Country is traditionally known as trains, momma, prison and getting drunk. Others are a clever innuendo (If I said you had a beautiful body…). Modern country is red dirt roads, pickups and your woman. But, some have deeper meanings.

For me the Highwaymen Highwayman is the most profound. It has always sat well with me, but we also played that song during my father's passing in hospice. The only album I ever knew him to buy.

What do you all have?

One more: Elephant by that skinny fat guy

Sturgill Simpson has been known to spin a song or two that go a bit deeper than trains and momma.

Two well written songs, off the top of my head:

Max Stalling - The Pila Song
Guy Clark - The Instant Coffee Blues.

As I type this, another Guy Clark - The Guitar

deepest personal connection for me is Vince Gill Go Rest High On That Mountain. Heard it for the first time the day my Granddad died. he was not wealthy and never finished high school but he raised his siblings after his dad was killed by getting hit by a truck. he raised his own family and he raised hi in laws kids when they died drunk driving. I sat there in my car bawling as I listened to it the first time.


One of the deepest country songs ever is Brooks and Dunn Believe

"The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash. You don't hear too many (any?) songs about the Book of Revelations

"I'm no Stranger to the Rain" - Keith Whitley. As if he had decided he was going to drink himself to death, and wrote about it beforehand

Several Bruce Robison and Chris Knight songs spring to mind.

Jason Isbell has numerous deep songs.

Vampires is one that comes to mind. Elephant is another.

Many Tim McGraw songs would qualify as well, in my opinion

Dad, brother's and I spent many a night singing this song. We sang like the boys from Silver City…



Another favorite

Too many to list but this has been a frequent one for me lately:

Here's another good one.

Too many Merle Haggard songs to list here. If I had to pick one, it would be "If We Make it Through December."

Sawyer Brown "The Walk"

I first heard this song when I was 23 years old, seeing my father take that last walk with his dad. Over the years, I took that walk with my dad, and now he's been gone for a little over a year.

That song changes it's meaning to you over your lifetime.

Rex Racer said:

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Sawyer Brown "The Walk"

I first heard this song when I was 23 years old, seeing my father take that last walk with his dad. Over the years, I took that walk with my dad, and now he's been gone for a little over a year.

That song changes it's meaning to you over your lifetime.

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Beautiful song. I thought it was written by Mac McAnally of Coral Reefer Band fame but it turns out Mark Miller, Sawyer Brown's lead singer, wrote it.

Great conversation starter, OP.

Seems like most deep Country songs are going to be about death or aging, the type of songs played at funerals or when you're listening to Country music alone. Personlly, I'm more "Friends in Low Places" than "The River". (A dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows). A lot of them are about or from someone who is dead (He Stopped Loving Her Today, Long Black Veil, Green Green Grass of Home). This subject made me think more than I wanted to this morning, but I'll make a contribution before I go back to my Allman Brothers mix.

Edit: I'm going to spoil this song for anyone who doesn't want to spend 2 minutes and 20 seconds on it. Here's the ending:

Yes, they'll all come to see me
In the shade of that old oak tree
As they lay me
'Neath the green, green grass of home

One that popped into my mind this morning thinking about my dad...Another song that changes as you age

When I first heard "Don't Let The Old Man In" from the Eastwood film The Mule - I didn't even recognize Toby Keith's voice. It wasn't until later I discovered it was him. Such a major pivot from Keith's typical upbeat, fun, sound...but incredibly authentic. It had a bit of a Johnny Cash vibe from his final years.

When Keith started battling cancer, I feel like the song took on an even greater depth.

From a personal nostalgia perspective, none have run deeper than this one. It always hits me right between the eyes.

…for daddy Gene…

normalhorn said:

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"The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash. You don't hear too many (any?) songs about the Book of Revelations

"I'm no Stranger to the Rain" - Keith Whitley. As if he had decided he was going to drink himself to death, and wrote about it beforehand

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Man his voice and his lyrics gets me on so many songs, but it really hits hard when you know his tragic story. Once you find out how heavy his addiction was, you think about his references to "alcohol" or "drinkin too much" in a different light. Much different than most country singers who seem to say similar things to come off as "cool" or "macho".

This dudes wife was chaining him to the bed...he was drinking aeresol. 30 beers was nothing to him. Pretty freakin sad to see a man that talented go that way. And if you have ever been close to any real addicts, even moreso.