Leaving my heart in Lindale and living a Horseleg life
This week’s column was inspired by a conversation I had with my neighbor Brad. He sent me a text message the other day joking that he and I lived a lavish lifestyle, a “Horseleg life” if you will, referring to the very fancy houses and neighborhoods off Horseleg Creek Road.
So I wrote back that we were living a Horseleg life on a Celanese budget.
And that sounded like a country song to me.
I figured there’s lots of places that have country songs about them, so why can’t Rome?
Did you know there’s a country song about Cedartown? It’s a Waylon Jennings song. In fact, the entire album is named “Cedartown, Georgia” and the title track is about a fellow who meets a girl in Cedartown and he has to walk nearly three miles to court her. Well, he marries her and takes her back to New Orleans and they get a little house in the French Quarter. He gets a job loading bales on a steamboat but all she does is sleep and primp. Then she goes out on the town.
Well, one day he sees her out with “a tall long dandy from Canebreak” and do you know that girl just walked right past him like he didn’t even exist? He goes and buys a gun from a pawnshop and he kills her and puts her on a train back to Cedartown.
It’s a tragic song.
But I thought Rome could have its own country songs as well. We’ve got all the things that make up good country songs. We’ve got interesting people and quirky characters; we’ve got great place names and we’ve got that small town charm.
There’s so many people, places and stories here that would make for great country music inspiration.
So I’m putting together a country album called “I Left My Heart in Lindale” and here are some of the tracks I’ll be pitching to the big time record label execs who are sure to pick this up when they hear it ...
1. I Left my Heart in Lindale
2. Horseleg Life on a Celanese Budget
3. Beer Barrel Blues
4. I Put the Sad in Saddle Mountain
5. I Went to the Brewhouse and Now I’m in the Doghouse
6. How Long Does It Take to Elect a Sheriff?
7. No Parkin’ on Broad — this one has some cuss words in it
8. Cryin’ at the Clocktower
9. Possom Trot Sunset
10. I Met my Baby at the Bargain Hunt
11. Mama was a Kingston Cutie
12. I Got Sammy and She Got Rich
13. Snowflakes in the Summer (The Floyd County Weather Song)
14. Fouche Gap Fever — this one isn’t safe for radio play
15. My Booger Hollow Beauty
16. I’m Goin’ Back to Shannon
17. Cold, Cold Water (Ode to Cave Spring)
18. The Battle of Brushy Branch
19. Lay Me Down on Myrtle Hill
20. Skytop Saturday Night — this one also isn’t safe for radio play
If you’ve got some suggestions for local country songs, send ‘em to Savila@ Rn-t.com and include your name and I’ll pick the best ones for a follow-up album.