.
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee.

Baton Rouge
New Orleans

Salinas, California
Coal mines
of Kentucky
New Orleans

1985

Highwayman
I was a highwayman I fly a starship across the Universe divide
Along the coach roads I did ride And when I reach the other side
With sword and pistol by my side I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five But I will remain
But I am still alive. And I'll be back again, and again
and again and again and again
I was a sailor
I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide.
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still.
I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around..
I'll always be around..and around and around and
around and around

Gram Parsons (1946-1973)

1968

1969

Emmylou Harris (1947- )

Love Hurts
Love hurts, Love is like a stove,
love scars, burns you when it's hot.
love wounds Love hurts
and mars. Oooh oooh love hurts
Any heart
not tough Some fools think of happiness,
or strong enough blissfullness,
to take a lot of pain, togetherness,
take a lot of pain. Some fools fool themselves I guess,
Love is like a cloud, but they're not fooling me.
holds a lot of rain. I know it isn't true,
know it isn't true.
Love hurts Love is just a lie
Oooh oooh love hurts made to make you blue.
I'm young, Love hurts
I know Oooh oooh love hurts
but even so,
I know a thing or two,
I've learned from you.
I've really learned a lot
really learned a lot.

Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997)

Pancho and Lefty
Living on the road my friend The dust that Pancho bit down south
Was gonna keep you free and clean Ended up in Lefty's mouth
Now you wear your skin like iron The day they laid poor Pancho low
Your breath's as hard as kerosene Lefty split for Ohio
You weren't your mama's only boy Where he got the bread to go
But her favorite one it seems There ain't nobody knows
She began to cry when you said goodbye
And sank into your dreams All the federales say
They could have had him any day
Pancho was a bandit boys They only let him slip away
His horse was fast as polished steel Out of kindness I suppose
Wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel The poets tell how Pancho fell
Pancho met his match you know Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
On the deserts down in Mexico The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold
Nobody heard his dying words So the story ends we're told
That's the way it goes Pancho needs your prayers it's true,
But save a few for Lefty too
All the federales say He just did what he had to do
They could have had him any day Now he's growing old
They only let him hang around
Out of kindness I suppose A few gray federales say
They could have had him any day
Lefty he can't sing the blues They only let him go so wrong
All night long like he used to Out of kindness I suppose

Uncle Tupelo

1990

That Year
The thousand times I lived before were just in my dreams
Well, I woke up to realize it didn't mean a thing
I've seen several better places, several better times
Somehow those memories got left behind
Give me back that year, good or bad
Give me back something that I never knew I had
I guess it all boils down to it was just a second guess
So god damn long ago it's hard to feel I did my best
And I think of our relationship and all
And why I can't see that anymore in your eyes
Give me back that year, good or bad
Give me back something that I never knew I had
Well, I sit and watch it go by
I sit and watch shit go by
Go by
That year

1996

What's The World Got In Store
Close your eyes and go to sleep, baby
Take your head off your feet, honey
Cause you've been working hard and I know you're tired
You been tryin' hard not to think I'm a liar
What's the world got in store
What's the world got in store for you
What's the world got in store for you now
Come on baby somehow, I need you
Do I have to show you how, baby
I'm not trying to knock you out, or was it about
I just now you need your rest I can't say what's best for you
You been workin' hard and I know you're tired
I've been tryin' hard not to feel like a liar
What's the world got in store
What's the world got in store for you
What's the world got in store for you now
What's the world got in store
What's the world got in store for you
What's the world got in store for you now

Uncle Tupelo
1987-1994
Wilco Son Volt
1994~ 1994~
led by Jeff Tweedy led by Jay Farrar

Whiskeytown

Ryan Adams (1974- )

2000

Come Pick Me Up
When they call your name With the windows clear and the mannequins eyes
Will you walk right up Do they all look like mine
With a smile on your face
Or will you cower in fear You know you could
In your favorite sweater I wish you would
With an old love letter Come pick me up
Take me out
I wish you would Fuck me up
I wish you would Steal my records
Come pick me up Screw all my friends behind my back
Take me out With a smile on your face
Fuck me up And then do it again
Steal my records I wish you would
Screw all my friends
They're all full of shit I wish you'd make up my bed
With a smile on your face So I could make up my mind
And then do it again Try it for sleeping instead
I wish you would Maybe you'll rest sometime
I wish I could
When you're walking downtown
Do you wish I was there
Do you wish it was me

Gillian Welch and David Rowlings

2001

Everything is Free
Everything is free now, Every day I wake up,
That's what they say. Hummin' a song.
Everything I ever done, But I don't need to run around,
Gotta give it away. I just stay home.
Someone hit the big score.
They figured it out, And sing a little love song,
That we're gonna do it anyway, My love, to myself.
Even if doesn't pay. If there's something that you want to hear,
You can sing it yourself.
I can get a tip jar,
Gas up the car, 'Cause everything is free now,
And try to make a little change That what I say.
Down at the bar. No one's got to listen to
The words in my head.
Or I can get a straight job, Someone hit the big score,
I've done it before. And I figured it out,
I never minded working hard, That we're gonna do it anyway,
It's who I'm working for. Even if doesn't pay.

Lucinda Williams (1953- )

1998

Greenville
Don't wanna see you again or hold your hand
Cause you don't really love me you're not my man
You're not my man oh you're not my man
Go back to Greenville just go on back to Greenville
You scream and shout and you make a scene
When you open your mouth you never say what you mean
Say what you mean oh say what you mean
Go back to Greenville just go on back to Greenville
You drink hard liquor you come on strong
You lose your temper someone looks at you wrong
Looks at you wrong oh looks at you wrong
Go back to Greenville just go on back to Greenville
Out all night playin’ in a band
Looking for a fight with a guitar in your hand
A guitar in your hand oh a guitar in your hand
Go back to Greenville just go on back to Greenville
Empty bottles and broken glass

Busted down doors and borrowed cash
Borrowed cash oh the borrowed cash
Go back to Greenville just go on back to Greenville
Looking for someone to save you
Looking for someone to rave about you
To rave about you oh to rave about you
Go back to Greenville just go on back to Greenville

五四三
六