A Few Words from the Late Robert Earl Reed

Photo from oxfordmusicsnob.com

As most of you have probably heard by now, a great friend to me personally, FTM as a whole, and underground country music passed away on October 5th. Robert Earl Reed had big plans for his music over the next few months and one of the most exciting for him was being booked on the Moonrunners Fest 2014 bill. He was so excited by this opportunity he actually had written lyrics for a song just to open up his set at the festival. His plan was to find volunteers at the event from other bands to play with him and for each person on stage to sing one verse of his special song. He wanted it to have a very strong classic twang sound and he told me he believed it would blow the roof off the place. To the best of my knowledge he was going to do the song this one time and then retire it. Just a little something special for all of his friends in the crowd. Unfortunately that special moment will never come but we at FTM would like to offer to you the original lyrics to "Fuck The Bling" by Reverend Robert Earl Reed.    

                                                                                                                -Jeremy Harris

Fuck the Bling
©Robert Earl Reed

Well it makes me sick
To turn on the radio
When  tuning in  a real country station
Is impossible to find

Paycheck Cash and Jones
Have been preempted
By wanna be country boys
and Autotuned popsong rhymes

They all sing like one another
They all caught up trying to be real stars
They all drive muddy trucks and cruise back roads filled with lust
the focus group products of the sell out country times

They ain't filling no shoes
They ain't singing the high lonesome blues
They couldn't hold a candle to
Waylon Willie or Merle

And though the legends are almost gone
A wild breed of country will carry it  on
When the true Independents  hit the stage

It ain't about money or girls
It's about real things that happen in a real fucked up world
It about telling it like it is
not how THEY say it should be

It's about three chords and the truth
It's about raising the rafters on the old tin roof
And Playing Songs from our hearts
For folks to dance and sing

Yeah Playing Country Music from the Heart

Fuck the Bling !