Music Review: Blake Shelton & Pistol Annies "Boys 'Round Here"

Blake Shelton & Pistol Annies

Boys ‘Round Here

Album: Based on a True Story…

Year: 2013

         Blake Shelton is proud his southern roots in the unvarnished  “Boys ‘Round Here.”

     In the opening,Sheltonproclaims himself a redneck. A genial guitar opens the single, setting an unwinding tone.  (“Aw heck/Red red red red red red redneck.”) 

       The pebbles clink against the side of the truck, the tires crunch under gravel as he makes his way to the local honky tonk bar. Before he even parks his car, he can hear the banjo and clapping. After a slight pause and a click, Hank Williams, Jr’s “A Country Boy Can Survive” begins to play. Like him, his friends have their cuticles outlined by dirt and skin marked with sunburn after putting up a house all day. Without the job, they won’t have any money or have a decent girl even look at them. (“Well the boys 'round here don't listen to The Beatles/Run ole Bocephus through a jukebox needle/At a honky-tonk, where their boots stomp/All night; what? (That's right)/Yea, and what they call work, digging in the dirt/Gotta get it in the ground 'fore the rain come down/To get paid, to get the girl/In your 4 wheel drive (A country boy can survive).”

            In the chorus, he joins his friends at the table and pops the tab on his Budweiser.  He asks one of his friends if there is any progress with the girl he likes. His other friend jumps in, telling an old story of when they were all teenagers and used to figure eights by an abandoned barn. They talk about religion for a bit and what’s going on at church. From the pool table, a guy from the next town over starts making fun of them. They all stare at him. The only sound that can be heard between them is the sound of one of his friends spitting the tobacco back into an empty can.  They nod each other and head straight to the pool table. (“Yea the boys 'round here/Drinking that ice cold beer/Talkin' 'bout girls, talkin' 'bout trucks/Runnin' them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust/The boys 'round here/Sending up a prayer to the man upstairs/Backwoods legit, don't take no shit/Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit.”)

       Sheltonrepeats  “Aw heck/Red red red red red red redneck.”)

       Everywhere in town, the radio is set to the local country music station.  Hearing a rap song blaring through the speakers of a car is unheard of, much less seeing a Youtube video of a neighbor’s kid online doing the Dougie. However, in this part of the States, he’s considered cool and quite a catch. He mentions attractive women live in the town. He’s known almost all of them his entire life. Out-of-towners give him he look when he can pick someone out from a brief description. They usually go on to date the guys they’ve known since grade school, too. (“Well the boys 'round here, they're keeping it country/Ain't a damn one know how to do the Dougie/(You don't do the Dougie?) No, not in Kentucky/But these girls 'round here yep, they still love me/Yea, the girls 'round here, they all deserve a whistle/Shakin' that sugar, sweet as Dixie crystal/They like that y'all and southern drawl/And just can't help it cause they just keep fallin'.”)

             The chorus is sung again.

             In the bridge, the Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe & Angaleena Price) join in to say “let’s ride.” He sees one of the girls he’s loved he ever since he saw her in elementary school and asks if she would like to hang out with him at the river. On the way there, they stop off at the grocery store and pick up some food to eat. After they eat, he plans to make his move and kiss her. (“Let me hear you say/(Ooh let's ride)/(Ooh let's ride)/Down to the river side/(Ooh let's ride…)/Hey now girl, hop inside/Me and you gonna take a little ride to the river/Let's ride (That's right)/Lay a blanket on the ground/Kissing and the crickets is the only sound/We out of town/Have you ever got down with a/Red red red red red red redneck?/And do you wanna get down with a/Red red red red red red redneck?/Girl you gotta get down.”)

              The chorus is sung again.

             The Pistol Annies repeat “Oh let’s ride” which alternates withShelton’s “Red red red red red red redneck” three times.

             Part of the bridge is sung again to end the single. (“(Ooh let's ride…)/Well all I'm thinkin' 'bout is you and me, how we'll be/So come on girl, hop inside..down to the river side.”)

         Shelton’s gabby, homegrown vocals are well-versed, knowing every backroad and the detail about the people in his small town. He wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s quiet and picturesque. The city would overwhelm him with the traffic alone.

          The Pistol Annies’ dainty, perfumy vocals are game forShelton’s ideas, chiming in at the right times. They are up for a good time and give the single some femininity amid the testosterone.

          The blunt “Boys ‘Round Here” prefers to be among the regular people and be as normal as possible.