Song/Video Review – Blake Shelton’s “Doing It To Country Songs”
I would tell Blake Shelton to get off my lawn, but he’s older than me, which begs the question why a 41-year-old man is releasing a corny-ass country song that relies on a sexual innuendo for its entertainment value, and is accompanied by a cartoon video?
What is it that compels country music artists releasing sexually suggestive songs to use elements of children’s entertainment as the visual component? Trace Adkins did the same dumb thing a while back. He must have been on a drunk when he decided to employ puppets to interpret the sex scenes in his imbecilic “Brown Chicken Brown Cow” because he didn’t want the kids (which is who the immature song appeals to) to see anything inappropriate. That’s like saying, “Oh, we don’t want our tobacco products to appeal to minors, so let’s make our mascot Joe Camel.”
What sucks about “Doing It To Country Songs” is that there’s actually a lot of positives going on here, and it could have turned out to be something decent. First, it’s actually a country song, with prominent dobro and fiddle, and a smooth, half time beat that really makes you feel the mood the song aspires for. It actually fits Blake Shelton’s voice well, and add on top of that the presence of the immortal and sainted Oak Ridge Boys as backup singers, and on the surface you have all the right ingredients to mint pure country music gold. Paul Overstreet was even involved in the writing, along with Marty Dodson and Jacob Lyda.
But the innuendo here is worn out in the first 30 seconds, and the double entendres just don’t have the potency or levity to land a punch or crack a smile. “Doing It To Country Songs” is a throwaway track at best, which begs the question why Blake Shelton and his label were compelled to highlight it like this. It’s a song that works best as a lighthearted moment in the middle of an album that makes you chuckle, and then you move on. It earns Blake a few brownie points for recording something that actually sounds country, while mostly being harmless fun. Let’s not get too uptight here just because it’s easy for traditional country fans to hate on Blake Shelton for his Old Farts and Jackasses comments.
But you put an animated video out for this song, name your tour the “Doing It To Country Songs Tour,” make this an earworm for my 6-year-old niece where she’s singing the hook with her friends in kindergarten, and all of a sudden you’re giving me ample excuses to hate this thing and feign moral outrage. I’m not half as mad about this song as I am for feeling like an uptight prick ruining everyone’s good time by wanting to hate on it. This song was best left as an album cut, and in the shadows.
Didn’t Music Row learn anything from the puppet sex of “Brown Chicken Brown Cow”? The mainstream career of Trace Adkins hasn’t recovered since…
…actually shit, what am I complaining about? Knock yourself out Blake Shelton!
(Leave your comments about the double standard with Wheeler Walker Jr. below.)
July 24, 2017 @ 8:23 am
Meaningless, and a heavy ripoff of “Watermelon Crawl.” Plus, it makes me feel like a beggar for appreciating actual musicians playing actual instruments.
Shouldn’t have to feel like a beggar for that.
Blake is still, on balance, a clown show.
July 24, 2017 @ 8:43 am
Did “Watermelon Crawl” ever have a music video? Because everything I listen to the song, I imagine the narrator stumbling upon a cult community and at the end he joins them. Lots of fun possibilities with that scenario.
July 24, 2017 @ 3:19 pm
Yeah Watermelon Crawl did have a music video, but it’s never been posted on YouTube for some reason. The video was basically just Tracy Byrd walking around a country-fair type location while lip-syncing; that’s what I remember, at least.
July 24, 2017 @ 5:30 pm
I love it .keep playing it
July 24, 2017 @ 6:38 pm
Oh I don’t think you’ll have to worry about them not playing this song Patty. This is a perfect fit for ‘country’ ( wink wink ) radio ..
July 24, 2017 @ 8:33 am
A decent Sounding country song with an awful video.
July 24, 2017 @ 8:37 am
It’s not actually a single, I think Blake just wanted to have an excuse to hang out with the ORB. Also trigger cartoons aren’t just for kids anymore & haven’t been for a while — hello adult swim.
Your 6 yr old niece doesn’t even get the double entendre, it’s the adults around her who then run around feigning outrage.
Yawn, it’s a stupid song they’re having fun with, and it’s had the added bonus of bringing publicity to the Oak Ridge Boys.
