Now, like most folks, I have my particular favorites, and I have picked out five of them - not my top five, mind you, nor what I would claim the best five, or five out of whatever number; just five songs I enjoy by five artists I like, which leaves me plenty of material for future, long weekend stories. 

So, without further ado:

Sara Evans - "Perfect": Sara has it all; beauty, talent, and a set of vocal pipes that just won't stop. Her 2003 song "Perfect," from the album of the same name, makes a great statement about marriage and relationships in general; namely, that they don't have to be perfect - they just have to work. That's a lesson we would all do well to absorb.

 

Alan Jackson - "Drive";  Alan Jackson has a great talent for hitting the nostalgia button. This song evokes a lot of memories for any American who was ever taught to drive, or whoever taught someone to drive - or, for many of us, both. It's a hard pick, choosing any Alan Jackson song for a list like this because he's done so many great ones. But, like he sings in "Drive," I was a boy taught to drive by my father, who then taught my daughters to drive, so this one hits close to home.

 

Reba McEntire - "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia": This is a cover, granted, but it's a damn good one. The original was done by Vicki Lawrence - yes, she of "The Carol Burnett Show" - and she did it really well. But country and western fans have a special place in their hearts for Reba, and she earns it, with her rich, deep voice that evokes an emotional response in everything she sings. This song, dark and compelling, is a great outlet for her talent.

 George Strait - "Write This Down": No country and western playlist can be complete without George Strait. At present, I really think Mr. Strait is the King of Country Music, with his rich voice, the Texas twang that comes through the lyrics, and his decades-long career with a big catalog of hits. Of all the things George Strait has done, I really thing "Write This Down" is his signature piece.
 And finally, the one song that no country and western playlist is complete without:

David Allen Coe - "You Never Even Called Me By My Name": David Allen Coe, with this one song, defined country music better than anyone else ever has, and better than anyone else ever will. He gives writer Steve Goodman credit for the ultimate line:

I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison
And I went to pick her up in the rain
But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned old train

 

People seem to either love country music or hate it; it seems like there is very little middle ground. 

Oh, and a bonus. Here, as an honorable mention, given this Friday evening leaning into a long weekend, is Blackberry Smoke, with "Good One Coming On." It feels appropriate.

 Sooner or later, I'll do another one of these - maybe for the Fourth of July weekend.