“Drinkin’ Town with a Football Problem”
Billy Currington
Written by Elizabeth Elkins, Aaron Henningsen, Brian Henningsen, Clara Henningsen, and Vanessa Olivarez
What a disappointing letdown from a totally intriguing title.
I was hoping for some incisive social commentary a la Amy Schumer’s “Football Town Nights.”
Instead, we got warmed over “Glory Days” without even an ounce of that classic’s wistful, bittersweet nostalgia. The whole record is just kinda there, talking about small towns going to football games every Friday night but not bothering to ask why.
If country music isn’t going to dig in deep into the psyche of small town America, warts and all, it should at least stay away from song conceits that imply otherwise.
Grade: C
Billy C from “Walk a Little Straighter” to “Win or lose we tie one on.” Don’t like it at all. But I only like about 4 or 5 Currington songs.
And don’t forget that it took five writers to come up with it.
I think you missed what he was saying here.
The lyrics suggest that small town drinkin’ and football are problems that do not need to be solved.
There’s your social commentary.
I think the reviewer was expecting something else from the song and graded the song based off his disappointment. He even admits it in the review. The reviewer wanted a “deep song” tackling (pun intended) the social issues revolving around high school football, instead of a celebration of the sport.
The song is good, not great. A solid B.
Buddynoel,
You nailed it. Small town may have their problems, (not nearly as many a cities in my opinion), but Currington doesn’t see buddy drinking and Friday night football as a disease, that is the point of the song.
Yeah, why worry about drinking and football when there’s so much damn meth everywhere you look?
Anyway, this production is atrocious, and the canned repetitions of “Hey y’all” in the chorus made me want to retch.
Otherwise…the song’s is just there. It’s got some perfectly nice laundry lists, but isn’t actually interested in saying anything about them.
Also, Amy Schumer is rapidly approaching Leslie Knope in terms of being my hero.