wellRED podcast - BUBBA SHOT: "Independence Day" by Martina McBride

Episode Date: March 11, 2022

For Women's History Month we will be doing four straight weeks of ladies. To kick things off we have one of our all time favorite country music songs. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride. Written by Gretchen Parsons, this gut wrenching tale of a family ripped apart by violence and alcoholism doubles as a take down of America's treatment of women. Warning: this song is not light hearted and the topics of domestic abuse and violence do come up. 

And we thank them for sponsoring the show. Well, no, I'll just go ahead. I mean, look, I'm money dumb. Y'all know that. I've been money dumb ever, since ever, my whole life. And the modern world makes it even harder to not be money dumb, in my opinion. Because used to, you, like, had to write down everything you spent or you wouldn't know nothing. But now you got apps and stuff on your phone.

It's just like you can just, it makes it easier to lose count of, well, your count, the count every month, how much you're spending. A lot of people don't even know how much they spend on a per month basis. I'm not going to lie, I can be one of those people. Like, let me ask you right now, skewers out, whatnot, sorry, well-read people, people across the skew universe, I should say. Do you even know how many subscriptions that you actively pay for every month or every year? Do you even know? Do you know how much you spend on takeout or delivery,

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I used Rocket Money and realized that I had apparently been paying for two different language learning services that I just wasn't using. So I was probably like, I should know Spanish. I'll learn Spanish. and I've just been paying to learn Spanish without practicing any Spanish for, you know, pertinent two years now or something like that. Also, a fun one, I'd said it before,

but I got an app, lovely little app where you could, you know, put your friends' faces onto funny reaction gifts and stuff like that. So obviously I got it so I could put Corey's face on those two, those two like twins from the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movies. You know, those weren't a little like the Q-ball-looking twin fellas. Yeah, so that was money.

What was that a reply gift for? Just when I did something stupid. Something fat, I think, and stupid. Something both fat and stupid. But anyway, that was money well spent at first, but then I quit using it and was still paying for it and forgotten. If it wasn't for Rocket Money, I never would have even figured it out. So shout out to them.

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This month we will be featuring singers, songwriters, etc. Who identify as women? Before this episode, a quick trigger warning. Today's song is Martina McBride's masterpiece Independence Day. It's an amazing song. We have an amazing guest. But it is about domestic violence. It is a very serious song and a very serious subject.

And then three very unserious assholes are going to talk about it. So I just wanted everyone to know that. You know, so listen, it is fun. It is a great song. but it's going to get into some dark material. Also, while I got you here, next week's song will be Shania Twain.

Man, I feel like a woman. So get ready for that. Follow us on the Instagrams. I'm sorry, I mean the Twitters and the social medias. And, yeah, I got some ideas how to make this next week episode interactive. I know a lot of you are going to have. have a lot of opinions and things to say about it.

I'm so excited. Gentlemen, welcome to Bubba Shot the Podcast, and that's right, a show about country. Gentlemen, welcome to Bubba Shot the podcast. First, The Facts, Independence Day is a song recorded by Martina McBride and released in May of 1994 as the third single from her album, The Way That I Am. It peaked at number 12 on the Hot Country Songs, a little surprising considering it is ranked 50th by CMT's 100 greatest songs of country music and number two with its 100th 100 greatest videos in country music.

That's what I'm trying to say. Just of all time? Of all time. This is according to CMT, country music television, who I guess would be the authority. This is the second best or second greatest country music video of all time. We will get into the iconic music video. I do love it. I do remember it from when I was little.

first of all, are you surprised at peaked at number 12? I was because I feel like this song was ubiquitous. Yeah, and like still is. This feels like a, I mean, granted, any song that I love, I'm always going to be like, sure, that was a number one chart-topping hit, but like this one, like, how on earth was their 11 songs better than this at one time? It makes me wonder what those, what those are. Right.

Because I doubt that all 11 of them, you would. would hear and be like, well, that's fair. You know. Right, right, right. Yeah, I guess I could have figured that out. I would have to look that whole year. I'll pull that up in a few when you guys are talking, perhaps with our guests, and I have some time to kind of go do it. I just didn't think to look that up, probably because I wanted my theory to be right,

which was I know that radio play had a lot to do with those numbers back then. I think maybe our guests can give us some info on that. I know that sales was a lot of it, but I think radio play was a lot of it, and maybe they just weren't fucking playing women in 19. Well, that's a good argument to make, especially because backed up by what I'm about to say, the night the lights went out in Georgia by Riba peaked at number eight. And I know that from independent research.

And that was another one where I was like, are you shitting me? Like, how? I mean, how is that not, how did that not go to number one? So maybe it was the women thing. Well, I wasn't planning on opening with that,

but rather than let three male comedians discuss it, Why don't we bring in? Lydia Lovelin. What up? I'm as surprised as you guys are. What'd you think you were doing? I just didn't know about this until like an hour ago. We didn't either.

That checks out. Pretty much how we operate. Well, one of the facts I failed to mention is that it is Women's History Month. It is. It is international Women's History Day was this week. So I decided we're doing all women for the month of March, and we're going to try to have some guests on, you know, who either do or come close to fitness that persuasion.

Hello, Lydia. Hi. Well, you won't be surprised, but we botched Black History Month on the 90s country podcast, so it's good that we're going to do this one right. Well, we're doing 90s country music, shark hoppers, not our fault. George Strait Month is what we decided to do for some reason. Yeah, and you'd be surprised to say this, but the black community has been silent. They do not seem offended or to know who we are.

Lydia, are you doing good? I'm good. All right, well, I gave you very little warning or prep for this somewhat by design. You did know what song we were doing. Let's get right into it. I think we're going to spend a lot of time talking about the video today, because I do love the video. I remember it.

