A writing masterclass from Weller. The post The news article that inspired The Jam song ‘Eton Rifles’ first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Will sanity win at the end of the day? During this Friday segment of The American Journal‚ your host Harrison Smith explained how the modern political dynamic has shifted from left versus right or Republican and Democrat to a battle between normal people and those who are certifiably insane.

Very few songs are as iconic‚ and easily recognizable as our featured song. But even more compelling is how it was written. The story itself encapsulates Nashville’s well established ecosystem for songwriters‚ and creatives alike. As the story goes‚ a then unknown singer from East Tennessee walks into the BlueBird Cafe‚ and strikes up a conversation with veteran songwriter Linda Hargrove. By 1980‚ Linda had penned tunes that topped the charts by way of Johnny Rodriguez‚ and Olivia Newton John. The latter a pop star‚ and actress who made several successful country music  chart entries in the 1970’s‚ even winning multiple CMA awards in 1974. Which led to an outcry from the traditionalists in the industry. George Jones‚ and Tammy went as far as to form The Association For Country Entertainers ‚‚‚(ACE) in response to Olivia’s win.  Back to the song. Dean‚ and Linda hit it off at The Bluebird‚ and after a night of drinking went back to her place to expand on an idea Dillon had been kicking around for awhile. Past 4:00 AM‚ Dean‚ and Linda wrote one of the most enduring‚ and memorable songs in country music. Dean recalls that he pitched the song first to George Strait‚ who turned it down‚ but would eventually record some of his biggest hits by way of Dillon’s pen. The song was eventually recorded by outlaw country singer David Alan Coe‚ but barely charted at 77. Here’s his version of the song.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IvGrZZQfrEDean then pitched it to George Jones‚ who was experiencing a renaissance of sorts in his career. George included it on his Shine On album which incidentally‚ included his last chart topper “I Always Get Lucky With You”. Many critics feel that the Billy Sherrill produced album was one of George’s finest.. The Possum’s version of Tennessee Whiskey Version reached all the way to number two. It is my favorite version of the song.  https://youtu.be/dxAXJoiBDgQ?si=4xH9b4puwwrwJ_8bIt subsequently became one of George's signature songs.. The song's lyrics revolve around a comparison between the smoothness and allure of Tennessee whiskey and a loving relationship. It metaphorically expresses how both whiskey and love develop their rich flavors with time‚ becoming sweeter and more fulfilling as they age.  In a quirky turn of events‚ Singer/Songwriter Chris Stapleton liked performing his version of the song live‚ but never officially released it. However‚ after performing it with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 Country Music Awards‚ the song topped the charts. It has since reached diamond status with an excess of 14 million in sales!  This goes to show as I’ve always said that great songs never die‚ and there is a treasure trove of hits just waiting to be discovered.. https://youtu.be/IBLruNfUqUs?si=exoQQpioKPMH7Ezr

If Nikki Haley really is a serious challenger to former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary race‚ then she needs to put up in New Hampshire -- or one of her billionaire backers will‚ at least partially‚ shut her up. The Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone‚ who started backing...

For a man who wanted to keep his medical issues private‚ Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has managed a botch job that is on par in terms of incompetence -- if not perhaps in impact -- with the Pentagon's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Austin‚ as you no doubt have...

Americans concerned about the state of President Joe Biden's mental faculties weren't exactly reassured by remarks he made Thursday in North Carolina. Biden was speaking at the Abbott's Creek Community Center in Raleigh on the topic of "High-Speed Internet Investments‚" according to the official White House transcript of his speech....

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia blasted Chinese scientists for creating a mutant strain of COVID-19 that killed 100 percent of "humanized" mice in a disturbing new study. "This is a bio-weapon. This is unethical and dangerous to the entire world‚" Greene warned in a Tuesday post on X...

Former President Donald Trump hasn't won the 2024 Republican presidential nomination yet‚ but with his decisive victory in the Iowa caucuses this week and another expected victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday‚ speculation has already moved on from whom the nominee will be to whom the nominee will choose as...

"You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time‚ but you can fool all of the people afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome all of the time." -- Abraham Lincoln OK‚ you got me: Lincoln didn't really say that. But he could...

The Baltimore Sun‚ a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper‚ once boasted a newsroom of over 420 journalists and bureaus in London‚ Beijing and Moscow‚ chasing stories across the city‚ state and globe. But even 15 years ago‚ just 140 employees remained in a single office as the paper continued its rapid decline‚...