Today I’m continuing to roll with exploring the connection between fearless truth and commercial success in the world of creative storytelling.
So far I’ve talked about the relationship between “I love you” and the biggest hit songs of all-time, as well as the deep personal resonance established in this year’s best-selling fiction book.
But can complex, controversial themes be successful?
First off, big disclaimer that I really enjoy listening to this album by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. The authenticity, storytelling, and rock n’ roll edge all hit my YES buttons with aplomb.
‘The Nashville Sound’ references a lyric on my favorite song on the album, which we’ll get to shortly.
But first, I want to mention the accolades this album received.
Winner of the 2018 Americana Album of the Year and 2018 Grammy for Best Americana Album, more interesting is that it also got nominated for the 2017 Country Music Association’s Album of the Year.
Why is that last bit interesting to me?
Well, Nashville’s most celebrated works aren’t typically associated with examining the artist’s relationship to white privilege, racism, sexism, and the existential boredom of American’s heartland.
Isbell, who grew up in rural Alabama, is someone I imagine can relate to the experience of blue-collar white America far better than I can (I’m a California baby born to left-leaning would-be-hippies, if only they had been old enough). So when I heard his song, ‘White Man’s World,’ the incisive and emotive lyrics (and delivery) hit me with the visceral experience of someone who lives, bleeds, and breathes the truths laid bare in song.
My personal reaction? Holy shit, not only am I connecting to his WHY (his baby girl), but I’m full-bodied feeling the urgency of his message.
And what is that message? Why don’t we take a moment to read the lyric?
I’m a white man living in a white man’s world
Under our roof is a baby girl
I thought this world could be hers one day
But her mama knew better
I’m a white man living in a white man’s town
Want to take a shot of cocaine and burn it down
Mama wants to change that Nashville sound
But they’re never gonna let her
There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
Still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate
I’m a white man living on a white man’s street
I’ve got the bones of the red man under my feet
The highway runs through their burial grounds
Past the oceans of cotton
I’m a white man looking in a black man’s eyes
Wishing I’d never been one of the guys
Who pretended not to hear another white man’s joke
Oh, the times ain’t forgotten
There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
You’re still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate
I’m a white man living in a white man’s nation
I think the man upstairs must’a took a vacation
I still have faith, but I don’t know why
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes
(Lyrics by Michael Jason Isbell, published by Downtown Music Publishing)
Okay, so if you’re wondering what he meant by some of these lyrics (I think he’s pretty clear), check this out.
I *still* get goosebumps every time I read this lyric or listen to the song. That’s because he’s connecting deeply with my own personal truth that I don’t hear getting reflected publicly nearly often enough.
He ties it together with his personal vested interest as a father.
The stakes character of this song is Jason Isbell’s newborn baby girl.
Wow, I *feel* that at my basest level. Maybe it’s because I have a little girl of my own. I hear this song and I simultaneously want to crank it loud and shed a tear.
He’s tapped into my deep, unconditional love for my child and my desire for her to have a thriving future in a society that values her as an equal.
To me, this is a divisive theme that really shouldn’t be. To hear artists from the deep south acknowledging the same thing? That is real value to me as a listener.
You don’t have to agree with Isbell’s politics to see the relationship between commercial success and his fearless expression of his point-of-view.
Which brings me back to you, because you’re not just a reader. You’re a storyteller yourself, and you have a vested interest in your own commercial success.
Maybe you’ve heard this before, but I’d like to remind you of your own power to tell stories that matter.
Your voice is unique.
The way you tell your vulnerable truth, in combination with your gifts, is going to touch real people’s lives in a way that is VALUABLE beyond money. Money is just a proxy for meaning.
I know it sounds WOO WOO, but the soul of what HITMAKERS do is infuse their work with SOUL. You can too.
The most successful version of you is going to craft meaningful messages that reflect who others are and what they YEARN to hear someone else giving voice to their innermost secrets.
There are so many messages with complexity and nuance, that go deeper than “I love you,” that people are waiting to hear. Your job is to uncover those words (and feelings) and connect with your audience.
But you’ve got to let go of the limiting beliefs holding you back.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear. What is one risk you can take today that your future self will thank you for?
Are you ready to level up and let go of the boulders that may be holding you back? I invite you to talk to me to find out what’s been holding you back and how to break free!
Seriously, don’t wait. If you wait, you’re going to forget this moment (and your readiness to move forward). I’m inviting you to schedule your free 30-minute discovery session with me right now.
Recent Comments