But one thing we always do, Lee, is we read the lyrics, kind of verse by verse. So let's get into that. Gotcha. And if you haven't seen the video, pause what you're doing right now, whether it's YouTube or listening to the podcast on one of the other platforms,

and go watch the video. Well, she seemed all right by Dawn's early light, though she looked a little worried and weak. She tried to pretend he wasn't drinking again. but Daddy left the proof on her cheek. And I was only eight years old that sober, and I always seemed to be in the way. So I took myself down to the fair in town on Independence Day.

It's a great opening stanza. It's intense. It's very intense. I mean, right now we've got domestic violence right out of the gate. Which, for the record, much like a lot of things in this song, right over my head when I was a kid. Like, what year did this song come out? 1994.

Yeah, well, you know, granted, I was, I was seven, but like, to me, all I heard of this, I was just like, oh, it's the Fourth of July song, right on, okay. And so, yeah, it's, it's immediately some, you know, Forrest Gump, Jenny shit going on that I did not notice when I was a kid. It might be because I remember, it might be because I remember the song, still being relevant when I was older, because I was 10 when it came out, but it still mattered when I was 12 or 13.

I don't remember ever not knowing what this song was about. No, Ward. I'm in the same boat, but I think it's probably the first thing you said, though. Like, this song kind of never really went away, and I think I just remember figuring it out when I was, yeah, 13 or whatever it was, because, yeah, I would have been eight or something, and I'm sure at eight I didn't realize what was going on either. Anyway.

Now, Lydia, let's talk a little bit about your background. How old were you in 94? Four. Okay. That's what I saw. I thought you were younger than that. It's one of those songs that I just remember from like my whole childhood. So I don't remember like when it came out.

And that probably wasn't really like what was going on in my household anyway at that time. Not a 90s country household? Not really. I mean, that kind of came later. But yeah, when I was four. we were probably like deeply into the church people so I hope we were like jamming that song that may be I also remember this song from like my sister having it on one of those like oh shit mixtapes where you like taped stuff off the radio like when it came

yeah oh yeah I remember I had it would stay up all night I had oh shit volume four yeah you would stay up all night and like if you missed the first part you're like oh shit you got I'm gonna have to wait I know they're going to to play it like 18 more songs from now. Like that was, that was an intense moment. Like, dude,

if you, if you made a some bitch, a mixtape back then, and then they said no to the dance, my God. You know what I mean? Like, I understand handing them the ox court.

It's like, that's not shit, but like making a mixtape was, was hard as fuck. Yeah, it was an intense procedure. Yeah, you get like the DJ in there sometimes.

Yeah. Yeah, and commercials. Sometimes they wouldn't do. And I don't mean radio. edits like for language of course that was a part of it but they would like sometimes they'd do shorter versions every now yeah like if they had like a countdown or something they didn't have enough time in the block they just cut verses off or some shit like that so you'd get like

half-ass version like i still hear and to this day expect like at the like the radio right yeah yeah uh yeah uh with rap songs specifically i still rap the clean version sometimes like I still need to get like a br-drummer chick. Yeah. There's certain words I leave out of raps when I'm singing them in public too. Probably good. Yeah. But Lydia, you do know the song.

You are familiar with it. We've talked a little bit about that this morning. As a matter of fact, I think you were singing it the last time we saw you. Yeah. I was remembering like vaguely being very intoxicated in the car with, I can't remember who all was in the car. I thought it was just Corey and Trey. We were getting dropped off at a hotel or something.

Yeah. And I remember you were just, you were serenating us. And at one point, I grabbed Trey on the thigh and I'd turn to him, I go, man, this is like really cool. It's like, it's fucking awesome right now. It's fucking Lydia Lovelace, man. Yeah. Well, we've all had like buddies that are hammered in the car singing along to country music or whatever. But the rest of them aren't Lydia.

so it's a bit of a different, you know, feel to it. And it was Independence Day. It was one of the jams. Is this only happening to me? I don't know. Can y'all hear me? Oh, wait. We got technical issues.

I can hear y'all. Can y'all not hear me? I think Corey's having problems. Yeah, I guess I am. As soon as you said, we've all had buddies drunk in the car, and everything just went away from me. So I assume you said, but none of them sounded as angelic as fucking Lydia Lovelis is where that was going,

but I missed it. Yeah. All right. I'm also getting a click that might be coming from you. I'm going to remove you and then you rejoin us, buddy. You got it. So I don't think I knew that story. I just asked you to do this one, you know,

because we wanted to have you on for a while. And, oh, oh, oh, I'm good? Yeah, I'm just trying to get this less of a weird angle so I can see everybody better, but it's fine. Oh, sorry. I'm just, Very low-tech here. It's okay. We're pretty low-tech, too.

I think Corey's back. Let's go back to these lyrics for a second, everyone. Pretty great start as far as the story goes. I really enjoy the line. She tried to pretend he wasn't drinking again because it tells us a lot about what's going on there in that house, not just in terms of the violence or whatever, but also Mama's perspective of it, at least so far.

Yeah, I mean, you know, that's what you do with abusive alcohol. Like everybody in an abusive alcoholic's life, I think, spends a lot of time trying to pretend the tape weren't drinking again. Because, you know, you get slapped for acknowledging. Yeah, you do get slapped. And, yeah, you see it all the, I mean, I see it all the time. know, around where I live of people who it's like, it's so sad because I know that they're trying to deny it because it makes them feel better. But like, I'm like, girl, it's very, very obvious.

And we all know. And please don't insult our intelligence. You know, we saw him in the McDonald's ditch last week. He hasn't cleaned his shit up yet. Let me just say real quick, I'm getting a little feedback. Lydia, can you turn your volume down a little bit and still be able to hear us? Thank you. Yeah, I get that, but she's, you know, we've got the perspective of the 10-year-old girl here. Eight. Oh, my bad.

