"AND WHEN I TOLD HER..."

Disbelief.  How can you refuse me?  How can you just walk away?

There were such good old lyrics without being country story lyrics.  A country story lyric requires tears and beers.  "He's parking his car in her driveway where I used to park my truck."  As I've said before, I want to like country music because it seems more American to me.  Certainly more American that Cee Cee Something's "Forget You."  And that's the tamed down title.

But I just can't get past the heartache/heartbreak/break up/ up chuck that defines country for me.  Scotty Idol's take on "lock the door and turn the lights down low..." is a good song, and I'm glad there are exceptions, including another Idol, Carrie Underwood.  But stars like Buck Owens and the Buckaroos of days gone by did me in years ago.

That's not to say that there aren't sad, sad stories in some songs of the '60's.  "Teen Angel," "Patches," "The Poor Side of Town."  But they were fewer and farther between.  Even Pitney's "Town Without Pity" could fall into the sad story category, but it's such a great song that he can be forgiven.  In fact, Gene Pitney knew heartbreak like none other, but somehow his great, unique voice transcended it much like Roy Orbison. They could touch your heart like The Beatles' "Michelle" or "Yesterday" without making you want to bawl or get drunk.  Their heart tugs were almost a ritual that one had to go through to grow, to feel alive when things got better.  You just expected things not to improve in the twang songs of American country.

That guy's car in her driveway may not always be parked there.  But some other one will be.  And it ain't gonna be the one who was driving the truck.