"Southern Accents" "More Than Vocal Inflections"

* "There's a Southern accent, where I come from, the young'uns call it country...the yankees call it dumb. I got my own way of talkin, but everything is done, with a Southern accent, where I came from.........I've got my own way of workin, but everything is run, with a Southern accent where I came from.............I got my own way of prayin, but everyone's begun, with a Southern accent where I come from............" * "Southern Accents, Tom Petty.... from the "Pack up the Plantation" album 1985.... Now, anyone who really knows me, or even those who just read my attempts at writin on a regular basis, are aware there are a few things that basically make up my life and the way I approach whatever task I'm facing. I refer to , my faith, my love of my family, my ancestors, and music whether it be my own, my friends, or others. It has always been this way, I pray it always will be. Now last week, Pammee special ordered the above mentioned cd for me. I have spoken of it to her for years, especially about a couple songs on it."Southern Accents" and "Rebels".... Well, having nearly worn out those two tracks already, and being blessed that Pam and Mayme both now know the songs equally as well or perhaps better than I do, as I catch them singin those songs even when the cd isn't playin, it becomes aware to me that as I have mentioned before,music has a way of conveying a message like nothin else can. As you can can tell by the title of this piece "Southern Accents" the song long ago made an impression on me.....if ya'll will permit me to, I'd like to kinda disect it a line here and there hopefully validating the points I wish to make..... "....The young'uns call it country, the yankees call it dumb.." Well, did ya ever stop to think how true that is? The varied and distinct inflections that make up the multiple accents attributed to the geographic region known as the South, are not really know by the youth of today as Southern..they are known as country.........why?, because it is easier to market it to the world as country than as Southern........it's a shame that it's this way, but it certainly is the truth. Ok, how about the reference to the "yankees call it dumb"? Well, there is no doubt about that line!!!!Ever since reconstruction was attempted (note I said attempted for I don't believe in my heart it actually was sucessful, if that were the case ya'll wouldn't be readin this...) anyway back to my point, ya know how popular it has become to poke fun at the way we speak, and or spell for that matter. Funny thing is, for as long as this country has existed the greatest writers and orators, have for the most part come from the South. That can't be denied even by yankees......."the proof is in the print puddin". And , for that matter, "those people" callin our accents dumb is kinda like the "pot callin the kettle black" aint it ? I mean where is it written , that the nasal whine and the speaking at warp speed of "Youseguys" of NEW YAWK, or BASTON for just two examples is more acceptable, or represents a higher degree of intelect than the slow easy goin drawl of any particular section of the South? If I were a traveller, lost in the New England area, I'd be afraid to ask for directions, for fear of becoming more confused than I already was. If you are lost, the last thing one needs is directions spoken faster that an F-15 can fly. Now, this has been stated at risk of getting a tail kickin by some very good friends in the far north, however if they can laugh at me, turn abouts fair play lol lol. Let us move along to a couple other lines from the song............ "I got my own way of workin,but everything is run, with a Southern accent where I come from".... Now after all the years and jobs I've held in the South (I've taught Literature, Art, and History in a juvenile correction center, worked as a caterer, painted homes, and cars, worked as a security guard, picked oranges and tomatos, worked in pulp mills, and at least a half a dozen various oil related jobs.Most of this in the 70's and I know for fact Southerners then had their own way of workin..........constant, dedicated to gettin the job done, (no matter how miserable the job), and a harder workin group of people couldn't be found........and at least during my employement in the South those runnin the Show (the Boss man) spoke with a Southern accent........Now I fear that may no longer be the case, because so many yankees have fled South, and with them comes a difference in lifestyles, thinking, and probably workin..."oh for the good ole days". Next......."I got my own way of prayin , but everyone's begun, with a Southern accent where I come from".......Southern prayin...can it be different than northern, eastern, or western prayin? Hmmmmm, best think that one through before commenting... 2 second pause....Ok, through thinkin about it !Yea, it can be different!! Here's why I believe that.......Bible Belt............. ya'll know the term. You also know it's the truth. Difference in prayin? Perhaps different is the wrong word to use. How about, more common, more frequently done, more likely to occur? Why? Because that's just being Southern. Folks are raised that way, taught that way, live that way. I will personally argue with anyone till razorbacks fly, and hell freezes over that prayer, faith, and a belief in God the Creator is stronger in the South than in any other geographic location of this country. I have seen it, lived it, felt it, experienced it, or whatever adjective or adverb ya choose to describe it. Most Southerners are true believers and whether it be in some large church in the city, to some venerable one room wood framed chapel in the countryside, or an arena at some sporting event, or a racetrack to Southerners, prayer matters. Now, if ya take all the lines of the song that I have used for examples, and if you would be so kind to think of the opinions or interepretations that I have made in regards to the lines in the song; I believe ya'll just might hit on a reason that we (Southerners and yes, I consider me and mine Southern) are so bashed upon by the liberals and the pee cee feces crowd. It is not that we hold some perpetuation of slavery myth, that is just the tried and true line of attack they use. The real reason for South bashing is we refuse to conform period!!!! We refuse to believe in a history of lies, we refuse to turn our backs on our ancestors memory, we refuse modern liberalsim that promotes and encourages behavior that is just not natural or acceptable to the way we were raised, and most importantly we hold true to the belief that the founding fathers and the writers of the Constitution (the original one, the one we dont use anymore) had it right to begin with. We also hold to the scary belief that "seperation of church and state" means..........."keep the states nose out of the church, not the church out of the state." Then of course the belief that God comes before anything, including, raises, promotions, wealth, and or sucess wins us very few friends in the world, cause for the most part they have set aside that belief in order to get to what they want most.......which is...... ALL THEY CAN GRAB FOR THEMSELVES IN THIS WORLD, with no thought of what comes after this world. Well please excuse me.despite the fact that most 25 year olds can buy and sell me 3xs over in regards to material things, I'll keep my family, my friends, my feelings, my faith, my beliefs, and my way of talkin and writin, I'll get my rewards in the next life.That one, as far as I'm concerned is the one that matters.cause like an Allman Brothers song it goes on forever. The God I believe in, isn't gonna judge me on the fact I may or may not had kin who owned slaves 150 years ago. Nor will he judge me by what I drive, or where I live. He certainly isn't gonna judge me by my accent. I'm thinkin he's gonna look at how I have lived my life in regards to others. How, when I've stumbled and fallen, whether or not I asked for his forgiveness, before gettin back up. I have stumbled many times, I have at least tried to get back on the right path, and I've tried to remember those who have helped pick me up and dust me off. More times than not, those pickin me up did so with Southern accents. With any luck at all when I see St Peter at them "Pearly Gates", he'll say " Hey T, why don'tcha ya'll come on in?" To which I will be most eagerly repy " I most graciously accept the invitation", of course that would be spoken with a Southern accent.