Eight. I think I was thinking about how I was 10 when this came out. We got the perspective of the eight-year-old girl. You know, there's that whole, like, protect your kids from the truth thing. Yeah. But it's sad, extra sad in this scenario because you can't. You know, you can't, even an 8-year-old, you can't hide the fact that daddy's an abuse of alcoholic.

No. Oh, yeah. Yeah, this is all real heavy, huh? Yeah, this song's pretty, it's a phenomenal song,

but yeah. Not the most. No, it is, but it's one of those. Joveal week on Photoshop the podcast. It's one of those songs

that like has is super. International Women's Day and Women's Month. I know. How about one where one gets beat? Well, look, you're going to have that

when you combine country music and women. right, somebody's getting beat and somebody's taking revenge for it. That's how a lot of those songs go and they smash. But this is definitely one of those songs that the, maybe the tempo and such of the song doesn't match what they're saying. You know what I'm saying? Like as a seven-year-old kid not knowing what this is,

it's just like, you know, like it's just like, yeah, it's happy. It's Independence Day, woo. But then, you know, you read off, you crack off this first verse here. And it's like, man, the kids involved. Like, this is rough. I think it's like similar to born in the USA in the sense that a bunch of people like myself when I was eight or whatever. Yeah. It's like this patriotic anthem, but it's actually way darker than that.

Yeah, for sure. Well, that one fooled me. And it might have been an age thing. It might have been, you know, whatever. But let me, it's not going to get any easier on the heart, but let me keep going with the lyrics because that is what we do. Well, word gets around in a small, small town. They said he was a dangerous man. But Mama was proud, and she stood her ground.

She knew she was on the losing end. Some folks whispered and some folks talked, but everybody looked the other way. And when the time ran out, there was no one about on Independence Day. Now we're going to get right into this chorus. And this is the part that fools eight-year-olds. And probably a lot of old boys named Jed. Yeah, yeah, right.

Let freedom ring. let the white dove sing Let the whole world know That today is a day of reckoning Let the weak be strong Let the right be wrong Roll the stone away Let the guilty pay its independence day

Yeah man So this this verse right here You know What is it everybody What is it before everybody Look the other way? Some folks whispered some folks talked Yeah I mean that you know

That is pretty much how it works with domestic abuse and almost anything as it pertains to women and needing the law to be called. Like my sister just had this dude a couple weeks ago. He called her on the phone. I don't know how you got her number, maybe from her cupcake cards or some shit like that. And you just started talking all this like, I'm going to fuck you in your sleep talk to her and shit like that and just saying awful things over the phone.

So my sister, of course, calls the law and they're like, oh yeah we've had calls on this guy and we're pretty sure we know who it is and he's a felon but like we can't just go to his house and do anything about it and my sister just goes oh yeah no you need him to murder and rape somebody first before you're going to do a goddamn thing about it i see y'all aren't really in the prevention game uh and that's just that's just how it goes everybody just talk shit and then all the sudden somebody gets burnt up in a house and they're like oh man why didn't anyone why didn't anyone help this lady oh women are important i also have a sister yeah yeah yeah so man it's just real lighthearted why can i mean you know we called the law

that's you know we've tried uh in the chorus yeah like you know the chorus very sweeping and an themic and all that and everybody just especially with let freedom ring coming out the gate with that, you know, it's going to make everybody think it's just like a flag waving jam or something if you're not paying attention to it. But since I'm Bible dumb, because I think it's a Bible thing, like the roll the stone away part. Yeah. What's that mean in this context? Well, that's Jesus being freed from the tomb. I feel like that is some resurrection. Yeah. Yeah. The whole song is about, We're about to get into it, and it's almost time to bring in our other host.

But this is a, this is a very important question in the song, in my opinion. This is clearly a dark song, and so let freedom ring is meant to be ironic. The question I have, and I can't tell if I know how I feel, and I can't tell if the video has made my mind up for me, is this also a commentary on America and how we treat women or domestic violence situations that, you know, we're going to let freedom ring, we're going to roll the stone away, we're going to get the guilty, but like it doesn't happen in the song, really. We don't do it. I mean, I was about to say, I don't know any other way to take this song other than like,

hey, this is what happens. The woman has to take in her own hand. she's getting no fucking help. And at the end of the day, you know, we're going to have to light this bitch up because what am I supposed to do, you know? That means why I peaked at 12. But that means people got it.

But if people got it, I'm genuinely surprised CMT made it their number two video of all time. It is a great video. Like, like barring any genre, really, like one of the better. videos I've seen, to be honest. Yeah, I know it's like the whole point of the thought, but when I was younger and everything, I used to really, like in my head, I was always like, man, she didn't have to, you know, spoilers, but like, she didn't have to be in the house, right?

Like, if she had just not been inside the house, this would be one of those gangster songs of all time. It wouldn't be, you know, wouldn't be sad at all, really. But like. According to Martina McBride, she was not in the house. We will get into that and just... What? Did Martina write this?

She did not. We're going to get into who wrote it and all that. I guess first. I have another question, but maybe it's another spoiler. I don't know. That's okay. It can wait, maybe. Everybody listening is hopefully heard these songs anyway.

35 years later, yeah. Yeah, right. Spoilers. Whatever. All right. Well, let me bring in our other host then. How to do that. worth it even though I wasn't ready for it.

What's up, Tushar? Hello. How are you, buddy? Live from Vegas, is that right? I'm in Vegas, still kind of alive. You brought your microphone and everything to Vegas, my man. Buddy, I take this. I'm traveling, what the hell, whatever, something.

