That's a very profound statement.  It has an impact on me like a slap in the face or being hit with a ton of bricks. It say a lot when you think about it.

Who was it that said those words, giving us his definition of Country Music?

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Harlan Howard's definition of a great country song: "Three chords and the truth."
Maybe you have never heard of Harlan Howard, but I'm sure you have heard most of his songs. He wrote more than 4,000, this list is just a sample of his work.

ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF LOVE
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing/Jat Music, Inc.

BLAME IT ON YOUR LYIN’ CHEATIN’ HEART
Writer: Kostas, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Universal Songs of Polygram/Seven Angels Music/Harlan Howard Songs, Inc.

BLIZZARD
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Red River Songs, Inc./Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

BUSTED
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

CHOKIN’ KIND
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO (I’LL LOVE YOU FOREVER IF I WANT)

Writer: Max Barnes, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

EXCUSE ME (I THINK I’VE GOT A HEARTACHE)

Writer: Alvis Owens, Jr., Harlan Howard
Publisher: Fort Knox Music, Inc./Trio Music Co., Inc.

FOOLIN’ ROUND
Writer: Buck Owens, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Central Songs

HE CALLED ME BABY
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Central Songs

SHE’S GONE GONE GONE
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

HEARTBREAK USA
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

HURTINS ALL OVER
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

I DON’T REMEMBER LOVING YOU
Writer: Robert Braddock, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

I FALL TO PIECES
Writer: Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Fort Knox Music, Inc./Trio Music Co., Inc.

LIFE TURNED HER THAT WAY
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

SOMEBODY SHOULD LEAVE
Writer: Chick Rains, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

SOMEWHERE TONIGHT
Writer: Rodney Cromwell, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

STREETS OF BALTIMORE
Writer: Tompall Glaser, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Ensign Music Corp.

THESE LIPS DON’T KNOW HOW TO SAY
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Writer: Buck Owens, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

TOO MANY RIVERS
Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Combine Music Corp.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE
Writer: Buck Owens, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Central Songs

WHY NOT ME
Writer: Brent Maher, Sonny Throckmorton, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

YOU COMB HER HAIR
Writer: Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

YOU TOOK HIM OFF MY HANDS
Writer: Skeets McDonald, Wynn Stewart, Harlan Howard
Publisher: Central Songs

Writer: Harlan Howard
Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree Publishing

Harlan Howard only went through the 9th grade in school, but he was an avid reader. When he was 12 years old, Harlan began writing songs.

He had an enthusiasm for books and an ear for a telling phrase.

fter serving as a paratrooper with the United States Army, he went to Los Angeles, California, hoping to sell his music.

He did manual labor while writing songs. Eventually he sold some of his tunes and, his song, "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down", recorded by Charlie Walker, went to No. 2 on the country music charts in late 1958.

A year later Ray Price had a major country hit with "Heartaches By The Number"; simultaneously a pop version of the song performed by Guy Mitchell went to No. 1 on the pop chart.

Howard moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1960 bringing with him a large portfolio of compositions.

Howard's songs were so successful, in 1961, he had 15 of his songs on the country music charts at the same time., earning him ten BMI awards.

Among his biggest hits was "I Fall to Pieces", co-written with Hank Cochran and recorded by Patsy Cline. Cline also recorded his "He Called Me Baby", which was later a No. 1 C&W hit for Charlie Rich as "She Called Me Baby".

He also wrote the classic Kingston Trio song "Everglades", and the song "Busted", originally a hit for both Ray Charles and Johnny Cash and later a hit for John Conlee who's used the song to create awareness for Feed the Children.

Harlan Howard's definition of a great country song: "Three chords and the truth."

Harlan Howard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997. He died in 2002, aged 74, and was buried in Nashville City Cemetery.

 

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