Kalau lagi santai, silakan baca lirik lagu berjudul “This is Country Music” karya Brad Paisley berikut ini. Lihatlah bagaimana Brad Paisley memasukkan serpihan lirik atau kisah dari lagu-lagu country penanda zaman. Bisa dibilang, lagu ini menarik garis merah dari lagu-lagu country terpenting dan membuat simpulan sederhana yang merangkum spirit musik country: “This is your life in a song.” Spirit ini seringkali jadi olok2 karena terlalu menye2 (mencurhatkan hidup yang melankolis dan pastoral), tapi kalau kita lihat dari sudut pandang yang lain, membandingkannya dengan lagu-lagu cinta atau pesta yang tak jelas visinya, membuat musik country memiliki nilai lebih karena kedekatannya dengan kenyataan.

Baiklah, tanpa terlalu banyak cingcong lagi, silakan baca lirik ini dan telusuri sendiri lagu-lagu atau tokoh-tokoh country yang dirujuk Brad Paisley nyaris di setiap bari lirik ini:

You’re not supposed to say
The word cancer in a song
And tellin’ folks Jesus is the answer
Can rub ’em wrong

It ain’t hip to sing about tractors, trucks
Little towns and mama
Yeah that might be true
But this is country music and we do

Well, you like to drink a cold one
On the weekend and get a little loud
Do you wanna say I’m sorry or I love ya
But you don’t know how?

Do you wish somebody had the nerve
To tell that stupid boss of yours
To shove it next time he yells at you?
Well, this is country music, and we do

So turn it on, turn it up and sing along
This is real, this is your life in a song
Yeah this is country music

Are you haunted by the echo of your mother
On the phone?
Cryin’ as she tells you that
Your brother is not coming home?

And if there’s anyone that still
Has pride and the memory of those
That died defending the old red, white and blue
This is country music and we do

So turn it on, turn it up and sing along
This is real, this is your life in a song
Just like a road that takes you home
Yeah this is right where you belong

This is country music
This is country music

You Stopped Loving Her Today
(This is country music)
Hello Dolly
(This is country music)
God Bless the USA
(This is country music)

Amarillo by the Morning
(This is country music)
Stand by Your Man
(This is country music)

Take Me Home Country Roads
(This is country music)
I Walk the Line
(This is country music)
Country Boy Can Survive