I'm traveling something, but I bring it everywhere. Well, even though you don't know words, even as they relate to yourself, but you do have your mic, Did you get a chance to watch the video? I did, I did. This song is sad as shit. It's black and white. It's my first thought about it. And I don't know if you guys have already talked about this,

but this is, this is, this is, this is, this is Jenny from, from Forrest Gump. I said that already. I said that. I knew someone had probably covered that. But it really does feel like, you know, sometimes it just aren't enough rocks. And this is like, this song is a rock that she's like trying to throw and make some noise. but it's really sad. And it's also very anti-white man,

or man, which I'm not, I'm not, I'm not on board with that. Sure. Sure, you're not. My man always ziggin when he should be zagging. No, but it's, it was certainly, I listened to it a few times,

watched the video, and it almost felt like the country music songs like it made me think of other songs that we've done where the guy doing the abusing and this song is off at a bar somewhere else talking about his love that he lost

in his high school or something it's like the stories are kind of all connected in some way for I mean I just feel like in this genre there's that like these themes kind of emerge and while the men are on one hand doing their hero stuff the women are constantly

being like these men are pieces of shit it and we have to deal with it. Yeah, it's usually like the man is in a bar sad because a woman has just left him. And then the woman's perspective is I'm burning that motherfucker's shit all the way down. And I agree with both. Yeah, Tushar has done a good job, Lydia, pointing out to us that some heroes of some songs like Bubba from Bubba shot the podcast, it's like, yeah, if he's shooting jukeboxes, he probably deserved to get left. He's probably a fucking piece of shit. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. What are you doing? Yeah. I think this video is great. I think that it's one of the few cases we've had so far where, I don't know. For me, the video is as important as the song, at least in my memory. Like CMT, they played this video all the time. Martina McBride, you know, obviously they partially did it because she was so.

beautiful, but she had such a great voice. And the way the video cuts back and forth from her, being clearly in the town, but not being involved in the story at all, was really powerful. There's so many great images. I chose to open with this one with the American flag. That's where I get into what I was talking

about a minute ago. I think the song's offering some commentary on everybody. You know, I think let freedom ring and all that is definitely meant to be ironic. And I'm a little surprised that it even made it to number 12, if people understood that.

Do y'all think people got it? I don't think I got it. No, I mean, you were eight. Yeah, but I just remember, like, putting it together what the song was actually about and then going through the thought process of like, well, what's all the Independence Day shit in the

chorus if that's what the song, and then making that track, like, oh, I get, you know, she's using her only course of action to free herself from this situation. I think most people that would have a problem with this song. Not as far as I got. Like the type of old boy that would have a problem with this song is also the type of old boy who would never listen to the lyrics of a woman.

Analytically. You know what I mean? They're just driving around. They're just like, you know, like you have those politicians all the time that are like, they're going to use a song to like born in the USA. Born in the USA and stuff.

Like this is one of those. Like I could totally see Trump being like, let's do the Independence Day song for. the lady. Like, they just don't, they just hear stuff. They hear keywords. So, like, I don't know. Well, let's throw to our songwriter. So many people, like, where I grew up, were living that situation that, like, people had to fucking get it. Like, so probably more people got it than we think. But, like, the dudes who didn't get it did not get it on such a lot. But, Drew, aren't you saying, like,

when you said get it. The two levels of getting it. Right. That's what I'm saying. Let's talk about that, Lydia, as a song. songwriter and double entendres and all this. So obviously, there's a connection anyone can make from reading or listening these lyrics of Independence Day and her setting herself free. Now, do we all agree that that's definitely

what the song's about? Of course. I think most people got that. Right. I agree with you. And we'll fine with it. Yes. I also think that there's meant to be in here, and again, I'll throw to you, Lydia. Is there some irony going on where they're trying to talk about

on the day of independence, my mother was not independent. Yeah. She had to do it herself. Absolutely. Yeah, I think that's why it's such a good song, too. Yeah. And there's like, it's from the perspective of this eight-year-old kid,

but at the same time from the mother's perspective. So it's actually a pretty brilliantly written song. I completely agree. Let's talk about the songwriter and throw her some of her props. Gretchen Peters is an American singer-songwriter. She was born in New York, but grew up mostly in Boulder. She moved to Nashville in 88 and started songwriting and composing. She's written hits for Martina McBride, Edda James, Trish Yearwood, Patty Loveless.

She wrote a great song for Patty Loveless. I'm trying to remember the name of it. I saw it earlier, and I listened to it. You don't even know who I am. I was going to say, I bet she wrote that fucking song because it's almost very similar. But, yeah. Buddy, that's a song and a half right there. Don't listen to that if your marriage is in trouble.

but mine's not. If it should have been, I probably would have shot myself this morning. She's put out her own stuff. Independently, when she puts her own stuff out, it's a lot less country. She's not from the country.

Her own stuff has won many awards, and she's great, and I listened to her, and it's pretty good stuff. But obviously, she's found most of her success as, um, excuse me,

a songwriter there in Nashville. That's about all I can find about her. She's, you know, she's in the Hall of Fame. But she's phenomenal. Gretchen Peters. Oh, she's written one for Shania Twain.

I forgot about that. Oh, which one? Well, I had it. I've lost it. I'm sorry. I'm a show me in the face. A true classic. I'm sorry.

Yeah, that Shanae Twain. Did I cover up my black eye for this? That's phenomenal. Shall we get back into the lyrics? Yeah, I know. I'm going to share another screencap. I don't want to get into the lyrics yet. I want to do this.

I want to screen share some of the clips from the video. Obviously, she didn't direct the video. But this particular image right here, and we can't show the video, even clips of it, we have copyright issues. But it cuts between him attacking her. And they never show his face. That's one thing the director does.

