Saturday, May 13, 2017

George McAnthony - He's Tasting Freedom

You've heard of Spaghetti Westerns, right?  Today is Spaghetti Country & Western.  George McAnthony was an Italian singer/songwriter and two time winner of the European Country Music Association.  His story is one that will be pretty exotic for readers on this side of the Pond.

McAnthony was born in the Italian city of Eppan an der Weinstraße, part of Italy that was annexed from Austria at the end of World War I.  He performed a country music One Man Band, playing seven instruments at the same time.  A songwriter, he recorded 14 albums, and while 3 were recorded in Nashville, he spent most of his time in the Old World.  He wrote today's song while on holiday on the island of Sardinia.

Over on these shores, we almost never hear about what is a thriving country music scene overseas.  McAnthony was a pretty big deal on European radio and TV, and even did a duet with John Denver.  His untimely death in 2011 at the age of 45 is a shame.

The quality of the sound in this video is a little off, but you will get the sense of Country Music's universal themes.



He's Tasting Freedom (Songwriter: George McAnthony)
Drive away on a pick up truck
Mountain trip, don't get stuck
Riding through the wide prairie
He's got so many new things to see
He's tasting freedom, always on the run

He's tasting freedom, can't find his way back home
but sometimes he's lonely,
thinking about his girl back home,
she's all alone
he'll return, his wheels will burn,
one more hill to climb, he'll be back in time

He's tasting freedom, can't find his way back home
but sometimes he's lonely,
thinking about his girl back home,
she's all alone
he'll return, his wheels will burn,
one more hill to climb, he'll be back in time

He sings lei lei la leileilei, like a bird in the sky
lei lei la leileiloo, hello, goodbye, got to go

He's tasting freedom, always on the run
he's tasting freedom, can't find his way back home
Uh yeah, mhm, he's tasting freedom

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