American Storytelling

There are many cultures in the world that have storytelling as one of the integral aspects of their people group's life. In fact, there are a few I have studied (or am studying) that hold the ability to tell their people group's stories up as a cultural value. There are organizations dedicated to preserving oral histories, people studying the oral histories of different nations, and conferences being held to teach the art of storytelling to Westerners who'd like to learn.

I was talking to some people, many moons ago now, who study storytelling. They were talking about how it is a dying, or basically dead art in the West. We've lost our storytelling abilities...

I'd like to contest that. I think country music is an integral part of American storytelling. It may not tell every story, but it tells many of them and in memorable ways.

So I made a list of songs I could think of quickly. There are others... older ones, like songs by Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and others that I haven't included for the sake of time, but here are a few just to prove the point. Storytelling's not dead in America... but if they're not telling your story, maybe you should.
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Society, Society's Values / Problems
"Prodigal Daughter" -- Allison Krauss
"Welcome to the Future" -- Brad Paisley
"Independence Day" -- Martina McBride
"That's a Man" -- Jack Ingram
"Famous People" -- Brad Paisley

Patriotism
"Do You Remember" -- Darryl Worley
"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" -- Toby Keith
"I'm Already There" -- Lonestar
"Only in America" -- Brooks and Dunn
"Where Were You" -- Alan Jackson

Raising Children
"Godspeed" -- Dixie Chicks
"Watching You" -- Rodney Atkins
"Skin (Sarabeth)" -- Rascal Flatts
"Mr. Mom" -- Lonestar

Dating / Marriage / Family
"Front Porch Looking In" -- Lonestar
"Little Bitty" -- Alan Jackson
"We Danced" -- Brad Paisley
"Suds in the Bucket" -- Sara Evans
"Angry all the Time" -- Tim McGraw
"Red Rag Top" -- Tim McGraw

Relationships: the Good
"Little Moments Like That" -- Brad Paisley
"We Danced Anyway" -- Deana Carter
"Wild One" -- Faith Hill
"There You Are" -- Martina McBride
"Our Song" -- Taylor Swift

Relationships: the Bad
"What I Really Meant to Say" -- Cyndi Thomson
"Best Days of Your Life" -- Kelly Pickler
"When You Need My Love" -- Darryl Worley
"You'll Think of Me" -- Keith Urban
"Picture to Burn" -- Taylor Swift

Relationships: the Ugly
"Before He Cheats" -- Carrie Underwood
"A Night to Remember" -- SHeDAISY
"White Liar" -- Miranda Lambert
"Cowboy Casanova" -- Carrie Underwood
"Gunpowder and Lead" -- Miranda Lambert
"Goodbye Earl" -- Dixie Chicks

Just Life
"Alright" -- Darius Rucker
"Wide Open Spaces" -- Dixie Chicks
"Back Where I Come From" -- Kenny Chesney
"My Next 30 Years" -- Tim McGraw
"Big Star" -- Kenny Chesney
"Famous in a Small Town" -- Miranda Lambert