You only see the guy from the back. It cuts from him attacking this woman, his little girl's mom, and then the little girl at the parade and showing all these people having the time of their lives. And that's where I was asking myself, as a listener, am I reading too much? Is the video informing my opinion of the song

and what it's about? Because the video is absolutely placing the blame at the feet of, if not America at large, this town. Right. Yeah, everyone looks the other way. That's what we do in this country. Like, everybody's just out party and talking about how much America hits when there's this, you know, dark underbelly to it.

And this is one facet of it. I mean, yeah, again, I've never, I pretty much stayed on the first level of getting it for most of my childhood. Right. I definitely think that you're for sure on to something with all this. I mean, it all tracks for sure. And the little girl did such a great job. It's a great scene. I'm going to show the end of it in just a second.

The beginning of it, she's watching clowns pretend to fight, and everyone's laughing around her. And then it shows her face where she's not. Horrified. Yeah, she's not into that, obviously. And it's right before she runs back to the house. Let me see if I can pull that up. Well, I mean, she is looking at two clowns slap.

I mean, it's very strong. That's a very standard face. Fair. Yeah, take clowns run up in front and you start slap up and whatever. Like, I'm like the same face. But, I mean, I'm just kidding. You're right. No, I mean, you're right.

It's definitely what's happening here. I'm trying to say. The director did. She's not a good actor. What did you say, Lydia? I was going to say, according to the song, this is supposed to be the county fair, which I remember being way more fun. But this is just like a parade where people are watching clowns.

That is true. It is a parade because it was supposed to be the fair. Because I was going to bring that up. We're about to get to that part of the song anyway. But like, I know this kid is in a, you know, like a broken home with domestic violence going on. So it's like, wouldn't make sense even today. But I just wanted to point out that like, because I'm actually doing a bit about this right now, this is like the 90s. So an 8 year old, it was totally cool for an 8 year old to just go to the fair.

By herself. Yeah. Get some caramel corn. Yeah. Give her $5, whatever, and send her down there. And it's just wild in retrospect because there's fucking clowns and carnies. Surely no one was getting abducted there. Yeah.

I know, right. We had milk cartons for that, you know, like that's what we did. Put them on a milk carton, hope for the best. That's about as far as it went back in the day. I hear you, but Andy's town has a parade in town on Independence Day. And the kids, the eight-year-old, 10-year-old nieces and nephews run in and out. They go back and forth all day long. When I was the kid, we would go to the Deer Lodge annual,

4th of July parade. And it wasn't close to my house. We had to drive. But once I got there, like my parents would be like, come and check back in with us at one or whatever because we might be ready to leave. Well, yeah. Yeah.

I know. That's what I'm saying. It still happens, though. Like my nephews live there now. They're older, but you still see kids there doing it. Now, I don't think anybody would do it at the county fair.

That's different. That's the whole county. You know, now we're talking about the song versus the music video. But one single. town's parade. I almost feel like there's a difference between we're in our town and we live close

to it. Obviously in the video they live close to the events versus, you know, the whole county is there. I don't know people from the other end of the county versus you know everybody in the town. Yeah, I mean, in Chickamauga, if we're having our parade, like there's you know, 1,800 people in this town period and not even near all them some bitches are coming, you know, to the

parade. So yeah, pretty much everybody's like, oh, that's Billy's kid. That's blah, blah, blah's kid. All right, whatever. Y'all don't run out in front of the, you know, Volkswagen bug that we've got the mayor in, you know, or whatever. Don't interrupt the fighting clowns. Yeah, yeah, and you'll be fine. Too shard, did your family go to stuff like this in Alabama? I realize you were in a bigger city, but you were still in the south. Did you go to county fairs and parades? I don't think we never went to parades per se, but there was a county fair that came in every year and it was a real thing that came through

and everyone kind of went. But yeah, this American small titty, small, sorry, small city, small city, it's been a rough couple days. This American small city kind of

point, everyone seems to know each other thing I never really got to experience, but it is something that has been part of the like kind of the American zeitgeist of just this is how the small towns operate I guess we'll get more into the video but I have some questions about the end

All right let's do it now let's finish these lyrics and then get back to the video If you don't use small titty as a promo clip you don't know what the fuck you're doing Yeah Just a small American titty Small titty Americans Yeah Where's their parade Well, she

The 80-bitty Tidy parade Well, she lit up the sky That 4th of July By the time that the firemen come, They just put out the flames And they took down some names And they sent me to the county home.

Now, I ain't saying it's right or it's wrong, But maybe it's the only way Talk about your revolution. It's Independence Day. Then we repeat the chorus. Let freedom ring. Let the white dove sing. Let the whole.

whole world know that today is a day of reckoning. Let the weak be strong. Let the right be wrong. Roll the stone away. Let the guilty pay. It's Independence Day. Roll the stone away. It's Independence Day. Trey, is that triggering for you? Huh? That double, that double hit of Jesus talk right there. Does that ruin the whole song for you? Oh, I thought you meant him having to go to the county home. No, no. That's like me. no because it's like it's just i know that everyone knows what it means but it's not as uh it's not as explicit as like in that what would um love without end amen or whatever we're talking about

where he just goes full jesus at the end of it like having you know jesus line thrown in yeah yeah but don't even invoke his name it's a cool one and it is a cool one yeah it also almost feels a little bit fuck youy a little bit like you fucking Christians are out here rolling your stone. All right, then let's roll the stone away. Okay, let's do that. If it's fuck the church, then I'm way more for it too. Hooper in.

Look at that. This fucking image here. Jesus Christ. That's like out of fucking true detective. Yeah, yeah, dude. Yeah, it is. This video is truly. We're at Dor Lang's house.

