Ryan Adams Dedicates ‘Gold’s Bar’ Song to SCM
A mild tempest brewed last week when Saving Country Music unearthed some quotes from non-country artist Ryan Adams from a Buzzfeed feature originally published in September. Adams said that he didn’t want to be known as country, hated the music, and had only made country music with his 90’s band Whiskeytown and the early part of his solo career as an “irony.”
“There’s this wrong idea about me being identified with things that are Southern or country,” Ryan said. “I do not fucking like country music and I don’t own any of it. I watched ‘Hee-Haw’ as a kid with my grandmother, I only like country music as an irony. I liked it when I would get drunk ”¦ But me playing country music ”¦ it was a false face. It was style appropriation.”
Being a fan of Ryan Adams and his music, I expressed feelings of being a little hurt by these statements. Not angry, but hurt and conflicted as a country music fan, and one who looks favorably upon Ryan’s music, influence, and contributions.
Well apparently Ryan Adams caught wind of said concerns, and has been expressing his reaction to them at recent concerts according to numerous reports. On Monday, October 20th, Ryan played a show at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, and spent time on stage talking about how he’d been confronted by a few people on Twitter about his recent country music statements.
And then, as is not uncommon during his set, he made up an impromptu song called “Gold’s Bar” that included the line, “Put that on your fucking country music website.”
So being the convivial, accommodating outlet that Saving Country Music is, I decided to take Ryan Adams up on his offer, and present to you his improvised song, “Gold’s Bar.” Enjoy.
“Gold’s Bar” by Ryan Adams ©
I’ve been hanging out at Gold’s Bar, right next to Gold’s Gym But I never gain any muscle tone, just fishing stories, and men At Gold’s Bar, Kansas City At Gold’s Bar, Kansas City I’ve been lifting weights, for a hundred years Some people call those weights my alcoholic beers Open up doughnuts, and bong rips In the back of the bus, listening to fuckin’ KISS At Gold’s Bar, Kansas City At Gold’s Bar, Kansas City This one time, I was alone in the middle of the desert And a cactus, it looked at me, and it threw up a swarm of bees Put that on your fucking country music website At Gold’s Bar, Kansas City At Gold’s Bar, Kansas City…Review:
A dark, disturbing, psychedelic tale marking a confluence of the present and the past, the fit and the flabby, “Gold’s Bar” finds Ryan Adams featuring both his sharp wit, and his keen sense for matching mood with music. The dark chords leave this listener with a foreboding feeling, while the humor in the lyrics creates a contrasting and vibrant experience where all the sectors of the human emotional palette are tickled. Though the offering is a bit under-developed, this would only be expected from an impromptu song, and Ryan’s propensity to work without a net shows confidence, cunning, and an overall advanced skill set in the art of song craft. Not bad.
1 1/2 of 2 Guns Up.
Jack Williams
October 22, 2014 @ 7:00 pm
Sounds like he’s doing a Nick Cave impersonation.
Nick
October 22, 2014 @ 7:01 pm
haha laughed out loud at the video.
Drew
October 22, 2014 @ 7:22 pm
I’m also an old Ryan fan but have to assume this is more of the classic Ryan talking out of his bum. So covering Gram, Hank and Tom T regularly for like the first 10 years of his career. Along with some of the great songs off of Jacksonville City Nights….all of that was him being ironic?
Lunchbox
October 22, 2014 @ 7:24 pm
sorry Ryan..
Troy Turner
October 22, 2014 @ 8:21 pm
Wow…that’s pretty messed up.
Mike2
October 22, 2014 @ 8:38 pm
He’s coming to my town in a few days, and I was considering going until these comments came out. Sorry Ryan, you’ve lost a potential fan.
mark
October 23, 2014 @ 4:48 am
good riposte trig.
Bryan Adams, writes songs with Gretchen Peters (learned that from a scm banner article)
“For acclaimed singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters (who has written hits for George Strait, Faith Hill and Martina McBride), collaborating with Bryan Adams on the soundtrack of Dreamworks’ new animated movie, Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron, represents a combination of returning to familiar territory with the challenge of exploring new horizons.
“I’d been writing with Bryan for seven or eight years at that point,” said Peters”
http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/peters.htm
Okey
October 23, 2014 @ 5:20 am
Apparently Mr. Adams has some internal demons……..
Tim
October 23, 2014 @ 6:58 am
Guys is an attention whore. And that photo of him, he looks like the lost sibling of The Band Perry.
If an artist covers country music, makes some music that sounds country, well then…you are making country music. Like it or not, ironic or not. His little “it was just for the irony” statement, is classic…oh, it’s not cool to the audience I’m speaking to at this moment, well, it was just a joke, no one was smart as me so nobody got the joke/irony.
