From the Travelin’ Soldier to gaslighting

I have been a Dixie Chicks fan since the early noughties, when I realized that there was more to country music than the country-pop crossover hits by Shania Twain, Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes. Back then, the American band, composed of Natalie Maines, Emily Robison (now called Strayer) and Martie Maguire, was on the top of the US country music charts, and their albums were selling millions of copies. Then, in 2003, the US invaded Iraq, and the Chicks (as they’re currently called) embarked on their Top of the World Tour, came to London, and the rest is history. Fast forward 17 years later, the trio has just released ‘Gaslighter’, their first album in 14 years. Over the last few weeks, I have been obsessively listening to their new (and older) songs, whilst educating myself on the psychological concept of gaslighting.

In fact, today, I am going to combine my professional (psychiatric) background with my musicophilia, discuss the concept of gaslighting and embark on an unapologetically country music journey with the Chicks, possibly my favorite band of all times. So, back to the nineties…

Wide Open Spaces

Released in 1998, ‘Wide Open Spaces’ was the band’s first album since Natalie joined Martie and Emily. The Chicks had already released three albums, but it was this one that became their breakthrough commercial success and introduced them to a wider audience. In fact, the diamond-certified album has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide (mostly in the US). In their home country, both the album and three out of the five singles released peaked at number one on the Billboard country charts.

Fly

‘Fly’ was released a year and a half later and was as successful as its predecessor, also achieving diamond status. Eight out of the 13 tracks have been released as singles. I personally find that both album titles, ‘Wide Open Spaces’ and ‘Fly’ evoke a strong feeling of wanderlust. The same is true for some of the songs included in this album, such as the hits ‘Ready to Run’ and ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’. The video for the latter further enhances that feeling.

‘Fly’ also features ‘Goodbye Earl’, the first Dixie Chicks song that made it into the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The poignant lyrics of the song are a fine example of what the Chicks’ progressive voices against a backdrop of conservative values (to say the least). Using a comical narrative, ‘Goodbye Earl’ tells the story of a woman, who, having been physically abused by her husband, ends up poisoning him.

Those black-eyed peas, they tasted alright to me, Earl
You’re feelin’ weak? Why don’t you lay down and sleep, Earl

Home

‘Home’ was released in August 2002, about half a year before Natalie said that the band did not endorse the upcoming invasion of Iraq and were ashamed that the US President George W. Bush was from Texas. This statement was made in London, during the first concert of the ‘Top of the World’ tour. Ironically, when this happened, ‘Travelin’ Soldier’, a song telling the story of a young American soldier killed in the Vietnam War, was on the number one on the country singles chart.

So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of
He said when it’s getting kinda rough over here
I think of that day sittin’ down at the pier
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Don’t worry but I won’t be able to write for a while

The Texan-born singer’s statement triggered a backlash back in the US, where, within a few days, the Chicks were boycotted and blacklisted by most country radio stations. They even received death threats. Country music was no longer a home for them, as Natalie later reflected.

Not a night goes by
I don’t dream of wandering
Through the home that might have been

Another irony is that the album’s first single, ‘Long Time Gone’, criticizes contemporary country music for no longer having a soul.

We listen to the radio to hear what’s cookin’
But the music ain’t got no soul
Now they sound tired but they don’t sound Haggard
They’ve got money but they don’t have Cash
They got Junior but they don’t have Hank

Taking the Long Way

Produced by Rick Rubin, ‘Taking the Long Way’ was the Chicks’ answer to the controversy that followed Natalie’s statement in March 2003. Released three years later, it featured songs with largely autobiographical lyrics, such as the lead single ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ and the opening track ‘The Long Way Around’.

It’s been two long years now
Since the top of the world came crashing down
And I’m getting’ it back on the road now
But I’m taking the long way
Taking the long way around

Although the sound was influenced by Rubin (who has mostly produced rock records) and collaborating singer-songwriters Dan Wilson and Sheryl Crow, ‘Taking the Long Way’ remained a country album. Not surprisingly, it was not popular with the country radio stations; nonetheless, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was met with critical acclaim. The Chicks ended up winning five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 2007.

