Laternadanal

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Each oversize page is also filmed as one exposure and is available, for an additional charge, as a standard 35mm slide or in black and white paper format.* 4. Most photographs reproduce acceptably on positive microfilm or micro fiche but lack clarity on xerographic copies made from the microfilm. For an additional charge, all photographs are available in black and white standard 35mm slide format.* *For more information about black and white slides or enlarged paper reproductions, please contact the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 'IMversify Mkitmlnis m . laternadanal 8603075 Winebrenner, Terrence Calvin MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS: THE RHETORICAL VISION OF COUNTRY-WESTERN POPULAR SONGS, 1970-1979 The Ohio State University Ph.D. 1985 University Microfilms I nternstionâ!s œ N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor. Ml48106 Copyright 1985 by Winebrenner, Terrence Calvin All Rights Reserved My heroes have always been cowboys And they still are it seems Sadly in search of and one step in back of Themselves and their slow moving dreams "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys," by Sharon Vaughn, copvright ASCAP (Recorded bv Wavlon Jennings on RCA Records LP "The Outlaws," 1977). MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS: THE RHETORICAL VISION OF COUNTRY-WESTERN POPULAR SONGS, 1970-1979 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Terrence Calvin Winebrenner, B.S., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1985 Dissertation Committee: Approved by James L. Golden, Adviser William R. Brown // A dVi s e r John J. Makay Department of Communication Copyright by Terrence Calvin Winebrenner 1985 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank LuAnn Davidson of BMI, Bobbi Duty of ASCAP, Angela Mahoney of the Country Music Association, Don Kmerer of Billboard magazine for background interviews which were vital to this dissertation. I especially appreciate the efforts of Dr. William Brown and Dr. John Makay as members of my dissertation committee. Dr. Goodwin Berquist for his years as my academic adviser and dissertation adviser, and Dr. James Golden for taking over as dissertation adviser in the final stages of writing. Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my parents to whom this dissertation is dedicated. 11 VITA August 29, 1949 .......... Born - Sedalia, Missouri 1971 ..................... B.S., Southwest Missouri State College, Springfield, Missouri 1972 ..................... M.A., Southwest Missouri State College, Springfield, Missouri 1972-1973 ............... Special Lecturer, Drury College, Springfield, Missouri 1973-1976 ............... Instructor, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 1976-1978 ................ Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1978-1979 ................ Graduate Administrative Associate, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1979-1983 ................ Instructor, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin 1983-Present ............ Lecturer, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California 111 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Type One (Interpersonal) Themes ................. 161 2. Type Two (Intrapersonal) Themes ................. 167 3. Type Three (World View) Themes .................. 171 4. Theme Fragments (By Type) ........................ 177 5. Romantic Love Theme Fragments ................... 178 6. Character Theme Fragments ........................ 182 7. Emotional Outlook Theme Fragments ............... 186 8. Self Concept Theme Fragments ..................... 190 9. Religion Theme Fragments ......................... 193 10. World View Themes ................................. 195 11. Core Theme Codings ................................ 273 12. Theme Fragment Codings ........................... 274 IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................... ii VITA ........................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES ......................... iv CHAPTERS I. INTRODUCTION ....................................... 1 Rationale ........................................ 3 The Country-Western Explosion ............... 6 The Country-Western Culture Class ........... 10 The Country-Western Decade ................... 13 Theoretical Perspective ........................ 17 Methodology ...................................... 23 Content Description ........................... 23 Content Interpretation ....................... 28 Chapter Outline ................ 30 Chapter One Notes ............................... 32 II. RHETORICAL INQUIRY AND THE POPULAR SONG ......... 42 Growing Interest in Music Communication ....... 43 Functional Dimensions of Music Communication .. 47 Persuasive Function ........................... 48 Expressive Function ........................... 49 Commercial Function ........................... 52 Critical Dimensions of Music Communication .... 55 Artist Centered Criticism .................. 57 Situation Centered Criticism .............. 65 Audience Centered Criticism ............... 72 Summary .......................................... 88 Chapter Two Notes ............................... 90 III. THE COUNTRY-WESTERN RHETORICAL EVENT ............ 99 The Act .......................................... 99 Means of Presentation ........................ 100 Musicological Character ...................... 115 Lyric Content ................................. 125 The Audience ..................................... 130 The Event ........................................ 143 Chapter Three Notes ............................. 149 IV. THE LYRIC CONTENT OF COUNTRY-WESTERN POPULAR SONGS ............................................... 160 Core Themes ...................................... 160 Theme Fragments ................................. 177 Summary .......................................... 199 Chapter Four Notes .............................. 202 V. THE RHETORICAL VISION OF COUNTRY-WESTERN POPULAR SONGS ...................................... 211 The Heroic Fantasy .............................. 211 The Romantic Fantasy ............................ 218 The Escape Fantasy .............................. 221 The Rhetorical Vision ........................... 228 Chapter Five Notes .............................. 232 VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ............ 234 Chapter Six Notes ............................... 254 APPENDICES A. BILLBOARD "TOP COUNTRY SINGLES" 1970-1979 ....... 257 B. SAMPLE CODED SONG AND COMPLETED CODINGSHEET _____ 268 C. COMPILED CORE THEME AND THEME FRAGMENT CODINGS .. 272 DISCOGRAPHY ................................'............... 276 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................... 298 VI CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION "The jukebox, a peculiarly American institution, has long been a rich source of social and psychological truths. Many a hypothesis is available to the researcher for a mere quarter (three hypotheses for 50 cents). Although numerous musical styles . offer testable ideas. Country and Western music offers an impressive medley of themes that are 1 particularly amenable to psychological investigation." In this manner, James Pennebaker whimsically introduced a research report confirming a psychological thesis suggested 2 in a popular country-western song. Scholars from other disciplines have likewise found country-western music to be a rich source of research data, perhaps realizing, as did Jens Lund, that "An issue captured in song has an emotional impact that it does not carry when it is read from the sociologist's questionnaire or heard over the telephone from the lips of a professional pollster. It may contain the essential difference between what people think about an 3 issue and how they actually feel about it." Communication scholars, in particular, ought to be interested in the musical messages expressed in country- western popular songs. According to Robert Beckley and Paul 1 2 Chalfant, country-western songs constitute a medium through which people share the "ideal and real values of what has 4 been called middle-America." As Charles Gritzner puts it, "In its own distinct manner, country music communicates in a clear and obviously appealing way to many Americans who identify with 'red necks, white sox (sic), and blue 5 collars.'" Gritzner continues, "Hailed by some critics as America's great musical gift to people the world over, country music has been viewed less enthusiastically by others as being

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