Savage Words: I wondered, could I maybe have some redneck in me?

I recently started listening to country music, and I’m not even sure why.

I’ve always kind of liked the older country singers like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, and George Jones. But the newer country music? Eh. It’s just never done it for me.

But for whatever reason, I stopped on a country music station recently, and it was catchy. I sort of got into some of the songs.

Then one in particular caught my attention and I turned and cocked my head.

“Did he just say, rednecker?” I actually asked myself that out loud.

I scoffed at it, and was certain that wasn’t what the singer said. I listened closer, and yes indeed, ‘rednecker’ is what he said. It’s actually the name of the song released by the artist Hardy in 2018.

I rolled my eyes and thought, what was more redneck, than saying rednecker?

But the song, I liked it. I loved it. Over the past two weeks, I’ve listened to it over and over.

I started thinking: I’m just a kid from South Dakota, and people from all over my home state love country music. Could I, possibly, have some redneck in me?

Again, I scoffed.

But as I cranked up the radio and belted out the lyrics to Rednecker in my car as I buzzed down Interstate 90 from Brandon to Sioux Falls, I again started to wonder: Is there maybe some redneck in me?

I got to my house, and pulled up the lyrics, just to be certain. 

Rednecker lyrics

My town’s smaller than your town

And I got a bigger buck and bass on my wall

I got a little more kick in my drawl, y’all I got little more spit in my chaw

And my truck’s louder than your truck

And my collar’s a little more blue

You might think that yo’’re redneck

But I’m rednecker than you

I went through it line by line.

My town’s smaller than your town.

I was born and raised in Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls for sure isn’t a huge city, but it is the 121st largest city in the country. So, in 120 different places across the United States, I’d have the rednecker moniker. But then again, Sioux Falls is the biggest city in South Dakota, so that’s probably a wash.

And I got a bigger buck and bass on my wall

OK, so that refers to hunting and fishing. I’ve never hunted in my life. I grew up on the east side of Sioux Falls, pretty much in the country. To alleviate the pesky gopher situation in our back area, my dad used to take them out with his .22 rifle. He let me take aim one day when I was about 10 years old, and I shot a gopher dead. I walked up to it after the bullet struck, and the little fella was looking up at me like, “What the hell’d you do that for?” I never shot a gun again. However, I used to fish when I was younger, but I always felt bad for the fish as I tried to wrangle the hook out of its mouth. Call me a wimp, but I stopped fishing as well as a young man.

I got a little more kick in my drawl, y’all

Growing up in a northern state, the best drawl I have is an occasional “eh” after a sentence. Like, “How’s it going, eh?”

I got little more spit in my chaw

I only chewed tobacco one time. I was 14 years old and the Knoxville Nationals sprint car races were sponsored by Skoal Bandits. They were handing them out like candy all week. I put one of those pouches in my mouth and a few minutes later, I had a tummy ache and I threw up in Turn 3 before the start of the A feature.

And my truck’s louder than your truck

I’ve never had a truck. The closest I can come to it is my current SUV, but that baby rides like you’re driving a couch. 

And my collar’s a little more blue

I’ve only had one blue collar job in my life, and I was terrible at it. It was my freshman year of college and I worked as a grunt on a construction site. I know I was worthless, and I’m certain the foreman was more upset when I did show up than when I didn’t.

So I guess in the end, I’m not a redneck and Hardy is rednecker than me. But I am a proud South Dakotan, and I love the diversity of our population.

And that song. I love that damn song.