They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price, and I’ll keep paying
I’m not ready to make nice

The Court Yard Hounds, Mother and the DCX MMXVI/VII World Tour

Following the release of ‘Taking the Long Way’, it took a long time (14 years to be precise) until the group released new material. In the meantime, Martie and Emily had formed a duo, the Court Yard Hounds, and released two albums, the self-titled one in 2010 and ‘Amelita’ in 2013, whereas Natalie released a solo album, ‘Mother’, also in 2013.

The following year, the band headlined the C2C: Country to Country festival in London, where I was fortunate to see them performing live. In 2016, they embarked on a year-long world tour, which included a total of 82 concerts in North America, Europe and Oceania. The LA concert was recently streamed on YouTube, but is no longer available to watch. During the tour, they covered several songs by other artists, including Beyonce’s ‘Daddy Lessons’, which they later performed live at the CMA Awards.

Following their collaboration with Beyonce at the CMAs, the Chicks collaborated with country-turned-pop megastar Taylor Swift on the song ‘Soon You’ll Get Better’ from her 2019 Jack Antonoff-produced album ‘Lover’. From there, it was only a matter of time before they would return with new material.

Gaslighter

Less than a year later, ‘Gaslighter’, the band’s highly anticipated new album has just been released. Preceded by the song of the same name and produced by Jack Antonoff, ‘Gaslighter’ has been inspired by Natalie’s recent divorce. The name itself alludes to the singer’s painful experiences. In fact, she has said that she learned the word ‘gaslighting’ in therapy. Although the lyrics are largely autobiographical, ‘Gaslighter’ sounds a lot like the Chicks’ earlier records (surely not a bad thing).

Gaslighter, big timer
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father
We moved to California and we followed your dreams
I believed in the promises you made to me
Swore that night ’till death do us part
But you lie-lie-lie-lie-lied

Alongside the release of their new album, the band also changed their name. The Dixie Chicks became the Chicks. They explained that the reason for this had to do with the negative historical connotations associated with the word Dixie (the Mason-Dixie line being a demarcation line between the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia, and informally known as the border between the free (Northern) states and the slave (Southern) states), ever more pronounced in the current socio-political climate. The name change coincided with the release of the song ‘March March’, accompanied by a powerful anti-racist video.

Gaslighting

So, having listened to country music at its best, let’s now talk about gaslighting. This refers to a person (or a group of persons) psychologically manipulating another person making them question their memory, perception or even sanity. Gaslighting tactics are often employed by narcissistic or psychopathic personalities, in the context of parent-child or romantic relationships (sometimes alongside physical abuse), as well as in the workplace or the political arena.

Nowadays used in the psychiatric and psychoanalytic literature, as well as in our everyday language (usually in reference to a certain American businessman and politician), the term actually originated from Patrick Hamilton’s play ‘Gas Light’ (1938). Set in London in the late 1880s, the play tells the story of Jack Manningham and his wife Bella, a married couple that moved into a townhouse where the gaslights frequently flicker. Central to the plot is the husband’s attempt to convince his wife that she is insane and that she imagines things, including the flickering gaslights. Shortly after its original production, the play was adapted into a film directed by Thorold Dickinson (1940), followed by a second film, directed by George Cukor and starring Ingrid Bergman (1944).

Since then, several examples of gaslighting have be seen in popular culture, such as in Paula Hawkins’ novel ‘The Girl on the Train’ (2015), which was later adapted into a film directed by Tate Taylor and starring Emily Blunt (2016).

Unfortunately, gaslighting examples are also seen in politics. Tempting as it is to cite Donald Trump, let’s not go that far. Here in the UK, the recently-elected Prime Minister Jack Manningham (I meant Boris Johnson) and his cabinet can provide us with several examples of modern-day gaslighting tactics.

Further reading

You can read more about Boris’s and Trump’s gaslighting tactics here, here and here.

Further listening

There is, of course, much more to country music than the Chicks. Fortunately, there are many other progressive voices as well as exceptionally talented musicians, such as the legendary Dolly Parton and the much younger Kacey Musgraves.

Yee-ha!

Alex

(the soon-to-be-Traveling-again-Psychiatrist)