July 24, 2017 @ 8:48 am
It goes further back then that. The very first cartoons were for kids and adults (mostly adults) alike. And I wouldn’t say Adult Swim shows are cartoons. Yes, they use animation but cartoon carries a different connotation of child friendly material.
Cartoons that were made just for kids really didn’t take hold until the era of the Saturday Morning cartoon.
July 24, 2017 @ 9:47 am
I never called it a single, but I never NOT call things singles until there’s a 100% change they won’t be released as one. When you release a video and name your tour after a song though, it probably goes beyond the average album cut.
July 24, 2017 @ 9:58 am
Actually a lot of named tours are after non-singles, and Blake has done it in the past. As to videos, I predict we will start to see a lot more of them from every artist on non-singles. For instance Brad’s latest album (I believe) had a video for every song.
This video was done bc of the spotify sessions thing, where Blake and ORB went and recorded this song & Elvira live in studio for spotify.
That being said if Blake is releasing another single off of IIH we should know shortly. But many of the commenters around here are treating it as a single.
July 26, 2017 @ 7:28 am
I would watch Adult Swim all day if it was on–well until anything Tim and Eric came on.
Here are my all-time Top Ten AS original shows, in order of awesomeness:
Rick and Morty (yeah–it’s that good)
Squidbillies (give me the Unknown Hinson Channel!)
The Oblongs (Will Ferrell plus great cast and writing)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (great cast and (weird) writing)
Home Movies (the best H. Jon Benjamin has ever been IMHO)
Morel Orel (wickedly awesome!)
The Venture Brothers (just a great show)
The Boondocks (so good, and outstanding social commentary)
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell (great, great writing, great cast–bravo!)
Mike Tyson Mysteries (because Michael Gerard Tyson, that’s why!)
You’re welcome.
July 24, 2017 @ 9:07 am
…typical contemporary shelton shit …the trad instruments can’t hide the lack of talent or ‘fresh’ from the B.S ‘ vocals ‘ and this ”get-back-to-you-with-a finished- lyric-in-5-minutes ” approach to songwriting ( how ’bout that f***** BRILLIANT chorus . You can even sing along to it drunk or stoned ….OH wait ! now I get it ! …f**** ). this is just 2017’s ‘ Truck Yeah ‘ . …all the kiddies will sing along like they ‘get it ‘ while the rest of the world doesn’t .
….the guy that sang AUSTEN wouldn’t even recognize the lazy bastard that cuts this ‘Hillbilly Bone’ , ‘Boys Round Here’ , ‘Doin It ‘ garbage …..BS is a bad imitation of his former self who seems content to crank out crap song after crap song as long as listeners are willing to pay for that crap .
….it will take more than four ” old farts” singing backup for the talent-less Shelton to win ANY kudos from this camp after his blatant disregard for the genre’s traditions for so many years ……..far more than this nursery rhyme recorded with a few token wooden instruments could ever atone for .
…saying that , if I ever wanted to release a song to ‘country’ radio , I would send it to SCM first . if it got dumped on , gutted or bad-mouthed to any degree, I’d release it faster than you can say ‘ WTF…….?’.
its guaranteed to be a chart topper .
July 24, 2017 @ 9:17 am
Well, I AM older than Shelton, so: git off mah lawn! (while holding M1 rifle, ala Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino)
July 24, 2017 @ 9:21 am
Country radio’s current target audience – 25yo single females in heat – will be all over this one. No one has paid this much attention to their nether regions since Brad Paisley offered to check them for ticks.
Welcome to Nashville. Bring your kids!
July 24, 2017 @ 10:23 am
Oh, did you notice the Paisley clock on the wall? A wink and a nod from Blake to his elder tease, I suppose.
I think what we have is a sub-genre of country music that has not yet been named. Songs like this one, Ticks, and many others. Let’s name it Opry Porn.
The Opry itself once released a Paisley compilation video that shows a row of young females masturbating away, while Brad sings to them about their ticks. Never seen it? Well, hold on to your towel… it starts around the 1:33 mark.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JXZP8bAdC9A
July 24, 2017 @ 5:25 pm
B.S. has lost his mind the last few years. Maybe the fame and fortune from the Voice has gotten the better of him.
