Aaron Lewis - Country Boy

Take one lead singer from an Alternative Metal band.  Add backup vocals from George Jones and Chris Young, and Charlie Daniels on fiddle.  What do you get?

Something awesome.  Today's Saturday Redneck comes via Chris Byrne, who points out that there are in fact two different Massachusetts: the liberal one of Harvard and Beacon Hill, and the blue collar/red neck one of the center and western parts of the state.  And so while Staind is a Massachusetts band, it's from the second Massachusetts.

Lewis precisely captures the feeling of "Red State" America in this single from his upcoming album, Town Line.  Unapologetic patriotism, self-reliance, scorn for the "slick" types who tell you it's OK to change your values.  Rock has sure come a long way, to hear rockers talk like this:

"Well, I'm pretty outspoken as to my political views, and how far this country is from what it's supposed to be right now," Lewis says. "I very strongly believe in the Constitution and I believe in the limited powers it puts forth. I believe that every person in this country would be better off if we went back to having the federal government do what it's supposed to do, and stop sticking its nose in places that it has no authority or right to be sticking it."

If the rest of Massachusetts were like this, we might still be there.


Country Boy (Songwriter: Aaron Lewis)

Well I grew up down an old dirt road in a town you wouldn’t know.
My Pops picked the place up for fifteen hundred bucks back in 1964.
My grandfather was a drinker back in the day he put em down
but a war is known to change a man and the whiskeys known to change the man

but no that’s not me.
I rarely drink from a bottle
but I’ll smoke a little weed.

I still live in the sticks where you wouldn’t go
in a town of 1200 down an old dirt road
‘cause a country boy is all I’ll ever be.

Now it’s been 12 years since I’ve sold my soul to the devil in L.A.
He said sign your name here on the dotted line and your songs they all will play.
He set up shot on Sunset he put me up at the Marquee
he said you want to sell a million records boy you better listen to me.

He said change your style
whiten your smile
you could lose a couple pounds
if you want to live this life you better lose that wife
do you need your friends around?

And I said no that’s not me.
The biggest things in life are my friends and family.
And I like my jeans and my old t shirt and a couple extra pounds never really hurt
‘cause a country boy is all I’ll ever be

‘cause Hank taught me just how to stay alive
you’ll never catch me out the house without my 9 or 45.
I got a big orange tractor and a diesel truck
and my idea of heaven is chasing white tail buck
don’t cha know I know can survive

now two flags fly above my land and really they sum up how I feel.
One is the colors that fly high and proud
the red the white the blue
the other ones got a rattle snake with a simple statement made
Don’t Tread on Me is what is says and I’ll take that to my grave

because this is me
proud to be American and strong in my beliefs.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again because i never needed Government to hold my hand
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again
because my family’s always fight and died to save this land
and a country boy is all I’ll ever be.

(Image source)