Like Raye, I’m not inherently opposed to this strain of country music, but it has become dominant and ubiquitous. “I didn’t mind the first two or three hundred versions of these gems,” said Raye, “but I think we can all agree by now that everything’s been said about a redneck and his truck, that can possibly be said.”

The beauty of country music is that it is honest and authentic. It tells us stories we can identify with. That doesn’t mean it can’t sometimes also be fun and silly — and occasionally employ an obvious double entendre, or two. Johnny Cash managed to do it all pretty darn well.

But at some point, modern country became a parody of itself, often reinforcing or overemphasizing country stereotypes.