The music you make, makes you the artist you are labeled. Just like when d-bags put on cowboy hats and play pop or heavy metal music, they aren’t a country artist because of the hat. They are a pop or heavy metal artist.
Charlie
October 23, 2014 @ 7:14 am
I’d like to buy him for what he IS worth, and sell him for what he THINKS he’s worth.
Tim
October 23, 2014 @ 8:16 am
WOW! What a great comment. One of the best I’ve ever seen on here. How true is this for many artists LOL.
Six String Richie
October 23, 2014 @ 9:08 am
Here’s a tip for Trigger.
iHeartMedia has launched “Tailgate Country” in Portland, OR which is an HD channel that will play uptempo “tailgate-type” songs.
http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/134666/iheartmedia-launches-tailgate-country-in-portland-
I wonder if this could lead to them developing a new Tailgate format to compete with Nash Icon.
Applejack
October 23, 2014 @ 11:40 am
That radio PR blurb gives me an idea.
I would like to propose the term “tailgate” or “tailgate music” as an alternative genre title for bro-country, which accurately describes that music while still omitting the actual word “country.”
Tunesmiff
October 24, 2014 @ 12:03 pm
I’ll go along with that~ easier term to say, and a great definition of the (alleged), style.
Paul In KY
October 23, 2014 @ 9:48 am
If Strangers Almanac and Pneumonia were ironic, it was lost on me. Ryan Adams disappoints me. Whiskeytown never did.
Jack Williams
October 23, 2014 @ 10:07 am
It was probably lost on Caitlin Cary, too.
Paul In KY
October 23, 2014 @ 10:11 am
That’s exactly what I was thinking.
Jimmy Nomad
October 24, 2014 @ 11:20 am
Zing!
CapnWain
October 23, 2014 @ 10:29 am
Not really a true fan of RA, but have liked some of his stuff over time.
Could it be that the term ‘country music’ has become so co-opted by corporate, soulless, money grubbing hacks, that he isn’t even going to try to defend it, or his past connection with? Instead, crap on it, and move on with his style, hoping no one identifies him as ‘country’, and being mistaken for crap artists played on bro-country stations?
Dale Watson re-named ‘country’ to not be identified with fake country. Maybe this is RA’s way of distancing himself from what ‘country’ has become, though it is throwing the baby out with the bathwater…
Trigger
October 23, 2014 @ 10:52 am
No, this is Ryan Adams saying he hates everything country, and he’s even clarified this fact in previous interviews when he was pushed on that specific point. He wants everyone to know that he hates it all.
Bill #2
October 23, 2014 @ 12:11 pm
Fuck’em
stein
October 23, 2014 @ 12:19 pm
This narcissist scum bag hipster is losing fans by the minute, and gaining suspender mustache pbr drinking fans that rolled up on bicycles to his shows. Get off your high horse man.
Jack Williams
October 23, 2014 @ 1:25 pm
In the 24 oz cans, of course. Always good to super size the irony.
Eric
October 23, 2014 @ 12:45 pm
Thanks for posting the Bryan Adams song. It is one of my favorites from the 80’s.
Ben Jones
October 23, 2014 @ 3:52 pm
Unmentioned in this has been Trigger’s brilliant piece of satire, his critique of
“Gold’s Bar”, a send-up of all the music critic’s cliches and tropes… Funny stuff, Trig….
Wolf
October 24, 2014 @ 2:19 am
Ryan Adams is one of the biggest douche bags in the history of Alt-country music. Jeff Tweedy is right up there with him. Here’s to those two getting married
Applejack
October 24, 2014 @ 12:07 pm
Wait… what did Jeff Tweedy do?
anonymous
October 25, 2014 @ 12:57 pm
While I agree that Ryan Adams is a douche, what exactly makes you think that this was directed at you? Considering the fact there are multiple Country music websites that have been running his name through the ground, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was about you. Perhaps you should work on being a little less egotistical. Just a thought.
Trigger
October 25, 2014 @ 1:52 pm
Well first off, I’m not sure if it matters if he meant my website specifically or not. Ryan said, “Put that on your fucking country music website,” and since I have a country music website, I did.
Yes, multiple websites have run stories about Ryan Adams’ recent comments, like maybe three or so, but I was the first one to highlight his comments and take public issue with them.
But I disagree that Saving Country Music or any website is “running his name through the ground.” As I’ve stated numerous times, I have respect for Ryan’s music, and that is why his comments come across as so hurtful and confusing. I am not mad at Ryan Adams. I understand he has an inflammatory streak and I have taken that into account with everything. But that doesn’t mean what he said wasn’t wrong or worth taking issue with.
Also, as I said in this article, I have received multiple reports from concert goers about Ryan Adams talking about this on stage and alluding that it specifically has to do with Saving Country Music, not just what is referenced in the video above. In fact since I posted this article, I’ve heard from multiple people that said that at his concert in Austin he made reference to it again.
