I find it hard to believe that some people don’t want to take pride in their Southern heritage. To me, being from the South is something to be thankful for. We rarely miss church, love our mamas, can drink sweet tea from 8 in the morning to 11 at night, and stand up for each other; that’s the southern way of life. If everyone wants to agree with the Southern way of life, then why not listen to music that portrays those same ideals: God, family, good food and friends.

I grew up listening to country music. I’ll admit, I did go a little off track in my younger years when NSYNC and Brittney Spears were popular, but other than that, I have always listened to country music. It was one of those “roll down the windows and blare Kenny Chesney” kind of days. I was picking up my friend from her home to go watch our swim team compete in district. As soon as she got in the car, her hand started gravitating toward the radio to change the station from Kicker 102.5 to Power 95.9. She explained that she didn’t listen to country music, I just laughed, I thought it was a joke. However she wasn’t laughing along with me. She was serious. How could that be? YOU LIVE IN THE SOUTH. A lot of things that a southerner or Texarkana resident deals with on a day to day basis is somewhere in country music.

“…Every grandma, in law, ex-girlfriend
Maybe knows it just a little too well,
Whether you’re late for church or you’re stuck in jail
Hey, word’s gonna get around
Everybody dies famous in a small town”
-Miranda Lambert, Famous in a Small Town.
No matter how hard you try or how few of people you tell, a “secret” isn’t really a secret and the world will find out- especially in Texarkana. You say something, and the next day, someone from Pleasant Grove or Arkansas High or any other school is texting you and asking you about it. There are no such things as secrets in this town. That is one situation that all southern girls should be able to relate to.

“Not a whole lot going on, a small town Friday night
Revving up at a red light, on your mark get set go
Past a mom and pop restaurant
Same four trucks parked out front
I guess you gotta make your own fun
When you’re stuck in a place this slow”
-Jason Aldean, Church Pew or Bar Stool.
This song is so consistent with the teenagers’ weekends around town. When it’s not football season, Friday nights are mostly spent at Sonic. There is nothing going on, nothing to do, and honestly, no new people to meet.

“Took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood
To get to wear those game day jerseys down the hall
The kings of the school, man, we’re the boys of fall”
-Kenny Chesney, The Boys of Fall.
Every southerner knows that football is more than just a sport, it’s a religion. Football is the highway to popularity for those new kids, a jacket, and a high school boy bond. In Texarkana, whether it be Texas-Arkansas week or the first game of the season, the intensity overwhelms newcomers, the student sections live and the spirit level is unreal.

Whether you live in the suburbs of PG or the backwoods, country applies to everyone. It’s our way of life and our perspective. Sit back and listen to the words of country music before you turn on your Lil Wayne. The similarity between your life and the lyrics might just surprise you.