That's rough. All right, well, I'll get rid of it. I think it's making everybody sad. But this is where we end up. We end up with her being hauled away by a policeman in the video. In the song, the lyrics are saying, they just put up the flames, took down some names, and send me to the county home.

Now, Trey, you brought this up earlier. I always thought that mom had set the house on fire with herself in it, either in an attempt of desperation or just, I don't know how to get out of this, et cetera, et cetera. I can't make sure he dies if I don't remain here. Yeah. Go down with the ship. Yes.

Martina McBride is on record of saying, I don't think that she died in the house fire. And at first I was like, well, how, what happened? And then it's like, oh, she got charged with murder, which is arguably sad. And that's why she's going away, right? Yeah, that's my question. Did she kill him and try to burn the house down to cover up the evidence? but then a man runs out of the house and grabs the little girl. So who the fuck is that?

The cop, I don't think he was coming from the house. I think he was meant to be coming from... Is it a cop? Because he's just like wearing regular dude clothes. Maybe I miss... I mean, here... Look, so I said when I was a kid, I didn't get it at all. It was just like, well, this 4th July song. But when I finally did get it, what I assumed happened was

because of how it all played out was that he was laid out, he was laid up drunk. And so it's like he could just, you know, she could just light the house on fire and then while he's still in it. And so to me, it's like, yeah, you can make that look like an accident. No problem. You left the stove on or whatever. But then my interpretation was like, oh, but she stayed in the house.

And then I was like, oh, well, you know, maybe she just didn't want to be alive no more. But like I heard, but like you said. There's horrible things. Yeah. But like you said, every layer of sadness possible. Yeah. Her going to jail is sadder. It is.

To me, yeah. That's awful. I think that's a star. That's a cop. That's a sheriff. I know the law when I say it. That's a cop. I mean, the fact that was quick.

This song ends in a murder suicide is amazing. Potentially. Potentially. All right. So let's run down. Too sure, you say murder suicide. You tell me what happened. In your mind, what happened inside that house?

I mean, obviously the video. dictates or is dictating like what is happening so the way it happened is she has she gets beat up she's sad girls running home from the parade she lights a match the next scene is everything is on fire she's getting taken away so I would presume that it was a murder suicide I mean every all the evidence of the video walk me through the murder how did she pull it off you know did she knock him out did she wait till he passed out I'm gonna go wait till he passed out And then he's flammable anyways. He's mostly alcohol.

I'm going left the beans on the stove too long. Stove too long. Stove too long. Mama left the beans on the stove too long. Corey, you've got it on your hand. Medi Lose to that for you. Go ahead and tell me your theory, brother.

Me? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's kind of, I mean, again, like, now that I'm hearing Martina say, no, I don't think that she's dead. I mean, that sort of, I want to go, well, I mean, she would know, even though she didn't write it, but like, yeah, that's just what I figured. It was a, it was, the, the dude was laid up drunk and she turned the pilot light on and went in the

living room and just smoked her last pack of Virginia Slims, you know what I mean? And was like, I guess it was like, I got to make sure, I got to make sure this motherfucker dies. And if that means I've got to go with him, so be it. Again, not, in my opinion, not too well thought out, but she's been having her ass whoop. you know, she's not, like she's not in her right frame of mind and she's just trying to do right by her little kid. So, yeah, that's how I always figured it. Uh, Trey.

Yeah, me too. Because like I mentioned earlier, like it always used to bother me. Like, yeah, when I first sort of put it together, and again, this song's supposed to bother you. But I mean, that part, I used to always be like, I don't, why did she have to stay in there, though? Yeah. You know, it never occurred to me like maybe she didn't. fucking got arrested for it. Because in my head, it's like, well, that's why, you know, you burn a house down.

It's like burning a restaurant to get the insurance money or whatever. Like, you're doing it to trick people. Like, you know, to, you know, get away with some shit. So like Corey said, I'm sure this motherfucker, his sorry ass smoke too. He passed out with a cigarette in his mouth. The house burnt down. What are you going to do while while she was also at the fair? But maybe it's because maybe the idea is that like she literally can never get away from him, you know?

like that's part of it, part of their relationship. He won't let her do literally anything. So if she was going to do this at all, she had to take her only chance or something, I don't know. But I 100% always unquestionably interpreted it as she burnt the house down with both of them inside of it. Okay. Now we will ask our guest

who will never come back on the podcast again because of how heavy this fucking episode is. Lydia, are you with the fellas here? Is that what you... Yeah, I'm with closest. to Trey. I think it's more depressing also if she did this and then got arrested, what's more

likely, I guess, in the system. But I think it's actually a happier ending if she was just like, fuck this shit and like also died. And I forgot to follow up with Trey. I'll go back to him in a second, but Lydia tell me, in your mind then, how did she do it?

Did she wait until he passed out? Did she, you know, set one room on fire and then go in the other one and start talking shit? So he just Whale on her? I'm kind of picturing it like What?

I'm trying to figure how she Pulling this off. In the bonus sucks. In the video bonus extras, it's her getting

the shit kicked out of her in a burning house. And they're like, yeah, we gotta cut this. Look for the bonus for more hope. Yeah.

