Wonky Tonk
1. Country songs about public policy.
A play on the music genre honky tonk named after the seedy bars where this baudy country style was born and the term wonk for political information junkies.
There have always been protest songs about activism for as long as there has been folk music. Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and other political bands like R.E.M. or Rage Against the Machine have made careers out of including politics in their music.
There have also been plenty of patriotic country songs with some political references, but until now there has never been an entire genre devoted entirely to rapping about the specifics of public policy in a rowdy saloon-style country flavor.
The downside is that musicians often lack sufficient wonk and many activists are lacking in tonk.
A play on the music genre honky tonk named after the seedy bars where this baudy country style was born and the term wonk for political information junkies.
There have always been protest songs about activism for as long as there has been folk music. Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and other political bands like R.E.M. or Rage Against the Machine have made careers out of including politics in their music.
There have also been plenty of patriotic country songs with some political references, but until now there has never been an entire genre devoted entirely to rapping about the specifics of public policy in a rowdy saloon-style country flavor.
The downside is that musicians often lack sufficient wonk and many activists are lacking in tonk.
He's a true wonky tonk singer - I feel I really understand house bill #137 in way I never did before, and I also feel a bit drunk.
Wonky Tonk by gdolezal June 15, 2011
