Zac Brown Band "Chicken Fried"

I was at Karaoke one Friday night and heard my buddy Albert sing the song "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band. He was doing a great performance as usual and the sound was great. The folks in the place were clapping and singing along (and I was one of them, which as people who know me will tell you, is not an unusual thing). Later on, I got to thinking, why do we like this song?

At first glance it doesn't seem logical. The lyrics talk about a deep connection with American Country culture, with references to "the stars and stripes" and "being grown in Southern ground" among others. We were in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Albert is from St John's, Newfoundland. I've lived in Hong Kong and Toronto, among other places. I figure most of the folks singing along haven't been to the places that Zac Brown is reminiscing about and have never journeyed to the orchards in the Southern U.S. where the peaches grow.

But I really think the chorus is where we can take a look to see what we can all relate to. "You know I like my chicken fried / A cold beer on a Friday night / A pair of jeans that fit just right / And the radio up" -- there's something must of us can agree with. I've run into few people who would dispute the benefits of a jeans that work for your body type, a cold beverage after a long week of work, a tasty bit of fried chicken or music on the radio to go along with whatever you happen to be doing. Frankly, if I can find a pair of jeans that make me look good, I would try to buy an extra pair!

I believe this is where the continuing attraction to country music comes from. This music tells our stories. These are stories that you can relate to even if you've never lived on a farm, never attended a rodeo, or any of the other experiences that the music talks about. Because on a different level, Zac Brown talking about "the simple things in life that mean the most / not where you live and what you drive / or the price tag on your clothes" is something that makes sense whether you are living in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong or Mississauga, Ontario or Atlanta, Georgia.

What I hope to write about are some of these stories and what they mean to me. Perhaps there are some thoughts that I have that may have some meaning or interest to you. I want to share and I hope you will find at least some of it interesting.