It is telling that his ex created an album full of depth, nuance, and originality, not to mention a bit of wry humor and fun, and sang and wrote much of it..He seems to have learned nothing in their ten years together..What a waste, for both of them..I guess he’s now getting his musical advice from a has been ska singer, it sure sounds like it..
July 24, 2017 @ 9:30 am
” immortal and sainted Oak Ridge Boys???”
Immortal, and sacred… OAK RIDGE BOYS?????????????
that lame Hairspray Grease Dr. Hook and medicine show mess of a group?
the only thing immortal or sainted is that they managed to record one of the stupidest songs in the history or recorded music.
And I don’t mean stupid funny, or stupid offensive like Aldean or this Blake Shelton song.
I mean downright brain cell deadening stupid.
like Hillbilly Bone or Jamey Johnson’s dumb badonkadonk song.
and every other song they’ve recorded sounds like bad dr hook covers.
it’s awful.
like this song.
Still haven’t gotten over “Old Farts and Jackasses”
at this point Blake Shelton deserves no respect. he’s the most egregious offender in the war afainst Country Music.
no matter what he records, his mouth puts him in a class of his own,
A class of people who need to be held accountable.
Or are we all just letting old farts and jackasses slide?
But it looks like Albert beat me to the punch on criticizing blake and everything he stands for.
Heck I don’t even like that austen song.
it’s stupid.
July 24, 2017 @ 4:06 pm
Fuzzy, still unclear on how you feel about the Oak Ridge Boys, can you clarify?
July 24, 2017 @ 5:01 pm
I don’t “dislike” the Oak Ridge Boys as in “turn it off and gouge my ears out” dislike it.
It’s just not the “Ohmygosh I wanna hear some Oak Ridge Boys” today.”
My attitude is more “oh look at that… the Oak Ridge Boys… meh…”
I just find them kinda… bland.
And I get kinda ruffled when people puff up the Oak Ridge Boys as “oh so great” and “an important piece of Country Music”
they’re a very bland group…
it’s like everyone telling me how great John Conlee is.
I have a couple of his tapes, It’s just not something that should be heralded as highly as it is.
but it’s still loads better than the crap of today’s radio.
July 24, 2017 @ 4:29 pm
Elvira. My hearts on fire. Giddy up.
July 24, 2017 @ 9:32 am
What’s wrong with me? I actually made it to 1:30 before losing interest.
July 24, 2017 @ 4:55 pm
It actually sounds decent with the sound off (LOL).
July 24, 2017 @ 9:33 am
This is just Blake’s way of showing how he is Doin It to [What’s Left of] Country Music. On a serious note, I don’t see where the song really pushes the alternate meaning. Heck, I might consider this the best song he’s put out in the last 5 years. Sure makes you wonder what happened to the Blake of Austin and Ol’ Red.
July 24, 2017 @ 10:19 am
Yall are just haters. If you don’t like it then don’t listen to it. Their isn’t anything bad about it or sexual about it. Love it @blakeshelton.
July 24, 2017 @ 10:42 am
Now THAT is good advice which I plan to follow , Paula . There’s lots and lots of music out there .
July 24, 2017 @ 11:16 am
I agree…, it’s the cutest thing I’ve seen since “Blake Shelton” himself❤️
July 24, 2017 @ 12:04 pm
This website is too advanced for the sheeple that laud and defend this garbage.
Go back to Wide Open Country’s website and never step foot here again.
Ever.
July 24, 2017 @ 2:03 pm
Jesus Christ. There always has to be that one guy or girl like this in every freaking message board.
July 24, 2017 @ 10:31 am
You know, a mind can take you whoever YOU want it to go…..nobody’s fault but your own. Personally…..I love it❣️
July 24, 2017 @ 11:29 am
This Song and The Video are Way Above Superior!!!!
Way To Go “Blake”????????
And to have “The Oaks”!!!! It’s So Very Country and So Very Tastefully Done…..Not the Least Bit Sexual…. unless your mind is in the gutter anyway!!!!!!!
It reminds me of the days when Country Music was REALLY… “COUNTRY MUSIC”, kinda like A Little Club I used to play in , in Vicksburg Miss. …. called the “Beachwood’…. everyone came to dance, laugh and have a good time !!! Just like this Siing was meant to do!
