Brad Paisley’s “Same Here” …the Dumbest Country Song Ever?

It’s been a tough week for country music. Last weekend a song called “Southern” entered our airspace and we’re all worse because of it. Probably the worst country song ever to make its way into our ear holes since “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow” (sorry, Trace) but then Brad Paisley says, “Here, hold my beer…” because just seven days later, he’s got THE. DUMBEST. COUNTRY SONG. EVER. It’s only been a week Brad! Country music’s in a coma and now you’re gonna step on the oxygen tube?

Take a listen if you dare… with a warning, though: I woke up in a good mood but now because of this song, I would rather smear dog poop all over my body and lay in the sun for an hour than listen to this song again. Oh, also totally unrelated to that (or is it related?), it features Ukraine President President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Paisley and Zelenskyy harmonize so well, don’t you think? OK, I know the Ukraine Prez only came in at the end with part of a short interview but as I listened to the song I thought it would be WAY more entertaining if he was singing with Brad. I mean, at this point in the meltdown of the world, why not?

Brad’s apparently going for an Alan Jackson “Where Were You” moment. However, Alan Jackson’s song memorializing 9/11 is a tragic, somber, yet hopeful ballad that perfectly encompassed the entire nation in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. While Brad would love to say, “Same here,” for his song uniting the country or world, he can’t because it’s DUMB. This song is, as the kids say, cringey and it will not age well. Did I mention, too, that it’s dumb? This comment sums it up so well…

I think it should also be mentioned that the music itself (apart from the lyrics) sounds like the worst parts of 1990s country music. Manufactured and dated. Now for the lyrics. Who came up with this clichéd mess?

(Actually, I found out who the writers are and it is so disappointing! More on that later…)

However you talk, whatever you think
From the songs that you sing to the drink that you drink
If you miss your mama and worry ’bout your babies
And love each other like crazy
And want someone to share your hopes and fears
Same here.

I’m embarrassed for Brad. I’m embarrassed for country music. I’m embarrassed for America. Are you hoping Trace Adkins releases a club version of “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow” just to get your mind off of this dumb, dumb song from Brad? Yeah, same here.

See you tomorrow…

-Out of the Wilderness

A few picture highlights from nature around Tallahassee, Florida

I went out a few times this week and brought my camera along. There are a lot of little parks around the Tallahassee area and while the wildlife can sometimes be small (squirrels, birds, turtles, etc), I tried to just work within the possibilities of what was nearby. If I had to name a common thread between these photos it would be “light.” See how the sun shines through the magnolia leaves. The shadow of my dog looks a lot like a wolf. Peaking through two trees is the setting sun. I also include a few other photos that I like, especially the stack of turtles!

See you all tomorrow…

-Out of the Wilderness

GMC Hummer EV is Back with a New Commercial – The Music, the Crabs, and More

GMC, LeBron James, and the crabs are back for another ad for the electrified version of the Hummer. There is a new addition to the music behind the ad, too. Take a look then scroll down for more info!

The title of the ad is “Again?” and I kind of must agree… why are we AGAIN seeing an ad for an SUV that costs six figures, takes over an hour to charge, and according to Car and Driver also takes nearly $100 to recharge? Plus, who in the loving world needs a vehicle that “crab walk” at such a minimal angle? I mean, if you can design the wheels in this way, just go all the way and have them turn perpendicular to the vehicle so we can parallel park by just moving directly sideways into the spot.

The Music. You’ve heard this song in previous Hummer EV ads. It’s Missy Elliot’s “Get Ur Freak On.”

The second half of the commercial features a cover of “Immigrant Song.” The original is by Led Zeppelin but this is performed by Karen O, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross.

Final Take. The ad is OK. The Hummer is lame. I’ll take one of these old ones any day over the new EV models.

Are you interested in purchasing (and by purchasing, I mean getting on the wait list) an EV Hummer? If so, what am I missing that makes it so great?

See you tomorrow…

-Out of the Wilderness

I’m a hypocrite

A while back I wrote about the intense imagery of song lyrics I heard in church one particular Sunday. I called the post, “A crimson flood, huh? A story of bad song lyrics.” The specific line in the song where I took notice was the phrase, “crimson flood,” as in, the blood of Jesus which covers our sin. While I love the reminder that none of us are worthy or able to save ourselves, it was that phrase that took me right out of worship. That happens to me sometimes when I don’t like the lyrics or, like many modern worship songs, we sing the same 5 words 27 times.

I’ll put my foot in my mouth on this one because the lyrics are actually not THAT bad. They’re somewhat poetic and vivid, like the songs in old baptist hymnals. Perhaps the melody is a bit bland but who am I to judge? But I’m the worst hypocrite because just the other day I had one of those old hymns repeating in my mind…

“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins…” as the song goes. Welp, if crimson flood is a bit too graphic, where does that put a fountain of blood? Yeah, I’m a hypocrite. But I’ll keep on being a hypocrite because “There Is A Fountain,” just reading the lyrics again warms my heart so much. Most hymns blow modern worship songs out of the water! Or should I say, out of the crimson fountain?

Here’s one of the best versions of the hymn, performed by Selah.

See you tomorrow…

-Out of the Wilderness

I’ve never been ghosted so hard

She must be floating on a raft in the Gulf of Mexico. Stuck in a snowbound Texas airport. Got bit by a rattlesnake. Hit by a greyhound bus. Lost in one of those mirror rooms. Stuck on top of a ferris wheel. Watching all of Lord of the Rings back to back to back. Said something at the same time as someone else and hasn’t been unjinxed. Waiting for her EV to be fully charged. She’s waiting in line to show her receipt on the way out of Sam’s Club. On stage in Branson, Missouri. Dangling from a ski lift in Colorado. Wrestling a wolf. Playing “whoever talks first loses.” She got a new phone and lost my number. Fell through the ice while she was ice fishing. She time travelled back to the future. She started dating Leonardo DiCaprio. Donated her phone to Ukraine. The cocaine bear ate her. She’s running across the country. She stared at the sun for too long and now she’s in the hospital for an indefinite amount of time. She can’t text because she lost her arms and legs swimming with piranhas. She became a nun. She’s having a Hallmark month-long movie marathon. She choked on a whole bunch of lady bugs. She got hit in the head with a garbage can lid by a WWE wrestler.

In other words, I’m out of ways to say this woman is gone. In song form…

-Out of the Wilderness