Whiskey River

Listening to "Whiskey River" by Johnny Bush (from the all-time great compilation album "Country Drinking Songs") tonight, contemplating the recession and how little stars seem to have noticed that there's anything wrong. They're up there doing that twinkling thing that they do. Just saying.

The last time I listened to Whiskey River would have been something like 1973, likely on a trip to Broadview Saskatchewan to visit a grandmother who kept chickens and a couple of bitchy geese. Buick Electra, no seatbelts, flatulent poodle, two chainsmoking parents, and non-stop country music on the 8-track. At ten years of age I knew the following songs off by heart:

The Happpiest Girl in the Whole USA
I Got Me Some Kind of a Woman
Behind Closed Doors
Satin Sheets
One's on the Way
It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)

Essentially, at 10 I shared a material culture with hard-drinkin', loose-livin', boot-stompin'no-good womanizing scoundrels and knew a fair bit about things I really had no business knowing about. I did think that "Behind Closed Doors" was called "Behind Old Stones," but I still knew it was dirty, somehow.

Tsk tsk I say to myself, what were my parents thinking? Just for a moment, I say that to myself, before recalling that my four year old's favorite song is "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy."