Song #2: Toby Keith feat. Willie Nelson - "Beer for My Horses"

Song #2: Toby Keith feat. Willie Nelson - "Beer for My Horses" (2003)

Unleashed

"Said, 'somebody's been shot, somebody's been abused, somebody blew up a building, somebody stole a car, somebody got away, somebody didn't get too far.' Yeah, they didn't get too far."

If you forced me to pick my all-time favorite country song, I think I'd have to pick Toby Keith and Willie Nelson's "Beer for My Horses." As much as I adore the country-heatbreak songs of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, and I love contemporary country artists like Colt Ford and Brad Paisley, I have to pick "Beer for My Horses" for several reasons. For starters, here's a song that takes on an entire new life once you've seen the music video. The song, alone, is a masterful detailing of old police-work vs. new police-work, but the music video erects a terrific crime drama scenario that enchants and excites. In addition to giving us great music, the music video gives us a nail-biting story to latch on to, making this one of the multifaceted country songs I know of in terms of approach, and one of the most exhilarating.

Speaking in context of the music video, the song follows a serial killer near the Midtown River, an assuming area that is loaded with "corruption and crime in the streets," according to Willie Nelson in the song. We immediately drop in on a news report covering a potential fifth victim of the Midtown River murderer, a man who apparently goes after prostitutes in late hours of the night, kills them, and leaves vague trails. Toby Keith and his partner Corin Nemec have been dispatched on the case, but even with five alleged murders, they still can't develop a solid lead. Much to Corin's dismay, Toby calls Willie Nelson, his father, who used to work as an Arizona Ranger after his father influenced him when he was a young boy. Toby is convinced that Willie will help him nab the suspect, and once they travel to Willie's ranch in the middle of scenic nowhere, as the home is tucked away in grassy plains, Toby and Corin are greeted with a load of police nostalgia. They see Willie's old badge, old pictures of the force, old police equipment, and hear of stories back when Willie was an officer in his prime.

Speaking in context of the song, the song details more with the contrasting work of policemen from the early 1900's to present-day. The chorus celebrates the idea of celebrating justice, condemning violence and needless crime, and raising up ones' glasses "against evil forces" by providing your men with a shot of strong, potent whiskey and your horses with an ice-cold brew. 

Returning to the video, the video plays like an episode of CSI, but set to a fantastic country song to add to the suspense and energy. After revisiting this video for the first time in months, I still act like I did when I first saw this video at age eight, wiggling around in my seat, singing along (admittedly off-key), and just feeling the rush of nostalgic energy and enthusiasm I have always had for this song.

The song was so rooted in plot and narrative that, in 2008, a film of the same name was made. The downside, however, was the plot of the music video was abandoned, and Corin Nemec nor Willie Nelson, other than a very brief cameo, appeared in the film. Toby Keith held his own in the picture, but the magic and zest of the song was traded in for typical redneck entertainment. Nonetheless, the music video is still arguably my favorite music video of all time, and the song never fails to excite. This song is a must-hear and the video is a must-see for everyone.

Give "Beer for My Horses" a listen (and a watch), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1JOFhfoAD4

Song #3: Chief Keef - "Love Sosa"

Song #3: Chief Keef - "Love Sosa" (2012)

Finally Rich

"Raris and Rovers, these hoes love Chief Sosa; hit 'em with that cobra, now that boy slumped ova."

My writeup on Chief Keef's addicting song "Love Sosa" will be considerably shorter, given the fact that I already wrote a blog concerning the Chicago-based rapper and his monstrous rise to fame, along with this particular song. To try and exercise brevity when it comes to "Love Sosa," it's one of the most infectious and satisfying rap songs I've ever heard, predominately for its brazenness and its invitation into the life of a violent and carefree teen rapper.

Keef, born Keith Cozart in the notoriously violent and gang-infested Chicago suburb of Englewood, has made clear his gang-affiliation with 3hunna/O'Block, a gang that originated in his housing project of Parkway Gardens. Keef has been unapologetic in his love for the lifestyle, rather than the typical hatred and condemnation of such a lifestyle. While numerous songs detail his lifestyle, "Love Sosa" does so in a fragmented style, meaning he uses a great detail of random, interconnected sentences in hope to achieve a banger.

"Love Sosa" shouldn't be as loved by me as it is, really. When I first heard the song, I detested it, finding its lyricism awful and its flow weak. But I had a biting urge to hear it again. Then again. Then play it to my mother. Then send it to my uncle, who loves rap music. Then I had to download it. Then I had to sing it aloud whenever I heard it. Then I had to play it on the jukeboxes in bars. Then I added it to my playlist for songs I plan to play on my ride to the first day of college. Yeah, I'm kind of obsessed.

While "Love Sosa" isn't my favorite Keef song in terms of lyricism and relevance, it is probably my favorite song in terms of its sound and production, alongside Keef and Lil Reese's "I Don't Like." Chicago-based producer Young Chop handles the production on "Love Sosa" and makes it click instantaneously, adding infectious sounds and incredible synthesizers to make an effective hip-hop song, erected off of everything the "drill" subgenre in rap is made of ("drill" is characterized by Chicago music that details violent situations with excessive vulgarity and "trap"-style instrumentation).