Not a lot of “Nasal /trying to Rap so called Country Singing today!
Hats off To “Blake”??????? YOU OUTDID YOURSELF THIS TIME BUDDY!!! Love love love every minute of “Doin’ It To Country Songs”??
July 24, 2017 @ 10:32 pm
Based upon how you write, I’m not sure you’re really qualified to judge the meaning of any song on “Barney and Friends,” let alone one from a pop-country artist in 2017.
July 24, 2017 @ 12:09 pm
Jesus, that was a boring as hell song.
July 24, 2017 @ 12:31 pm
Is this really classified as country music? Yet another in a long lost of reasons I don’t listen to mainstream country anymore. Waylon, George, and Merle are surely rolling over in their graves! (And covering their ears)
July 24, 2017 @ 1:36 pm
Amen Denice
July 24, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
It would have been very hard, less that one listener- generation ago, to envision the deterioration to this genre in that relatively short time . Unfortunately , mainstream ‘country’ music offers little to nothing for contemporary ‘ country’ listeners to compare or gauge that by so I really can’t blame young (or just new ) listeners for not appreciating the cultural gravity of this shift and what it cheats them out of .
What is marketed as ‘ country ‘ today asks little to nothing of a listener in terms of what he/she brings to the ‘show’…including smarts . The songs are extremely simple with little narrative movement, very little in the way of fresh ideas , no irony or ‘clever’ , no revelations as reward for hanging in to the end , no twist on the hook …..little to no emotional depth and….well….this all adds up to a mind-numbing borefest after a time does it not ? It is based lyrically on very narrow life-experience and based musically on machines and very little musicianship . It is overwhelmingly manufactured and delivered by male singers targeted , for the most part , at young females ( only two female artists in the top 40 ? ..hmmm ) who , understandably , like it and happily consume that aspect of it . Yes …they may relate somewhat to the lyric and again , this is understandable . There is no breadth of life experience required to ‘ get it ‘. The very young ( or young-minded ) , perhaps unaware of or unable to relate to the narrative themes in traditional country music , are THE perfect market for the product as it sounds and looks today .If they had stopped selling it and you never knew fish or chicken or venison or clams or ANY other kinds of food were once sold in grocery stores , you’ll surely be happy with a diet of hamburger as your only option .
The sad part of this ever-worsening radio scenario is that ,arguably ,more of these musical options exist than ever before and are more accessible/obtainable than ever …..everywhere BUT on ‘ country ‘ radio .
Why would a person ONLY listen to LCD ( lowest common denominator ) country radio …..WHY would a person only eat hamburger once she knew that fish , chicken , vegetables , grains , venison, fruits and a WORLD of other options not only exist but USED to be available in every grocery store right alongside the burger meat ? Why shouldn’t I be upset that my ‘music store ‘ has chosen NOT to carry ALL the nutritious , inspiring musical options they have always carried and are now only carrying ………………….hamburger ! As a young listener ,being cheated out of and deprived of these options should upset you as much as it does me.
July 24, 2017 @ 2:53 pm
Personally I like the song DOING IT TO COUNTRY SONGS !!! And lets be HONEST … other types of music have also had hidden meanings too ! Like PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON , by Peter, Paul , and Mary , It’s obvious the song was about POT !
July 24, 2017 @ 6:17 pm
you’re right: whatever “doing it” is, it sure is a mystery
July 24, 2017 @ 3:07 pm
lol Music Row plants stopped by from 10:00 – 12:00
July 24, 2017 @ 4:37 pm
Dang, y’all are taking what is clearly meant to be a funny song waaaaay to seriously (on all sides)
July 24, 2017 @ 4:49 pm
I found that to be tasteful
Nothing nasty just classy
Good job Blake
July 24, 2017 @ 7:03 pm
It’s a bit stupid, but hell, I’d take this any old day over Sam Hunt, Walker Hayes, and Luke Bryan.
July 24, 2017 @ 7:07 pm
You want a comment comparing this to Wheeler Walker Jr? Here it is:
The difference between this song and anything Wheeler puts out is that Blake is trying to hide the fact that it’s a dirty song and making a cutesy video for it while playing the innocence card saying sure it’s dirty but your 6 year old niece won’t know the difference!
