49, 50, thpbbbbbbbbbptt....

Yea yea yea I know, Freedom's Child by Billy Joe Shaver was released in November of 2002, so it shouldn't be in my Top Ten Albums of 2003. Oh well:

A. This is just a blog
B. See A.
C. I didn't get it until January
D. See A.

So, I'll leave the songs from it out of my Top 50 songs of the year. Get 'em while they're hot folks, tell yer friends.

Jack's Top 50 Country Songs of 2003:

1. Emma Rumble, by Graham Lindsey

If I kiss you
I must kill you
You told me in gentle tones

This song will absolutely murder your heart if you listen to it closely. It's a really amazing twist on the old love and murder song of folk-writing days gone by. It was the best song I heard all year.
2. Sink Hole, by The Drive By Truckers
I listened to this record the first time through without reading the liner notes. As I heard this song, I said to myself, "this really reminds me of the short film, The Accountant." Funny, Patterson Hood says the movie was the inspiration for the song. Just a driving guitar riff and a lot of strong words about a disappearing rural way of life. It's really powerful when you see it live.
3. Tampa to Tulsa, by the Jayhawks
This is just my favorite song on Rainy Day Music. It's a very old school, 70's, country road song. I can't listen to it without singing along.
4. I Shot Your Dog, by Fred Eaglesmith
This is pure Fred. If you don't know what pure Fred is, I feel sorry for you. Just when you thought a dead dog song just might be cliché in Country circles, Fred gets out his pen and proves everybody wrong.
5. Hurt, by Johnny Cash
I honestly couldn't perform this song anymore if I were Trent Reznor. The song just feels heavier and more authentic in Johnny's breaking voice. A real killer.
6. Uncle Pen (live), by Ricky Skaggs
"Hey y'all here's Uncle Pen...." then about 15 guys take off at light speed on every kinda string instrument known to the Pope. About 2 minutes later, your legs hurt and you're out of breath.
7. When You Say Nothing At All (live), by Alison Krauss + Union Station
Sigh.
8. Through, by Richmond Fontaine
The best song on the best album of the year. I absolutely love songs that define a word. Yeah, this song is about "through," as in the sense of done, finito, fuck it. Fabulous.
9. bless this mess, by Haley Bonar
If your parents ever made you go to church this song will kick you right in the head.
10. Red Letter Bible, by The Dead End Angels
If you ever made a deal on the border of Texas and Mexico for your life, this song will kick you right in the head.
11. On Saturday Night, by Lyle Lovett
Pills, trailers, and Cadillacs. Yep, Lovett's got a lot of that magic Fred has in his pen too.
12. To Daddy, by Emmylou Harris
Emmylou took a stab at this old Dolly Parton song for a tribute album to the buxom one on Sugar Hill Records. She absolutely nails it and proves once again that she's the reigning queen of Country music.
13. Taking the View, by Thad Cockrell
This song will take the knots out of your spine. In case of stress attack, break glass.
14. One Step Ahead of the Blues, by Rhonda Vincent
Rhonda Vincent AND Alison Krauss, on the same song...sigh.
15. city girls, by Big Ditch Road
You've all seen the Ole's line up for the Rebecca's when they get home to Warroad from da Cities down to th' U there, ya know. Rebecca is bored and can't find Dunhills at the Circle K. Umm, well, that's what the song is about. The band does a much better job at telling the story than I.
16. No Rolling Back II, by Jay Farrar
I don't have a clue what Jay's singing about anymore, but this song really gets me for some reason. I like this disk, but it's kind of impenetrable. Maybe I'm lazy. Anyway, this is my favorite song on the disk.
17. Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings, by Lucinda Williams
You really have to see Lucinda sing this drunk at First Avenue for a crowd that includes Asian chicks with masculine haircuts in Western style snap-button shirts smoking Marlboros and singing it right back to her, to get the full effect. Maybe it's just me.
18. Where Nobody Knows My Name, by The Gibson Brothers
A really dark grass song, and by that, I mean really modernly dark. It embodies alienation and escapism in a really 21st Century way. This whole album rocks.
19. Thunderstorms & Neon Signs (live), by Wayne "The Train" Hancock
The Train's best song, performed the best way. The version we've all wanted for years.
20. Guitar Pickin' Martyrs, by Luther Wright & the Wrongs

Well we've got all these guitars
And all these guitar pickers
A table and four chairs
And a bottle of hard liquor

Why not? I mean, really...why the hell not? Yee-friggin'-hah.
21. Chief of the Fuzzers, by The Gourds
This song is the result of a very long story. But it's typical Gourds faire, words and music all about a beard growing contest somewhere in Texas, the entire massacree in four part harmony, etc, etc, etc.
22. Flutter (live), by Jack Ingram
Jack's a real spark plug live. This is a real toe tapper on the new live record.
23. Willamina, by Reckless Kelly
I know this band in my bones. This song has some real hot Texas wind in it.
24. Backsliding Man, by Kevin Deal
So you go pour concrete all day then record great records at night. This song has a real work-hard, play-hard quality that only comes from really living that way.
25. 95 South, by Joe Ely
Now that Johnny Cash is gone, I nominate Joe Ely as the new spirit guide for the faithful of Country music. This song is about roads and trains but it always makes me think about Jesus. Go figure.
26. Charming Betsy (live), by BR549

