These country songs from the 1980s sound like they were written on a front porch. They have a simplicity about them that doesn’t feel like mass-production hitmaking. Instead, they feel like little morsels of what musicians first love about their medium: raw, real, personal recollections.
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“Guitar Town” — Steve Earle
Though Steve Earle has a rockabilly swing, this song’s acoustic-driven nature speaks to the grassroots vibe of a front-porch singer. “Hey pretty baby, are you ready for me / It’s your good rockin’ daddy down from Tennessee / I’m just out of Austin bound for San Antone / With the radio blastin’ and the bird dog on,” the lyrics to this 1980s country release read.
Like the simple meditations of a folk singer from decades prior, Earle tells a story that could work with little to no instrumentation. Though the rock elements of this song work well, it’s all about the narrative and Earle’s voice.
“Unwound” — George Strait
This 1980s George Strait song has a jaunty rhythm. But it’s the kind of guitar work you could easily hear someone picking on a front porch. “Give me a bottle of your very best
‘Cause I’ve got a problem / I’m gonna drink off my chest,” he sings in this classic 1980s country breakup song.
“Well, that woman that I had wrapped around my finger / Just come unwound,” are soulful lyrics that would pour out of someone going through heartache. “Unwound” gets right to the core of country music. It brings to mind a singer with no ambition to be a star, but who uses the medium for personal catharsis.
“The Front Porch Song” — Robert Earl Keen
Aptly named, “The Front Porch Song” is exactly what it sounds like. This 1980s country song feels like a guitar player picking on their instrument, looking out over a field, and singing about what they see. “This old porch is a big ol’ red-and-white Hereford bull / Standin’ under a mesquite tree in Agua Dulce, Texas,” the lyrics read. This stream-of-consciousness style instantly paints a picture in the listener’s mind.
“This old porch is just a weathered, grey-haired seventy years of Texas / He’s doin’ all he can not to give in to the city / And he always takes the rent late so long as I run his cattle / He picks me up at dinner time, I listen to him rattle,” the lyrics continue. This song feels homegrown, capturing the unique simplicity of country music.
(Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)