In the now classic biopic Ray, Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, one of music’s greatest-ever storytellers, says: “I love country music…I love the stories.” It’s a sentiment shared by GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Ingrid Andress who in 2022 said in a Variety interview, “I think what I love so much about country is the storytelling.” For decades, the stories country music told were what defined the genre, with elements like metaphor and allegory little used in favor of unfiltered clarity. There were no hidden meanings in that brand of country. Just good, old-fashioned truth. Those song told stories about everything from love and loss, faith in the lord and fear of the devil, hometown summer barbecues and a broad range of narratives that described country life and lifestyles.
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