Appreciating all that makes America special

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Sometimes you like a song at first, but the more you hear it, the less you can tolerate it. The great ones are different. They express the thoughts…preserve the moments…and capture the imagination. Winner: “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Loser: “MacArthur Park.”


Song: “Good Vibrations”

Posted by on Jul 18, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: “Good Vibrations”

Between 1965 and 1967 a recording rivalry developed between Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys in the U.S. and the Beatles in the U.K. The...

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Song: “God Bless America”

Posted by on Jul 3, 2011 in Holiday, Songs | 1 comment

Hard to believe, but “God Bless America” languished unsung and unknown for its first twenty years. The great Irving Berlin...

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Song: “I Hope You Dance”

Posted by on Jun 13, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: “I Hope You Dance”

In 2000, Lee Ann Womack had proved to be a reliable, but unspectacular country singer who’d had a couple of good albums, each of...

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Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Posted by on May 23, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Not every song is great because it has memorable lyrics. Or a memorable performance. Some achieve greatness by striking the culture in the...

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Song: "Your Cheatin' Heart"

Posted by on May 12, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "Your Cheatin' Heart"

In the early 1950s, country music had just begun to make its presence felt outside of the Deep South. Perhaps no one did more to advance...

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Song: “Your Cheatin’ Heart”

Posted by on May 12, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: “Your Cheatin’ Heart”

In the early 1950s, country music had just begun to make its presence felt outside of the Deep South. Perhaps no one did more to advance...

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Song: "Forever and Ever, Amen"

Posted by on Apr 19, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "Forever and Ever, Amen"

There’s a genuineness to Randy Travis that draws people to him. That sincerity, combined with a terrific country voice and some...

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Song: "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"

Posted by on Apr 3, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"

Quick: Who sang “I Heard it Through the Grapevine?” Chances are, your first answer was Marvin Gaye. He had the biggest hit with...

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Song: "As Time Goes By"

Posted by on Mar 14, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "As Time Goes By"

  It’s the bane of a songwriter’s existence that the songs they write that become hits are forever associated with the...

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Song: "The Way You Look Tonight"

Posted by on Mar 10, 2011 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "The Way You Look Tonight"

  Every so often I have to pay homage to the Great American Songbook, and one of my favorites is “The Way You Look...

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