Pressing ‘Play’ on My High School Soundtrack

by Tim Hart | Jun 10, 2021 9:21:00 AM

How Country Music Takes Me Back

It’s easy for me to time travel to the year 1994: All I have to do is put on Clint Black’s first album, “Killin’ Time.” The songs on that album take me right back to high school. Instantly, I feel like I can smell campfire smoke, hear the sounds of the woods, and taste the awful Natural Light beer we used to drink. (If you can’t tell, there wasn’t much to do in South Florida when I was a teenager.)

My high school soundtrack was all country music from the '70s, '80s, and '90s — not just Clint Black but Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Alabama, too. A lot of those '90s artists were popular or up-and-coming at the time, and I discovered them all the year I got my driver’s license. 

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Before then, I never really cared too much about music. My dad was always jamming out to Jim Croce tracks like “Time in a Bottle” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” but I just listened to what was on the radio. Then, all of a sudden, I was going places and hanging out with my friends on my own, and I realized I could create my own soundtrack. Country music sounded pretty good coming out of the speakers of my white Ford F-150 truck! Back then, I had all of my favorite albums on cassette. Now, it’s hard to believe we ever had to press rewind or fast-forward. Landing in the middle of a song was my teenaged first-world problem. 

It’s funny how music can bring you back to a different place and time. To this day, when I hear “Muddy Water” or “Loving Blind,” I feel instantly relaxed. (I also feel tempted to go for a walk in the woods or crack open a beer!) I like to listen to those songs after a long day. They help me relax and unwind.

In the car, when I’m not listening to Christian music with the kids, sometimes I’ll tune in to the newer country singers on the radio. I like Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, and Tyler Childers. Those guys still know how to sing, and their voices remind me of the good old days of country. There are other times, though, where I have to turn the radio off. I can’t stand some of the new pop-country stuff. Sam Hunt drives me nuts when he tries to talk and sing at the same time (I can’t be the only one who thinks he sounds like William Shatner, right?) and Florida Georgia Line throws too much rap into their melodies. Call me old, but I can’t get behind their flowing flat-ironed hair or vests-with-no-shirts look, either. When one of those guys comes on, I turn off the radio and enjoy the silence. 

Speaking of silence, I could use your help filling it. Now you know my music preferences, so what do you think I should listen to next? Am I missing out on a great country artist who sounds just like Clint Black or Waylon Jennings? Let me know, and I’ll add them to my playlist.



Born and raised in Southwest Florida, I have been in the Mortgage business since 2001 I'm a grizzly, battle tested mortgage veteran. I am also the Host of Rates & Reels, which is the most popular fishing show in Southwest Florida, hosted by a guy named Tim. In my spare time I love spending time with my family, coaching baseball, and anything else my kids or wife want me to do. I would be happy to help you or someone you know with any of your Mortgage needs.

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