Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music
Have you always thought there was something special about 80s and 90s country music that you've never been able to put your finger on? Why does this music stand out? Well, let's don our cowboy hats, adjust our oversized belt buckles, tease that hair, and see if we can get the bottom of it, by picking apart one song at a time.
Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music
Dissecting "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" by Keith Whitley - 1988
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
It's 1988(-ish), and we're finally getting to the ultimate Gone-Too-Soon artist of our era. It's always a little sad to listen to Keith Whitley, and that's especially true on the last of his singles to be released in his lifetime: "I'm No Stranger to the Rain". Or is it? Reality and fiction blend in this classic of 80s neotraditionalism, but how does this song manage to tackle its heavy subject matter with a distinct lightness of touch? And what does that combination of light and dark portray about the complexity of this singer's struggles?