Country musicians have a lot to say. It may not always be politically correct, and it may not be exactly what everyone wants to hear, but when we hear one of our beloved C&W stars opine on one topic or another, their simplicity always resonates, even if their message doesn’t. While not every country musician is Mark Twain, they’ve frequently said things that have struck a chord and remained memorable years after they said them. Can you tell which quotes were uttered by which country musician?
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1. ‘Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate…’
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Answer: Johnny Cash
The Man in Black knew what he was talking about here. He was instrumental in expanding the country music form and approaching the music from multiple angles, whether he was recording with Sam Phillips or Rick Rubin.
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2. ‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.’
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Answer: Dolly Parton
Not everyone can do self-deprecating humor without wearing out the schtick after a while. Not so with the mighty Dolly Parton, who pokes fun at herself while retaining every ounce of the self-confidence that makes us love her so much.
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3. ‘When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.’
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Answer: Willie Nelson
Willie’s lived a lot over these last 90 years, and tragedy has struck him countless times. Rather than get bogged down in negativity, Nelson credits positive thinking with helping him avoid being mired in counterproductive pessimism. We believe that smoking his own weight in pot on a daily basis might help him too.
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4. ‘Happiness isn’t getting what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.’
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Answer: Garth Brooks
While this quote has also been attributed to George Harrison, Garth Brooks is right whether he came up with it or not. His success certainly afforded him a lifestyle in which he could buy anything and not worry about the money, but in this statement, he seems to be saying that’s not everything.
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5. ‘You’ve got to continue to grow…’
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Answer: Loretta Lynn
Loretta was a brilliant songwriter and performer, and she spent most of her career pushing the envelope and boldly going to places in country music where no woman had gone before. She also published a cookbook, so her baking analogies are apt.
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6. ‘Successful people have a social responsibility…’
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Answer: Carrie Underwood
While country music is frequently associated with political views that lean to the right, some artists have found that wading into all that is not worth the trouble. Despite her statement about social responsibility, Underwood has said, “I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins.” For reals, girl!
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7. ‘We all take different paths in life…’
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Answer: Tim McGraw
To some, this statement would seem to say that we all live on through those whose lives we touch in ways great and small. To others, it may seem a statement similar to, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
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8. ‘I think beauty comes from within…’
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Answer: Faith Hill
Faith Hill is 100% on the money here – it’s important to be beautiful on the inside. At the same time, when you look like Faith Hill and have a team of stylists deployed to your home whenever you have a photo shoot, you can talk about inner beauty all you want.
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9. ‘Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book…’
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Answer: Brad Paisley
Boy, country musicians sure like to point out that we are in control of our own destinies and must live the lives of integrity that we map out for ourselves. It’s better than when all the country songs were about CB radio though.
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10. ‘Just be yourself, there is no one better.’
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Answer: Taylor Swift
Taylor’s journey from country to pop was completed long ago, so putting her on a list of country musicians may seem out of date. However, what hasn’t changed is her trite statements that read like fortune cookies. Go Tay Tay!
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11. ‘Well, I’d like to be remembered by all my work…’
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Answer: Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck is of course referring to “Take This Job and Shove It,” which became his signature song when he was already well into his career. Well Johnny, you can’t sing a song about the thing everyone wants to say to their boss without the fans loving you forever for it, can you?
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12. ‘To sing like a hillbilly, you had to have lived like a hillbilly…’
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Answer: Hank Williams
There are few people as qualified to say what’s “legitimate country” as Hank Williams, who wrote the blueprint for every modern country song ever written. And if he says you must be familiar with the smell of mule poop to qualify, then mule poop it is.
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13. ‘The sad part about happy endings…’
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Answer: Tammy Wynette
Indeed, if Tammy Wynette had gotten married to a single, well-adjusted man who wasn’t drunk, she would have had no experiences to draw from when writing songs. While we’re sad about all of the emotional pain that Wynette endured in her life, we hope she’s happy in the afterlife, knowing she left us some truly miserable songs.
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14. ‘It sounds like something from a Woody Guthrie song…’
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Answer: Merle Haggard
There are a lot of clichés about country musicians, such as being born into poverty or spending time in this nation’s correctional facilities. Merle Haggard was the real thing though, and he lived through almost every dire circumstance he ever sang about, including being born into abject poverty.
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15. ‘Elvis was a big influence to my music…’
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Answer: Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker was just a kid when she burst onto the scene – literally, she was 13 years old. But her voice made her sound like she had been singing for decades, and she had the solid influences to back it up.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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