Literature Born of the Texas Singer-Songwriter Movement of the Last Forty Years" (2016)
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University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-13-2016 The People's Poets: Literature Born of the Texas Singer- Songwriter Movement of the Last Forty Years Phyllis M. Dunham [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Recommended Citation Dunham, Phyllis M., "The People's Poets: Literature Born of the Texas Singer-Songwriter Movement of the Last Forty Years" (2016). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2212. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2212 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The People’s Poets: Literature Born of the Texas Singer-Songwriter Tradition of the Last Forty Years A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing by Phyllis Dunham B. A. Sul Ross State University, 2013 May 2016 Table of Contents List of Figures .................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ................................................................................................................................v Foreword ..............................................................................................................................1 Part I: Why Texas?.............................................................................................................. 7 Introduction: The Fertile Ground .............................................................................7 A Brief History of Texas Musical Traditions ..........................................................8 Austin: Ground Zero for the New Poets .................................................................16 The Musicality of Texas-Speak, Honky-tonk Sociolinguistics, and the Songwriting Culture of Texas ...................................................................27 Thus a Movement Began ........................................................................................35 Part II: The Practitioners and their Songs ..........................................................................36 Where Do They Come from Geographically? .......................................................38 Where Do They Come from Musically? ............................................................... 39 What Are They Writing and Singing About? ....................................................... 40 The Texas Trinity: Townes , Guy, and Billy Joe ...................................................44 The Dark Poet: Townes Van Zandt .......................................................................46 The Master Craftsman: Guy Clark .........................................................................57 The Poet Who Lived It: Billy Joe Shaver ..............................................................67 The Houston Kid: Rodney Crowell .......................................................................77 The Highway Minstrel: Joe Ely .............................................................................82 The Last of the Hardcore Troubadours: Steve Earle .............................................90 A Little Bitta Latin and a Whole Lotta Rock ‘n’ Roll: Alejandro Escovedo ......107 ii Keepin’ It Real Country: Dale Watson ................................................................109 Down Deep in the Soul: Ruthie Foster ................................................................113 The Well-Rounded Wonder: Carolyn Wonderland .............................................116 Serious, Soulful, and Sardonic: James McMurtry ...............................................121 Road Scholar: Ryan Bingham ..............................................................................133 There’s Wit in Them There Words: Hayes Carll .................................................139 Unknown but Up and Coming: Chris McWilliams .............................................146 Conclusion: The Legacy Lives On ..................................................................................150 Works Cited .....................................................................................................................157 Works Consulted ..............................................................................................................165 Vita ...................................................................................................................................170 .................................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures 1. Map of Texas Musical Influences ..........................................................................13 2. Album Cover of Honky Tonk Heroes ....................................................................22 3. Album Cover of Viva Terlingua! .......................................................................... 23 4. Album Cover of Red Headed Stranger ..................................................................24 5. Map of Musicians’ Birthplaces ..............................................................................38 6. Musical Influences Chart .......................................................................................39 7. Subject Matters Chart ............................................................................................41 8. Photo: Townes Van Zandt .....................................................................................47 9. Photo: Guy and Susanna Clark ..............................................................................57 10. Album cover of My Favorite Picture of You .........................................................59 11. Photo: Billy Joe Shaver ..........................................................................................68 12. Photo: Shaver with Jennings ..................................................................................69 13. Photo: Rodney Crowell ..........................................................................................77 14. Photo: The Flatlanders ...........................................................................................83 15. Photo: Joe Ely ........................................................................................................86 16. Photo: Steve Earle in the Nashville Days ..............................................................91 17. Photo: Steve Earle Today.......................................................................................96 18. Photo: Alejandro Escovedo..................................................................................104 19. Photo: Dale Watson .............................................................................................109 20. Photo: Ruthie Foster ............................................................................................113 21. Photo: Carolyn Wonderland ................................................................................116 22. Photo: James McMurtry .......................................................................................121 23. Photo: Ryan Bingham ..........................................................................................133 24. Photo: Hayes Carll ...............................................................................................139 25. Photo: Chris McWilliams ....................................................................................147 26. Photo: Bridges, Lewis, and Paleschic ..................................................................155 iv Abstract The People’s Poets of Texas: Literature Born Within the Singer/Songwriter Tradition of the Last Forty Years is a creative nonfiction exploration of the poetry found within the songs of multiple generations of modern Texas singer/songwriters and a case for the consideration of their work as a genuine regional literature. Studying the roots of Texas music, the musicality of Texan manners of speech and storytelling, and re-examining the Austin, Texas music scene of the 1970s that brought a national focus to the organic, reciprocal manner in which Texas music is traditionally experienced, radically altered the ways in which the songs were written, recorded, and marketed. An examination of this phenomenon allows us to understand that, first, a proliferation of Texas singer/songwriters of unprecedented quality has emerged in recent decades and that, second, a legitimate people's literature is emerging from their song-craft. Keywords: ethnomusicology, Texas music, singer-songwriters, song lyrics, song lyrics as literature, lyrics as poetry v Foreword I’m not sure why all the great ones [songwriters] come from Texas, but they do. – Keith Urban, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter