This is a public service announcement.
Following this advice will ensure that your car rides to and fro, from soccer to dance to the dentist, etc. will be nothing but pure family harmony and bliss. I don’t know about you but my children will argue about almost anything in the car. So it’s come to this.
I have a few little songs on my iPod that make me think of a some very endearing childhood memories. {My daddy and aunt singing country songs at full voice after a night of honky-tonkin’} And who doesn’t have the likes of Hello Darlin’ and You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take my Man as part of their music repertoire? Children must be catechized. Besides being sheer entertainment and cheap therapy, I’ve discovered that if snarky ungrateful attitudes begin to take hold of otherwise angelic children, and in retribution, I play one of my childhood songs and sing at full voice, my children will make all manner of unkeepable promises if I will but stop torturing their developing auditory mechanisms.
I acquiesce to their pleadings, usually after a verse or two and enjoy the remaining car ride watching their befuddled expressions—complete with eye rolling—-while they find room in their hearts to forgive and play nice and use car voices.
Today’s therapy/torture/musical masterpiece: We’re Gonna Hold On by Tammy Wynette and George Jones. I actually love this song so much that I’m thinking of singing it karaoke style at our 10 year vow renewal party to take place on 10-10-10. Why should Stevie be deprived these precious memories? Or for that matter, why should you? Please humor me and take this walk down memory lane with me. It’ll make you wanna get some aqua net and a guitar and start touring. At least that’s what it makes me wanna do.
Ooh. You always take me back to my childhood with talk of country music and honky tonks. We’ll have to compare notes someday.
(My granddaddy played steel guitar in his own band. The music room in my grandparents’ house was always full of cigarette smoke and country and western tunes.)
i can’t think of a better way to “stand by your man” than belting out your song! i adore the word acquiesce, sounds so pretty!
i was just sure it was going to be a recording of you singing at the top of your voice. delta dawn was my childhood song.
I play those oldies for my kiddos too sometimes. They know all the words to Conway Twitty’s “Joni, Joni”. Love it!
you just inspired me to download those songs on itunes – watch out kids! 😉
you are too funny.
have you ever caught yourself in the car WITHOUT children singing the likes of Barney, or Dora?
ugh.
GIRL!!
Love the Tammy Wynette!! Bet you didn’t know I was named after her. Yep, my red neck hillbilly loving parents named me after Ms. Wynette. They couldn’t have possibly know I would marry a JETT. Jeannie Wynette Jett just doesn’t seem to go together.
This is our little secret-right?
Love your blog. This is the first time in forever i had a free moment to look at anyone’s blog. Your the best. Looking forward to Friday!!!!
Oh this post was great! I have stopped many of disagreements between my children by threating to embarass them in public! It works wonders! 😉
Honey, if I could get that Tammy Wynette hair, I would most certainly go on tour. I am guessing that stuff wouldn’t move in a hurricane.
Another vote for Delta Dawn from me. I learned to play it on the auto harp when I was about 8. It’s a must for your true Southern women playlist.
My kids were tore up just listening to the clip. I’ll have to add this to my torture techniques! I actually enjoy Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and George Jones. 🙂
God’s blessings,
Sarah 😀
Too funny!! my kids would just about die. I have sung a couple of old songs from my childhood and they look at me like I am an alien. I remember watching country music shows with my parents growing up. My dad loves music and can play almost any instrument. His dream was always to be part of one of the great tv music variety shows.
Ruth
I grew up listening to WMC, 79 on the AM dial, in Memphis, Tennessee. George and Tammy were regulars, along with Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold, Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagner, the Statler Brothers. . . you name it, we listened to it. And sang along. And on top of their big hits, these stars all made gospel albums, too. Some of them go astray for awhile, but these are good folks.
Before you decide to sing this at your big celebration, make sure you’ve practiced that part where you kinda have to whisper-sing and then crescendo. You wouldn’t want to leave out that bit. 🙂
i am SO going to use that technique!
I love me some Tammy and Conway, not really a George fan though. I used to slay my sisters with the D-I-V-O-R-C-E song Tammy impression. Love your blog!
I only have one child so she argues/discusses with …… me when we’re in the car. One of her first phrases was “Mama no sing”. Oh the joy I’ll have when she’s older and we’re schlepping friends! I think you should sing at your 10-cubed vow renewal. You’d totally ROCK a Tammy impression in a cool, hip, very 2010 updated chic way.
I love you Jeannie. And I’m a teeny bit jealous.
Ha! That is awesome. I am going to pull out some old school too. “Don’t it make my brown eyes blue” and “18 wheels and a dozen roses,” I think that would get my kids in line for sure!
Love it! : * )
Love your blog! Don’t forget Tanya Tucker’s Delta Dawn. I remember singing this as a kid growing up in a sleepy town in south Georgia. Oh, I can’t wait to start “torturing” my boys with this song. I have a huge wicked smile on my face right now.
Thanks for the post!
I actually love it too!!! I grew up listening to my parents listen to Waylon and Willie and the Boys 🙂 Gooood times 😉
Bahahaa you are too funny! I think that song is cute 🙂
Reminds me of my crazy dad singing “daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor…” haha!
I love it! Can we sing this at our blog luncheon today? LOL
I could bring my mandolin (not)! HEE HEE
Oh, and Aqua Net – I can smell it just thinking about it LOL
Oh, do I remember Auqa-Net! I was the only third-grader back in my day, who showed up at elementary school with a boufant! My older high-school sister LOVED to do my hair, the teasing, smoothing and finishing with the Aqua-Net! Oh, that song reminds me of the Grand-Ole Opry show on tv on Saturday nights – hmm..was that before or after Wrastlin? Enjoy your blog, especially the “spiritual food” you serve up, along with the edible food recipes! Thanks!
That is so funny! It actually makes me rethink some childhood memories of our family road trips in the car. I’ve always thought my dad just loved singing Love Potion #9 and Chantilly Lace. I am sure that is the case and that it had NOTHING to do with my brother and me in the backseat. 🙂 Right?
This brings back childhood memories of eating breakfast (bowl of Cheerios or oatmeal) and hearing the current country artists blaring on the radio. My mom grew up on a ranch in Montana and country music was the only music they heard. Loretta, Conway, Charlie Pride, and of course George and Tammy were like members of the family.
And the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen as my mom would dance and my brother and I tried not to choke on our cereal while laughing.
Good memories!