Erickson, Chelsea
Final Exam Rough Draft
Christine Bettis
English 101

When I first heard the Maddie & Tae song ‘Girl in a Country Song’ I instantly fell in love. I have never heard a song I related to so instantaneously or felt so connected to. I have been a country music fan as long as I can remember; from riding around in my dad’s truck, to the concerts that still make me put my old boots on for today. All these years have went by and I had always noticed that there were far fewer empowering songs for women than for the men and I have always wondered why. The song ‘Girl in a Country Song’ spoke to me upon hearing it on the radio for the first time; I couldn’t wait to get home and look up the lyrics. That turned into a marathon of listening so intently as the words played, over and over again. Music can do that to a person, and for this song, one could assume all women who enjoy the country genre would have a similar feeling. It is now the go-to track when the ladies are ready for a night out on the town, or before a long road trip. There hasn’t been a single woman I know who didn’t love this song.
The second verse of the chorus reads “how in the world did it go so wrong” referring to how country music became dominated by males where women are now subordinates and play the role of a prop in a movie rather than a co-star. That assertion is a strong statement, but one that is sufficiently backed by most fans I know. The message being sent by the tune is straightforward and well defined by the strong chorus lines. Those lyrics go on to criticize modern day male artists by comparing them to older stars and the way those stars regarded women. The older stars are viewed as good ole’ boys raised on strong values where the modern country stars are pointed out to be more objective of women. Even though there are only fifteen lines of lyrics in the body, those fifteen lines are enough to convey a strong point, which has been neglected for quite some time by country music as a whole. A track like this was needed in today’s world, and the two ladies who created this track are perfect spokeswomen for its message. They are the exact demographic