The Lost Trailers – “Country Folks (Livin’ Loud)”
Having worked their way into the good graces of the radio gods with safe offerings like “Holler Back” and “How ‘Bout You Don’t,” The Lost Trailers step out with a bold, subversive message on their seventh single. “Country Folks (Livin’ Loud)” is a desperate slice of Southern gothic, a heartwrenching and bitter portrait of the rural communities hit hardest by the economic downturn and the everyday men and women whose lives hang in the balance.
Actually, it’s just another song about how cool it is to live in the country–for the record, almost unbelievably cool, even in the worst of times. The boldest thing about this particular iteration of the theme is just how resolutely it refuses to even hint at bringing anything new to the table. Everything about this–the tired lyrics, the predictable arrangement, Ryder Lee’s genial vocal–sounds straight out of a truck commercial airing exclusively in the most boring town you’ve ever visited.
The most glaring problem is the lyrics, which trump anything I might write in trying to convey the full measure of their inanity to you:
We’re crankin’ Waylon Jennings in our pickup trucks
Clinkin’ beer bottles ’til the sun comes up
Mammas in the church choir, oh what a sound
We’re country folks livin’ loud
We’re drivin’ tractors in the cotton ’til the cows come home
Boots on the dance floor, around we go
The Star Spangled Banner, we sing it proud
We’re country folks livin’ loud
Enjoy Rodney Atkins but wish his songs weren’t so darn cerebral? The Lost Trailers have you covered.
Inevitably, people will point out that this is just supposed to be a fun summer song, that thinking is overthinking, that you have to be from the country to really understand it. That’s all bunk. This is uninspired tripe, and even those who share the song’s love of country singers (besides Waylon, George Strait and Kenny Chesney also get mentions), pickup trucks, alcohol, mamas, church, tractors, cows, boots, dancing, and patriotism should feel manipulated by a song that hits on all the familiar themes without ever really trying to say anything.
Not only has it been done before, it has been done much better. Many, many times. As far as list songs about superficial aspects of life in the country go, this is one of the worst.
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July 24, 2009 at 8:32 am Permalink
“Enjoy Rodney Atkins but wish his songs weren’t so darn cerebral?”
maybe the best line I have read on the 9513.
July 24, 2009 at 8:41 am Permalink
another song that panders. no thanks.
July 24, 2009 at 8:52 am Permalink
I can stand this better than “How ‘Bout You Don’t”, but it’s definitely still not working for me.
July 24, 2009 at 10:00 am Permalink
The photo of these guys reminds me of the Easton Corbin “hair product” discussion yesterday. :)
July 24, 2009 at 10:03 am Permalink
And I can’t forget to mention, the song is flat horrible.
July 24, 2009 at 10:09 am Permalink
I may have said this here before, but in 2004, i was enjoying one of Willie’s fine July 4 picnics. the stage I focused on had Jessie Colter, Randy Rogers, James Hand, Texas Playboys, Jason Boland, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Lost Trailers throughtout the day…gee, which one do you think made me go and hang out at the other stage for a bit?
July 24, 2009 at 11:06 am Permalink
I’m all for Waylon, beer, and pickup trucks, but that’s where they lose me. I don’t go to a church with a choir, don’t drive a tractor, and very rarely get my boots on the dance floor. As for the Star Spangled Banner, it’s not really a song for the untalented. I’m glad they sing it proud, but I’d really appreciate it if a lot of people didn’t sing it so loud.
Do I really want people singing songs about booster seats and happy meals? No. But country music needs to quit with the songs that make those of us down South look so bad.
July 24, 2009 at 12:09 pm Permalink
After my comments yesterday, Im not even going to touch this song with a ten foot poll. Hey Leeann these guys are crankin’ Waylon.
I wish for once someone would crank “Skip Ewing”, just to throw off their fan base
July 24, 2009 at 12:13 pm Permalink
See, Stewman, this is where your argument against them mentioning traditional artists as influences (if they even do that in their bio) is warranted, as they’ve proven that their sound does not draw from those artists. The problem with yesterday’s debate is that you assumed he was being unauthentic even though his one and only single actually did nod to tradition.
July 24, 2009 at 12:14 pm Permalink
Ha. While I could hear people cranking Waylon and Johnny, I can’t really hear Skip cranked.
July 24, 2009 at 12:24 pm Permalink
Is Skippy still around?
July 24, 2009 at 5:01 pm Permalink
Now that the Trailers have found their niche at country radio, do you really expect them to mess with the formula? If Top 40 country radio wants shallow, list touting musical tripe, then that’s what they’ll get! Just pathetic…
July 24, 2009 at 11:26 pm Permalink
what i meant to say is “I wont touch this song with a ten foot CANE pole”
July 25, 2009 at 12:54 am Permalink
Am I the only one who thinks this song is fun, and better then alot of other stuff on radio right now?
July 25, 2009 at 3:51 pm Permalink
Is is just me or does the backgrounds sound almost the same as Alabama’s “song of the south”? I still somewhat enjoy it for what it is…
July 25, 2009 at 9:34 pm Permalink
“Is Skippy still around?” Yes, I just saw him. He was with his aunt Slappy.
50 bonus points if you got that one.
July 26, 2009 at 11:29 am Permalink
From left to right; Zac Efron, Rainn Wilson, Luke Wilson, Jack Black, Fabio. I’d think the fame of this band alone would get it a good review. Sorry, I just had to… they’re trying WAY too hard to look cool.
July 26, 2009 at 12:09 pm Permalink
Great…Just what the music world needs..Another song about how country they are..Performed by one of the absolutely worst bands in history. How the hell did they get to their 7th single anyway?? It’s songs and acts like this that is everything souless and wrong with today’s country music. Wake Up Record Labels and put out more acts with real talent.
July 28, 2009 at 2:35 pm Permalink
these guy’s are great! just ask them. they played at a bar where i used to work. they pre-sold, get this: 14 tickets. that’s right 14. there were more people there the last time i pissed in the pool. anyway, they played that chicken song to start the set. and after an hour and a half long set, they played it….again to close the set. the only other band i have seen do this was europe with the final countdown in like 1990. the lost trailers are not europe…are they? but the auditory assault wasn’t enough. insult was to follow. once they had loaded out, they came back into the club to tell us that someone on the security staff had stolen a laptop computer from the band’s dressing room. so, these tool bags stand around for an hour making accusations about our reputation as a venue, making threats about calling the police, (which we welcomed) until finally they discover that a “friend of the band” who had been in the dressing room had walked out with the computer and failed to tell them. hope these trailers get even more lost.
February 17, 2010 at 4:53 pm Permalink
I also despise this song. On some levels, it’s also offensive to me. I enjoy REAL country music (not this Hollywood pop star-with-a-cowboy-hat-on garbage; real hoedowns and mountain music), so by the lyrics saying that all people who like country music (which by the song, automatically makes him/her a hick) like beer (I don’t drink), patriotism (I have mixed feelings about the U.S. right now), and living in rural areas and farming (I live in the city). This song is absolute crap, and I am close to punching whoever wrote this song should I ever meet him.
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