I think she just probably like dumped some booze out and like lit it on fire, I guess. Because like, it's a weird you can't just like set a house on fire I guess Lydia

the question is how would you have done it? Well I guess I'm saying what I would do I can't just get a house to flame up on him and light him on fire maybe there you go right right there you go now we're getting into it and she lit up the sky like the 4th of July maybe she used fireworks

Maybe. We see a huge fire in the video and it happened pretty quickly. I am going to, first of all, admit that I agreed with all of you my whole life until I read and researched this week that Martina McBride didn't think that. And I was like, what the fuck does she mean? And I started thinking about it. I think it makes more sense that she set it on fire and wasn't there. and that the director left it open to interpretation,

but that as a songwriter, that's what happened because to me, what makes the most sense just in reality is he passed out, and I lit the motherfucker on fire, and the sheriff came by, and I was like, it was an accident. And he was like,

this house burned down in 45 fucking seconds, and I can smell gasoline and booze everywhere. And I can see the black eye on your face. And it's like, yeah, well, take me to the jury. I'll be out in five years, bitch. guess we're for getting a third option, which is that she lit the motherfucker on fire and then like disappeared and no one ever saw her again. Oh, that's rough.

She just hated her kid or what? That's more hopeful, I guess, because in the end, the kid is saying, I'm not saying it's wrong or right, but maybe it's the only way. So like that, see, that right there also makes it feel to me like they are both dead. Like that line also reaffirms the idea that they're both dead, you know. She might have lit him on fire and then that made him come too. And he got up in fucking suplexer while he was, you know, like on fire. And then they both burnt up, you know.

Well, that was a fun image. For Corey, for Corey, it's more of a blooper reel. Yeah. Whoa, what happened? Yeah. Oh, well, this has definitely been such a great, lighthearted episode. Lydia, we really appreciate you coming on. We will have me back to do a fun one, I promise, at some point.

It's almost time to rate it. I do think it's a great song. Oh, I wanted to just mention this. I couldn't find it. But CMT had, I don't know if it was a series or a show, a limited series or a full-on show called Controversy. I remember that. This was a whole episode in which they featured interviews with Brad Paisley,

Martina McBride, at the time, the president of the National Organization for Women, Patricia Ireland. I thought you were about to say Tony, Tony something. And also Tiki Barber, which was so funny to read. The ex-NFL player and at that time, Today Show reporter Tiki Barber also talked about what this song meant to him. I could not find a clip I wanted to so badly. I don't know. Maybe something happened to his mom. I don't fucking know why they were interviewing him.

What was the controversy? Well, that's an interesting thing. I mean, much like Earl, this one didn't have as much that I could find on the internet about it. But apparently there was a little bit of, well, number one, just showing in the video it showed domestic violence. You know, it shows him knocking stuff over. I mean, you're talking about real, you know, precious Lily type people, CMT's fan base, a lot of them. And then number two, a lot of people. a lot of people assumed that it was murder suicide,

but it's obvious that it's murder, you know, she killed the guy. You know, there's always going to be people being like, that's not the answer. Bullshit. Damn sure is, baby. Lock that motherfucker up.

That was my favorite women's history month's moment of all time. Well, that was the controversy. Anyway, I think it's time to rate it. I don't think we can go any further. We're definitely only going to get darker. Lydia, I won't ask you to go first, so you can get a sense of how the rating system works. Too sharp.

Final thoughts, first of all. I want it because you have it. I know you're hung over and you're there with all the little titties, but I want to know your general thoughts on this video and song. Did it surprise you that this was a 90s country music? song thematically. Yeah, it's I think

the song itself without the video if I just listened to the audio, I don't think I would be able to put all the pieces together from just the lyrics.

It's like, oh, I'm abused and something needs to be fixed. The video really does guide what is happening, and there's a lot of, like the director, whoever produced it, is taking a lot of interpretive kind of decisions. But with the video, I thought it was really, I mean, it's powerful, it's sad, it kind of highlights, there's patriotism, there's protecting your own,

there's women's rights, there's all these major, major themes that all kind of come together. So I thought it was a beautiful song at the end of the day. I would have, as usual, I know this is kind of a, especially with the songwriter as a guest here. Like, I always like it when the songwriter is the singer too for some reason. I don't know. It's like, I don't know what that is. She did record a version of it. It's just that she wanted to make a bunch of money.

Yeah, okay. Fair enough. But yeah, I thought it was really, really, I thought, I think it's one of the most powerful songs we've touched upon. And it's dark as shit. You know, it's, it's the plight of women. And not just America. like this is happening all over all the time in different modes. So I am surprised that it was like a 90s country thing that was past,

had a video, it hit the charts, like all those things. But yeah, it's... I think we've grown a little tired of all of us and how hollow our attempts to compare all these songs to Bollywood songs has become. But I am curious if Bollywood has addressed any of these issues at all. Uh, Bollywood has addressed the issues from a story perspective. So there's movies that touch upon abuse of women in different forms. But I can't think of any direct song that is like, yo, my daddy's abusive and my mom did a murder of suicide.

And I actually agree with her. Like at the end of the day, it's like, she's like, yeah, I get it, mom. I mean, what the hell else is she going to do? Whatever would be wild if there were. one that specific. There's an Indian parade with elephants and Corey, what's your final thought? First off, I did love the video.

I kind of don't, it's weird because I don't really remember seeing it as a kid. I don't know if it's because when I was a kid, if I saw something in black and white, I was like, hmm, art, boo, you know, like not for me. Like, I ain't into that colorized stuff. because like all the stuff my granny. And it's a woman. No. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, Lord. Double whammy. Yeah. But I love the video I thought was very well done. Obviously, you don't ever really forget, but it's nice to be reminded of how much of a vocal powerhouse, Martina McBride is. Like, I mean, it's just not many can do it like she does in country.

Like, and also for the record, like, while watching it, it kind of made me proud of the genre that I love so much. I was like, man, this is a good fucking song. Like, this is a, this is a 90s country song that, like, I definitely wouldn't feel ashamed, send into someone that's like, I think it's all stupid and garbage.

And, you know, I would be like, okay, well, it's one of those that I could see them being like, oh, well, this, that's not what I meant. Like, this don't count.