Wheeler on the other hand, goes all in. He writes actual clever lyrics (not just singing “doin it” over and over) and doesn’t give a shit if your 6 year old niece is listening. It’s not for her, and he’s not trying to make it be for her. Blake’s song sounds good, and getting ORB is a pleasant surprise, but it’s a terrible song lyrically, while Wheeler’s are crafted with apprehension and substance.
July 24, 2017 @ 11:23 pm
Boring . Big yawn .
Haven’t I heard this like 100 times from him before?
The cartoon video …seriously? Seems like Shelton is numb. Where is the passion and the talent?
July 25, 2017 @ 7:08 am
What is described here is about the way I describe things that are mostly made by Disney: A lot of positives going on here, and a lot of it is done right, but where’s the destiny? Ends up getting real cheesy and like it missed the boat. Not a big fan of Blake anyway as he seemed a bit douchy over the years.
July 25, 2017 @ 7:20 am
Oh, and I forgot to mention, very overmarketed. In both my analogy, and with this Blake Shelton song.
July 25, 2017 @ 7:55 am
Didn’t watch the video. Don’t care about it.
This song is a walking contradiction for me.
On the one hand, the general sound is welcoming, good pacing, and Blake and the Oak Ridge Boys sound fine together. If music is just pleasing background noise to you, this song has your back.
On the other hand, almost the entire lyric involves repeating the same line ad nauseum. It’s painfully obvious that as little as 10 more minutes reworking even just the chorus could have done wonders to raise the intelligence level of this piece and take it above pop “country” trash status.
Shame.
July 25, 2017 @ 8:29 am
My theory is if you don’t like it don’t watch it.Its very simple .Turn on something else.
July 25, 2017 @ 8:45 am
And again …..this is GREAT advice which I plan to take , Luana . We have COUNTLESS musical options …no one holds a gun at our heads to listen to Blake’s latest excuse for music !
My personal ongoing concern , however , is that half-baked ditties like this are taking airtime from the serious writers, musicians, artists , producers , engineers, road crews and managers who are trying to make an HONEST living with far more integrity and commitment than B.S. apparently is .
But yeah ….you bet I won’t listen or watch this when there are so many better options.
July 25, 2017 @ 12:22 pm
I don’t think you know the definition of “theory,” which doesn’t surprise me.
July 25, 2017 @ 5:35 pm
Complete ripoff of Watermelon Crawl. What a fraud.
July 25, 2017 @ 7:58 pm
Love the song, love the clip, love the Oaks. Always hoped they’d release this one
July 26, 2017 @ 4:00 pm
I spent over a hundred seconds on that. Cheers Mr Shelton, that’s nigh-on two whole minutes of my life I won’t be getting back.
Is this what the kids are listening to these days? They can keep it.
July 28, 2017 @ 8:05 pm
In response to a few snarky comments concerning the writers of this song…Marty Dodson is an extremely talented songwriter who has several impressive cuts to his credit, such as Charlie Worsham’s “Could It Be” and Billy Currington’s “Let Me Down Easy”, among many others. Marty is one of the most genuinely TALENTED writers that I’ve had the pleasure of writing with, and there’s nothing fake about his love for country music. The man has built his career from the ground up and continued doing what he loves, despite dwindling record sales and shifting trends in Nashville.
“Doing It to Country Songs” may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but don’t mistake individual artistic taste with God Given Talent, because Marty Dodson has talent by the truck load. And if you disagree, feel free to throw your hat into the ring and put your money where your mouth is, and write a song or two. When you see the odds that Nashville writers are faced with to survive, you might reconsider what you seem as “talent”.
July 29, 2017 @ 5:29 am
It is clear to me who Blake was talking about when he said, even the country music of 80’s-90’s wasn’t considered country by jackasses and old farts of earlier generations. Every generation has their own take on CM. Otherwise you would just keep making copies of same damn melodies and themes for eternity. Actually that is exactly what other “respected” musicians do. I know, I know too radical of a thought for these so called savers of country music. Same song writers writes a song for Miranda it is the best thing ever when Blake records it or he sings a song meant for her album it is the worst thing ever. What a bunch of aholes and old farts. GOD, stop stinking up the internet.