Just because someone deduces from evidence that something is about them doesn’t mean they’re egotistical, it just means they’re deductive. I call this the Carly Simon effect.
Me personally, I never allude to any individual. I name names so there is no question who is being talked about. In my opinion, the alternative is cowardly.
jonestown
October 26, 2014 @ 8:51 am
“Yes, multiple websites have run stories about Ryan Adams”™ recent comments, like maybe three or so, but I was the first one to highlight his comments and take public issue with them.”
No, you arent. The buzzfeed article is two months old. You did not uncover or unearth some lost quote, it is from two months ago and it was picked up by many sites when the buzzfeed article came out. Hell, it was all over the place with the album promotion in full swing. Just because you are late to the party and no one is talking about it now doesnt mean you are the first to talk about it.
Trigger
October 26, 2014 @ 9:31 am
Don’t put words into my mouth. You show me anywhere where I said I was “the first to talk about it” or characterizing me as unearthing “some lost quote” and I’ll eat my hat. This isn’t my first time to the rodeo. When taking exception with someone’s quotes that are not timely, I ALWAYS spell out in specific detail how I came about those quotes:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/ryan-adams-i-do-not-like-fuing-country-music
“The quotes come from a lengthy feature on Buzzfeed that was published in early September ahead of the release of Ryan Adams”™ self-titled 14th studio release, but was brought to the attention of Saving Country Music by Country California in their weekly quotation roundup.”
– – – –
“it was picked up by many sites when the buzzfeed article came out. Hell, it was all over the place with the album promotion in full swing.”
I would LOVE for you to provide links corroborating that his country music quotes specifically were “all over the place” on “many sites.”
The only other site that ran a story specifically on his country music quotes was The Boot, and as you can see, the date is AFTER I had run my story.
http://theboot.com/ryan-adams-country-music/
Ben Dewberry
October 26, 2014 @ 3:11 am
If I hear the name Ryan Adams the first thing that springs to mind, aside from a couple of half decent tunes, is that he could do with a good wash.
So he’s suddenly decided he hates Country Music? It won’t make my beer taste worse and I won’t be losing any sleep over it. 🙂
Rambler
October 29, 2014 @ 12:25 am
All hail trigger!!
Phillip
October 29, 2014 @ 5:13 am
Wait…”hurtful and confusing?” If you’re so sensitive that you find yourself “confused” and “hurt” by things that artists (ones with a demonstrated penchant for the dramatic, btw) say, then I have no idea how you manage to function in the real world. I take the records I enjoy at face value. I realize that most of the people that make such records have some real personal issues (it comes with the territory) and so I could really care less about whatever flippant comment they made about this week.
Phillip
October 29, 2014 @ 5:16 am
Made about {insert topic here}.
I used different symbols in the original post and so the phrase didn’t come through.
rich
November 5, 2014 @ 12:08 pm
That’s a bummer…. good article though. I should be pissed that I fell for the irony of songs like “16 Days” and “Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight”. I played those ironic bastards over and over. I kinda thought that he was ripping off Uncle Tupelo when they came out … maybe his statements reflect that in some way. He does sound a lot like Tweedy on the first album. Still after listening to most of his early stuff and seeing the band live a few times, I was convinced they would be a legitimate force in country music ( kinda like what Zac Brown is today….. ).
So the stuff with The Cardinals was another trip to the same place? How about Heartbreaker… does Emmy Lou Harris know she lent her talent to back up his vocals just to make some point about how he can’t stand country? He should have told her that when she helped him out. The bottom line is that he does have a place in country whether he wants it or not. He built a country fan base with Whiskeytown and it’s still selling tickets for him today. Whatever…. I can’t say too many bad things about the guy because he did turn me on to Caitlin.
onetime
February 3, 2015 @ 11:01 am
I am late to the party…I find Ryan’s comments much the same as so many on this site, including Trigger’s. I actually agree with his comments. I hate country music…the kind that comes off of Music Row. The bubblegum country that the masses are lapping up makes me sick. The “bro country” boy-band country of today reminds me of what glam-rock did to rock-n-roll music. It’s disgusting. It isn’t any secret the Ryan’s time with Whiskeytown was tumultuous at best. He has always been a punk rocker at his core. We were just lucky enough to hear that arranged into good country music.
Ryan is a great musician, singer, songwriter, and stage presence. Correct me if I am wrong, but Ryan refused to play any Whiskeytown songs after he departed the band until his latest tour. As a long time fan, I think the problem that Ryan has with country music is more of a problem that he has within himself. Regardless, country music is defined by the masses by the music that comes off of Music Row, and it is hated by so many that follow this site. Honestly, I care less about Ryan’s personal choice in the music that he enjoys. The fact remains that Whiskeytown cut some really good records that I still listen to today. I don’t care what he thinks about them as much as I care about what I think about them.