All I ask, like I do with every song I post, is for you to listen to "Love Sosa" and form your own opinion. Most will hate it, few will truly love it, and I doubt anyone will appreciate it quite like myself.

Give "Love Sosa" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLeTLe811Wg

[Delayed Post]: Song #4: DJ Steve Porter - "You Play to Win the Game"

Song #4: DJ Steve Porter - "You Play to Win the Game" (2010)

Porterhouse Productions

"We go out, we hit people in the mouth, number one. Number two, we cannot give them the game. Number three. Hello? We suck!"

DJ Steve Porter is a DJ known for his complex and entirely immersing remixes he compiles together, usually for ESPN or "The Today Show." His remixes range anywhere from one-minute to three or four minutes, and compile a montage off the regular/post-season highlights of sporting events or of popular TV show moments. While most of his remixes are sports related, one doesn't have to be incredibly in-tune or immersed in the sporting world to just admire the incomparable artistry and talent in his remixes.

My favorite remix of Porter's is "You Play to Win the Game," a remix featuring the famous rants of NFL coaches, like Herm Edwards' famous line, which is the title of the remix, Jim E. Mora with his famous "Playoffs?" line, which has now become a regular sports soundbite, and Mike Singletary's old school rules for his then-failing San Francisco 49ers. The remix is so finely mixed, artfully constructed, and musically potent that it functions like your average song, with a chorus, specific verses, and an explosive/revealing final verse.

The song is one of my favorite motivating tunes, mainly because hearing so many people heated and speaking entirely in the moment makes on replicate similar feelings, and my go-to tune for when I'm angry or agitated (right after Plies' "Shit Bag," number sixty-two on "The One-Hundred Songs of Steve Pulaski"). Not to mention, the song compiles such incredibly musicality, to material that isn't inherently musical, which is an unbelievable achievement on part of Porter. He not only made a great song, but did so by meticulously measuring, emphasizing, and perfecting things like sound mixing, instrumentation, speed, and pitch to, in turn, make an amazing song that rightfully deserves more recognition than it has merited, even by the standards of DJ Steve Porter remixes. 

Give "You Play to Win the Game" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLlIdZikDk

[Delayed Post]: Song #5: Dolla feat. T-Pain and Tay Dizm - "Who the Fuck is That?"

 Song #5: Dolla feat. T-Pain and Tay Dizm - "Who the Fuck is That?" (2008)

The Miseducation of Dolla

"You be runnin' when I shoot, I be shootin' when you runnin', 'Kon got me out the streets, told me 'Dolla, get that money!'"

"Who the Fuck is That?" was the first song I ever heard by Atlanta-based rapper Dolla, who quickly rose to earning my title of "favorite rapper." I discovered the song by browsing through the single discography of rapper T-Pain in what was a simple bout of listlessness while on Wikipedia one day in 2008. I found a song called "Who the Fuck is That?" and marveled at the brazenness of its lyrics, but mostly, the promise and commendable effort put forth by the album's lead singer Dolla.

Dolla sings with such power on the song, living up to the standards set forth by the promising and demanding production of the song. He raps with breakneck flow and addicting choruses that prove impeccable talent for someone so young and seemingly inexperienced in the world. However, one look at the young rapper and a listen to one or two of his songs proves that he has knowledge, fluidity, and incomparable ideas that make him an effective product of his often broken and seedy environment.

He's assisted other rappers on Akon's Konvict label, which Dolla was signed to up until his tragic death in 2009, a death that still appalls and dismays whenever it stumbles across my mind. Dolla is assisted by the likes of T-Pain, who enjoyed monstrous, surprisingly long-term success from 2007 to 2009, and Tay Dizm, another rapper who is still looking for his success. With that, "Who the Fuck is That?" is a superb gem in rap music that still makes me sing aloud whenever I hear it.

Give "Who the Fuck is That?" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiw9C12AolE

Song #6: "Weird Al" Yankovic - "White & Nerdy"

Song #6: "Weird Al" Yankovic - "White & Nerdy" (2006)

Straight Outta Lynwood

"I'm nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream."

I was introduced to the massively talented parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic by a friend in middle school, where I was completely amazed by his, then, most recent album Straight Outta Lynwood. Being that the only parody artist I knew at the time was Cledus T. Judd, and even he was all over the place in terms of quality, Yankovic stood out as somebody who could make a competent and hilarious parody song, while rarely making the song repetitive. He'd do things like change up the chorus, change the lyrical structure of the song, and never become too dirty in his material, effectively being a mostly-clean, genial singer who just wanted to have a little fun with mainstream.

"White & Nerdy" is probably Yankovic's most successful single in the 2000's, for I scarcely remember the last time I heard a parody song quoted so extensively and even gain airplay on the radio. The song is a parody of the Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bones' hit song "Ridin'," an intriguing gem of rap music concerning police and racial profiling. "White & Nerdy" is far less political, creating a song about the eccentric and goofy things white people do, like attend Renaissance Fairs, ride segways, and code computers for fun.

