Josh Abbott Band Song Review – ‘I’ll Sing About Mine’

The Josh Abbott Band's new CD, 'Small Town Family Dream' follows a definite theme, and the new single release, 'I'll Sing About Mine' goes with the theme perfectly. This fact is obvious in the opening lyrics:

In my hometown, population just a few thousand
All of them here at the drive in
After Friday night's football game

But just when you think 'I'll Sing About Mine' is going down an all too familiar road of growing up in small town USA, there's a twist. The story quickly changes to a complaint about Nashville songwriters, and the songs that they write which have little or no personal meaning. The chorus even takes a shot at the Kenny Chesney song, 'She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy':

Because tractors ain't sexy and workin' is hard for small town people like me
And the radio's full of rich folks singing 'bout the place they've never seen
Now I ain't saying their life ain't hard, I'd love to hear about it sometime
But let them sing about their own life and I'll sing about mine

This is a great song. It puts a clever spin on the sentiment so many Texas artists and music fans have about the 'sparkly' side of country music in Nashville. 'I'll Sing About Mine' vents a frustration that is identifiable with passionate fans of Texas country music. For fellow Lone Star State singers and songwriters, it's practically their theme song.

I'm not complaining, running my mouth like an old man
Talking 'bout a world that's changing and how it's given up on me
I'm just singing down at Nick's on the weekend
The small town anthems they're singing don't sound like what you see...

...and if you want a song about a place like my hometown
Take a weekend and come on down it won't take long to see

When I first heard Josh was recording this song for 'Small Town Family Dream', I wondered if he would release it as a single. After all, the songwriter, Brian Keane (co-written by Adam Hood)  already reached the top 5 on both the Texas Music Chart and Texas Regional Radio Report a couple years back. I loved the song then, and it's still a great song. Expect 'I'll Sing About Mine' and the Josh Abbott Band to pay another visit to single digit success on the regional charts.Take a listen here. What do you think of the song?