Diction

There are so many different types of country music. Country/pop, country/rock, and southern country are just some to name. Every single artist in the country music field puts their own style into their music and lyrics. There is a big difference between the sounds in Billy Currington's "Good Directions" and Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy." In "Good Directions" there is a deep southern tone that is easily identified where as in "Stupid Boy" there is more of a pop sound. Both songs were recorded between the years of 2005 and 2006 and yet they have totally different sounds. In both lyrics, the diction, or word choice helps the listener identify what type of country music the song is.

Billy Currington's "Good Directions" lyrics contain diction that leads the listener to the conclusion that the song is in fact a complete, southern sound. The entire chorus, "I told her way up yonder past the caution light, there's a little country store with an old Coke sign. You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea. Then a left will take you to the interstate, but a right will bring you right back here to me," paints a picture in the listeners mind of a small southern town in Georgia. The word choice in the song depicts a small town in the south because of the use of the word "yonder." Asking Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea shows that the town is in fact small because it appears that everyone is well known. The words that usually end in "ing" in the song end in "in'" which makes the listener think there is a southern accent going on in the dialogue. The song paints a picture of the narrator as a "redneck, southern, young man." "Crunchin' on a pork rind when she pulled up. She had to be thinkin' "This is where Rednecks come from"" is an example of him classifying himself as a redneck which clearly makes a visual for the listener. At the end of the song, it is revealed to the listener that Miss Bell is in fact the narrator's mother. It is declared in the lines, "When she stopped in and asked Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea, Mama gave her a big 'ol glass and sent her right back here to me." There is also a clear punn within the word "right." It could be used in the sense of direction which is sung throughout the song or something that immediately happened. Not only does the diction in the song point out the southern tone, but the "twaingy" music goes along with it.

Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy," sounds more like a pop, love, song than a deep, southern country sound. However, there is still that country influence because most country songs tell stories and this one does. There is no distinct setting for this song, which means this could be the story of anyone anywhere and not just in the south. The diction in the lyrics do not necessarily make the listener think of a southern atmosphere. It almost seems like the singer in the song is the "male figure's" conscious. This male abuses his wife or girlfriend. It is indicated in the lyrics, "I guess you build yourself up so high, you had to take her and break her down," that he does this to her to make himself feel good. However in the lyrics, "So what made you think you could take a life? And just push it push it around," it seems as though he is questioning why he does this, making himself think he is doing the wrong thing. In the song, it is sung that she was "A perfect prayer in a desperate hour. She was everything beautiful and different." She did not do anything wrong but still got punished for it. In the chorus, "She laid her heart and soul right in your hands, and you stole her every dream and you crushed her plans. She never even knew she had a choice and that's what happens when the only voice she hears is telling her she can't," it is shown to the listener that she is afraid. She put everything she had including her trust into her boyfriend or husband and he took it for granted. She was never aware that she could speak up and act because she was always telling herself she was afraid of what he would do. Once she worked up enough courage to leave, she did. She realized she couldn't live her life being afraid. The narrator, or conscious, realized he made a mistake and just how much he did love her. It is shown through the lyrics, "Nobody's ever gonna love me like she loved me. And she loved me, she loved me. God please, just let her know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

There could be many possible reasons for why a country singer chooses a certain tone for their music. Arguably, there are different types of country music to satisfy all needs. There are people who like country music but would rather hear more of a pop version. On the other hand there are people more interested in the deep southern, "redneck," tones. Billy Currington has a strong southern accent that can be heard through most of his songs where as Keith Urban has a strong Australian accent which does not lend to a country "twang."