A Little Country Communication

Music Relating to Communication

"The Only Way I Know (Feat. Luke Bryan & Eric Church)" by Jason Aldean

Another #1 Hit From Jason Aldean

As I have said in recent blog posts I am a country boy born and raised back in the Midwest.  I love my roots and it has shaped me into the man I am today.  That said, I always rock that country twang in my Chevy truck.  Music has a powerful and very unique way of communicating.  Every song hits a person in different ways.  That is why I love music so much!  I listen to all genres of music: country, alternative, pop, rock, Christian, rap, jazz, vocal, and so on.  However, I believe there is only one true genre of music and that is country!  Country music does something that no other genre can do and that is the ability to tell stories.  Country folks like me can relate to these lyrical stories because they tell of the world we live in.  Each one of us have lived out these lyrics in one way or another.  Whether it be going out to them honky tonks, taking a back road in your truck, casting a line out to fish, living in that small town, breaking up with a girlfriend, losing a loved one or dog, or just kicking back on a dirt road with friends; people relate to these lyrical stories.  Jason Aldean is one of my favorite country artists.  His song, "The Only Way I know," which features country super starts Luke Bryan and Eric Church, is one of my all time favorite country tunes.  I think it relates to communication in ways that many overlook or never thought could be possible.

"Well, I grew up in one of them old farm towns
Where they hit it hard 'til the sun goes down
Nobody really seemed to care
That we were living in the middle of nowhere
We just figured that’s how it was
And everybody else was just like us
Soaking in the rain baking in the sun
Don’t quit 'til the job gets done."

This first paragraph of the song shows one of the biggest misconceptions people make about communication itself.  That would be that people assume that everyone talks the same, their body language means the same thing, people have the same customs, etc...  In reality, communication is not the same to everyone.  One must be patient and understanding to gain a perspective on how people communicate because everyone is different and certain gestures or word phrases have different meanings between people.

"That’s the only way I know
Don’t stop 'til everything’s gone
Straight ahead, never turn round
Don’t back up, don’t back down
Full throttle, wide open
You get tired and you don’t show it
Dig a little deeper when you think you can’t dig no more
That’s the only way I know."

This is the chorus of the song and it is repeated many times throughout the song.  It is one of my favorite choruses in all the songs I have ever listened too!  This relates to communication because it talks about never giving up and doing all you can to make that connection with another person or group of people.  At times you might get tired and frustrated with another person for not understanding what you are trying to tell them, but don't show signs of weariness or anger.  Dig a little deeper and push through these bumps in the road because it will pay off.  There are no excuses!

"That old red dirt ‒ the first thing you learn
Is you don’t get nothing that you don’t earn
Humble pride that I grew up on
You find out just how bad you want it
Sun in our eyes backs to the fences
We didn’t know the odds were against us
Hit the wall smoking and spinning
Still wasn’t thinking ‘bout nothing but winning."

Luke Bryan sings these verses in the song.  I believe they speak about communication perfectly.  People do not get things handed to them.  You have to work hard and earn them.  Same is true for communication.  You can't expect to simply connect with someone without getting to know them first.  It takes hard work to have a successful communicating relationship with another person.  At times your back might be up against the fences and the odds will be against you, but   quitting is not in your vocabulary.  The only thing you can think about is successful communication with that other person.

"Maybe there’s another path that
Will get you there a little bit faster,
But I’m sticking with the one inside of me."

Eric Church sings the last part of this song before it ends with the chorus.  The lyrics he sings tie in well with communication.  He sings about there being other paths that might get you places quicker, but he is gonna stick with the one true path he's always known to be right.  In communication there might be shortcuts to having people understand you faster, but that doesn't mean that people will get a full understanding of what you are trying to say.  Like in life, taking shortcuts or the easy way out, will not always lead to success faster.  On a more spiritual level, this verse could also be interpreted as following Jesus as well.  Matthew 7:13-14 says, "You can enter God's kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."  Like the lyrics say, there are many paths that make things easier, but only one will lead to overall success.  The same is true to get to Heaven.  Believing in Jesus Christ as one's personal Lord and Savior is the only way to get Heaven and enjoy eternal life with God.  It isn't the easiest path and will be difficult, but you will be rewarded!

Left to Right: Eric Church, Jason Aldean, & Luke Bryan

After reading this, I hope that you have a different outlook on this song in regards to how it can relate to communication and even how it has a spiritual tie in as well.  Y'all still might not like country music as much as I do.  Actually, none of you will probably ever love country as much as I do because it's who I am, I live it every day, and it's the only way I know.  That said, I hope y'all learned a little something reading this post.  God bless y'all!