Yankovic keeps up with the breakneck speed of the song by never slowing down or pausing, and maintaining complete control of the lyrics of the song and the collection of ideas he is trying to get out there. On top of that, I'm not sure there's a better song by Yankovic to begin your descent into parody madness. The song takes a fairly popular, known song and puts an incredible creative spin on it. "White & Nerdy" kicked off a mad "Weird Al" addiction for me, as I went out and bought every single one of his albums, all of whom I still have today, and even attended his concert in Merriville, Indiana at the Star Plaza Theater with my mother on July 5th, 2008. Even with all those credentials, I'm still proud to say I listen to "Weird Al" quite frequently and consider him one of the most fun artists working today.

Give "White & Nerdy" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw

Song #7: Hank Williams - "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive"

Song #7: Hank Williams - "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" (1952)

40 Greatest Hits

"Everything's against me and it's got me down; if I jumped in a river, I would probably drown."

The irony of Hank Williams' "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" is a soul-crushing one, as it was the final single of Williams released while he was alive, and managed to top the charts posthumously, after his death on New Years Day 1953. The song details a down-on-his-luck man, who has lost his woman, his luck, and his self-esteem, saying that he can struggle and strive for better, but still winds up having nothing and, in turn, will allegedly never get out of this world alive.

For such a dour song topic, new listeners will be surprised at the upbeat tempo the ballad carries, which easily makes it one of my favorite Williams' songs. Williams had so many songs that detailed pain so somberly and effectively that you felt you yourself were experiencing such pain, as you listened to the lyrics of the songs being sung and absorbed the music and the careful flow of his songs. "I'll Never Get Out of This World" alive sounds deceptively positive, judging by the tempo, before it hits you with some serious sadness, but manages to captivate and enchant throughout the two minutes it plays.

This was another Williams song that came into my life late my eighth grade year, where Williams' music was touching that sentimental part of my soul that I really didn't know I had. Thanks to my loving grandfather, who wound up schooling me in classic country, particularly Williams, not only was I up to date on an amazing singer, but I got an intricate lesson in where the music I loved originated; that's something we should expect from fans of particular genres.

Give "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7FQeFOBtBk

Song #8: Zager and Evans - "In the Year 2525"

Song #8: Zager and Evans - "In the Year 2525" (1969)

2525: Exordium & Terminus

"In the year 9595, I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive. He's taken everything this old Earth can give and he ain't put back nothin', whoa, whoa."

By now, in "The One-Hundred Songs of Steve Pulaski," as we near the end, I have revealed numerous ways I've been acquainted to music of the years, be it watching Country Music Television (CMT) religiously, burning CD's with my uncle, listening to music blare through my headphones as I rock on a rocking chair, or just find the songs on my own through some weird force, like work or school. The one way I haven't revealed is that frequently, always on Mondays, I sit outside with my father and we talk informally and aimlessly about life, things to do, and other such obligations and joys of life. These talks aren't as deep or as intimate as you think, but they're more than meets the eye a lot of times. The last half hour of our talks, which usually last anywhere from one hour to three hours, are usually devoted to my father wanting to hear specific songs played off my phone.

One day, we sat out back and my dad hit me with something. "Punch up on your phone a song called 'In the Year 2525' by Zager and Evans. God, what a weird fucking song. I remember when that came out. It's one of the strangest fucking things I have ever heard. You'll love it." He was correct; I still remember sitting in the darkness outside, which only intensified the creepy lyricism of the ballad. The song has no conventional structure - no chorus and no specific verses. The only consistency the song bears is beginning each line with "In the year...," starting with 2525 and continuing in intervals of 1010 (3535, 4545, 5555, etc). Following each introductory line is a statement about what state the human race will be in at that time, what technological advances have been made, and what element of scientific progress has made to further rob the world of its humanity.

The song goes on, telling of how one day we won't need our teeth or our eyes anymore, for machines are assisting us through our daily activities. We won't need husbands or wives, and we pick our sons and daughters "from the bottom of a long glass tube." The song then descends into the probable reactions of an Almighty God on a nation that has worked to rob every miracle from life and made it into a scientific project of convenience and unnatural selection. It is a scary thought, especially in a day and age where scientific progress is moving quicker and quicker.

"In the Year 2525" is a special case in music history, being about the condemnation of scientific advancement and being released in 1969, the same year as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon (the song was number one on the charts during that event). Furthermore, this is also the rare case where a song by a new artist made number one on the charts but subsequent releases by the artist never did so much as chart again. That's right, Zager and Evans are the very definition of a one-hit wonder, soon fading into complete obscurity and pursuing other ventures that weren't in the mainstream music industry following the monstrous success of their sole song. 

I love the song because not only is it a number one hit song few would remember today, but because Zager and Evans seem to predate Gary Numan, who faithful readers of this blog series know has already made three appearances. Zager and Evans, like Numan, speak of the darkside of technology in the midst of all the greatness that stems from it, and just like Numan, they provide the song with their own style and sound, Right now, however, "In the Year 2525" is a curious piece of history, but I'd like to think that if technology continues to advance at unforeseen rates, this song will come out of the woodwork and make it back into the mainstream again.

Give "In the Year 2525" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWzTvdtEx0