Heaven in three-quarter time

I love old country music.

Conversation sometimes gets heated when I call it "real country music." Let's just say it feels more honest to me than the slickly-produced stuff they play now. I'll leave it at that.

I get this channel on the satellite called RFD. They cater to a country and farming audience, but also show vintage country music TV shows such as "Hee Haw" and "The Porter Wagoner Show."

The other night I caught an episode of "Pop Goes the Country," a 30-minute show from the '70s and '80s that spotlighted country artists of the day. And there, of all people, was Ray "Yes, they call me the streak" Stevens, for once singing a straight song rather than the comic ditties that made him famous.

It was a Paul Craft tune called "Honky Tonk Waltz." I liked it because Ray was actually singing (he had a pretty good voice back in the day) and because I was tickled by the lyrics.

Just a honky tonk waltz, C-27. Ahh, but it felt like heaven in three-quarter time.

Ray's dancing with his girl to a waltz on the jukebox when she catches the eye of some stranger at the bar. And, well, Ray's heavenly waltz becomes a nightmare set to 3/4 time.

I've always enjoyed a good country waltz. Bob Wills had some classics. As did Don Williams and an underrated little tune called "She's In Love with a Rodeo Man."

You can hear "Honky Tonk Waltz" on YouTube, although it's just a compilation of Ray Stevens photos rather than a live cut. Not the greatest song in the world by any means, but pretty cool just because Ray isn't playing the fool.

And cause I'm a sucker for heaven in 3/4 time, too.