Rich girl uses vaseline
Poor girl uses lard
My girl uses axle grease
Cuz she takes it twice as hard

Uh huh. THIS is the old BR549 that I was worried had disappeared forever. Take an old song and crank it up to 11.
27. It's Raining, by Eleni Mandell
Sigh.
28. Gulf Coast Romance, by Luke Olson
The first time I saw "King of the Hill" on TV, I swore that guy had met some of my family. The first time I heard this song, I swore this guy was at my oldest brother's wedding. Kind of a Gulf update on "Gringo Honeymoon."
29. Sing 'Til I Stop Crying, by Pat Green
The best song on Pat's latest record.
30. Lucky That Way, by Greg Trooper
"Muhammad Ali" is probably the most interesting song on the record, but I think this one is the best executed. It's a really bouncey number with a great lick.
31. Polaroid, by Richmond Fontaine
The number two song on the year's best album, it contains some of the best advice to give someone who is frustrated and scared, that I've ever heard.
32. My Museum Blues, by Graham Lindsey
You WILL end up comparing this kid to Bob Dylan. You don't want to, but you can't help it. It's just true. He's too damned young to have made this album, this song, this great leap of artistic maturity. But chill, just go with it. This song is a good exercise in poetry memorization.
33. My Town, by Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel
Anna is always good for at least one two-fisted, woman-of-power song per album. This song cuts through all the bullshit and really lays out her talents for singing and songwriting.
34. Sunken Waltz, by Calexico
I don't always get what these guys are doing, but Jesus they're cool when they're doing it, aren't they?
35. virginia, by Frog Holler
My favorite band from Pennsylvania checks back in this year with another solid album, and this song really grabs me early on.
36. Lexington Jail, by Tim Easton
The song that will break your mother's heart on Break Your Mother's Heart.
37. Bubbles in My Beer, by Bobby Flores
I triple dog dare you to listen to this disk, this song, this man's band, and not dance. I mean, I triple dog friggin dare ya.
38. Empty Bottles, by Scrappy Jud Newcomb
One of the most confrontational songs about love and booze I've ever heard. I saw him do it live with Beaver Nelson in the corner of a bar with just two acoustic guitars. A very high quality song.
39. Hole in Our Town, by Bill Isles
The town of Crookston almost sank into Canada this past summer. This is one of the more "Minnesota" songs you will ever hear this side of "The Zamboni Song."
40. Drink Yourself to Death, by The Hangdogs
I can think of about 20 Nashville artists I'd like to send a copy of this song to in a brown paper bag.
41. Stolen Horses, by Ray Wylie Hubbard
The popular choice off this album would probably be "Screw You, We're From Texas," but I think this is the best song on the disk.
42. Jump Through the Rings, by Dan Israel & the Cultivators
A real investigation of love and twang with doubt and pain.
43. Preparations for Winter, by Barn Burning
Bam! A Minnesota song from Rhode Island. That's right, country from Rhode Island. WINTER should be the inspiration for Country tunes now that all the muckity mucks down in Trashville have beaten Margaritaville to death. More songs about salt trucks and ice augers and dead hookers at the hunting shack...did I say that out loud?
44. The One That Got Away, by The Dry County Crooks
A good driving tune outta Oregon. Kinda greasy with three on the tree, if you know what I mean.
45. Vagabond Motel, by Trailer Bride
Melissa Swingle's voice makes me imagine my grandma as a hottie back in the Twenties, leaning on a wingback chair with one of them 12-inch, 3-speed, oscillating fans going over in the corner...did I say that out loud again?
46. Guitar Pickin' Chicken, by Jason Ringenberg
What kids should be listening to instead of Barney, Teletubbies, those unintelligible Japanese cartoons, and anything else you use to sedate them instead of being an actual parent.
47. Moonlight on the Mountains, by Amy Allison
A very beautiful neo-traditional piece at the end of this great album.
48. Nobody's Fool, by Neil Cleary
Every guy has sung this song to himself, regardless of whether he knew these particular words. Cleary has a real aptitude for capturing conversational stories into songs.
49. Blood on the Bluegrass, by The Legendary Shack Shakers
When the lead singer of a band runs out on stage, crosses his eyes, and writes "Pretty in the Face" across his chest, well, yeah, you get the picture. This is the only anti-country song in my list. And by anti-country I mean, the minute you tell these guys you like the "country" songs they do, they might just pull out a picture of Johnny Cash and piss on it in front of you.
50. Cocaine Parties, by Moonshine Hangover
Angry bar bands playing angry old country songs are always good for business folks. All those pecs and tummy tucks and wigs in Nashville are pure bullshit.