You know what I mean? Like, because it's so fucking good. So, so yeah, I just thought it was, uh, I thought it was fucking great.

Uh, am I rating it right now? Uh, well, I was going to do that at the end, but yeah, you can go ahead and write it, baby. Three iron hearts, baby. Three earned hearts. Three out of three earned hearts.

Three out of three earned hearts. Tushar, what's your rating, buddy? Corey, you reminded me of a thought I had earlier when the video, the phrase that comes to mind is black and white power. That's an easy one. That's an easy one. I'm sorry. That's what I'm here for. God damn.

Oh, Lydia, we forgot to tell you. Tushar's gimmick is that he's. racist. It's not a gimmick. I'm talking about offended an artist. Yeah. What do you think I'm I'm happy to try? I'm sorry for that slight. I'm going three out of three. There you.

Slite power. I'm going to three. Tray. Tray, we got two threes. You're giving us a three out of three? Of course I'm giving us a three. Yeah. I love I love like story songs in any genre. You know, songs that's still. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, cinematic, tell a real story, you know, beginning, middle, end type of thing. I love any of those. And in the 90s country world, this is like one of the tops, as far as I'm concerned, as far as that goes.

And everything else, Tuchin Corey already said, I agree with too. So, I mean, yeah, three out of three. All right. Quick. You're, I feel like you're the best at this. What is the hip-hop equivalent of this song? Yeah, I was wondering. Undying Love by Nod.

It's a little different. It's actually very different. Well, it's the same in that it ends with a murder-suicide. He catches his wife cheating on him, and he kills everybody including himself. Yeah, that's it. It's fucking dark as hell. It's super rad, too. What about, this one's very cheesy.

What about the black-eyed peas? Isn't there one of the verses? The song about the stripper is one of the verses about somebody getting beat, too? What song of a stripper? That's not like my face. That's sitting high. And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man and his daddy's gone.

Somewhere's walking right now. You're not having a lockdown. I got a job now. Yeah. You this is just a good time. But for me, this is what I call life. Bitch, yeah. Yeah.

All right. My bad. Lydia, if you haven't picked up, we rate things based on zero to one, zero to three. Earnhardt. You can go by thirds. I'm going to go.

I'm going to let you go last because you're our guest. I'm going to go with three Earnhardt. I'm going to say a few things that haven't been said. I have always had a problem with story songs and non-story songs, but especially with story songs, with this weird 90s country rule where you had to have two fucking verses, and that's it. This song got around it by making the first verse twice as long.

I love that they got around it. It had a beginning, middle, and end. I was wondering if the video was so good, if it was adding to it for me. but the truth is I don't care. Her voice, the video, the song, the story, the fact that it makes me proud to be a country music fan, especially when it comes to the 90s.

This is a three out of three earned arts. I think it's one of the best songs we've covered. Congratulations to Martina and to Gretchen Parsons, the writer. What a great song. Lydia, what are your last thoughts? Yeah, I give it three out of three, and I agree with the whole, like, it gives me pride in, like, loving country music and especially like 90s country,

which I've been on a big kick of lately for some rate, mostly because I've been... You're welcome, this show. Yeah, obviously. Mostly because I've been driving a lot, and that's just like easy listening to me. So like, and then I can like sing and distract myself from the terrifying, like being in a speeding bullet thing. But like, yeah, I think it's great.

And I love that it doesn't do like that. Now we must explain what happened first. Like it does leave it open to interpretation. And then the video is so like artistic, which I don't think most people expect. And it's not a song about like vacations that no, can afford or like some asshole guy that probably deserve to get dumped it dumped anyway. So yeah, I think it's a great song.

I think it's a great song like regardless of genre too. Yeah, I agree with that. That last part regardless of genre. And one thing I would just add to piggyback off what you were saying is I think one reason that 90s country is kind of making a comeback. And I like it is it is easy to listen to. It's lighthearted for the most part. This is a counterexample.

of that and it's so well done that it's just it's just great, it's wonderful. I'm going to let you plug anything you want to plug if you want to at the moment. Well, all I've got going on right now, well, I'm writing a record, so that's kind of

uninteresting to talk about. But I'm about to go on tour with the Drive by Truckers. Damn right. Yeah. In April. And it's kind of a weird route, so I would say it's like Eastern, which is where I hear there's like venomous spiders parachuting out of the sky right now.

Fucking word. What happened? What? So, the eastern United States you're saying? Go spiders. I'm fucking terrified of this concept. But yeah.

It is the apocalypse. Like growing up on the book of the revelation has fucking ruined me for the year that we're living in. Me too, because Zelensky definitely fits the anti-crash shit. No. Lydia is going to be on tour with the drive-by truckers. Check out the drive-by truckers tour in April when you will see you there. Apparently everywhere, but the one stop I'm going to be on.

You're not going to be at home-coming. I'll be with the truckers at home-coming in early April. Well-red's got lots of shows in April. Tushar, you got anything to plug? I'm coming to Portland with y'all. I'll plug that. We'll be in Portland, April, 14, 15, and 16th, I think. 15th, 14th, 14th, something like that.

14th through the 16th. Come see us and, Tushar. Go to Wellredcomedy.com. tickets. And you can find Lydia's tour with the truckers, wherever you can find the trucker's tour, just type in the drive-by truckers in Lydia Lovelace's name. And also check out all her music. Yeah, add her on Instagram. What's your Instagram? Oh, my Instagram was Lydia Lovelace with three S's. There you go. Appreciate everybody. This is one of, I think, four perfect songs we've had so

far. Thanks to everybody for listening and Askew. skew you think so publish out the podcast and that's right a show about country at it's high don't expect no shit from 2005

publish out the podcast and that's right