It turns out that even scientists have a sense of humor.
Just consider Texas A&M political scientist Kenneth Meier, who has published an article in the usually solemn Policy Studies Journal with a title based on a line in a John Denver song: "Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissin' You Goodbye: The Politics of Ideas."
In the essay, Meier offers a novel argument: that many now well-established theories of social behavior appeared first in the lyrics of country and western songs even before they were proposed by scholars or policymakers. One example: country singer Hank Williams Jr.'s observation in a 1982 song that "Nobody wants to get drunk and get loud / All my rowdy friends have settled down." Meier asserts with a wink that Williams' insight clearly was "borrowed" by social theorists such as James Wilson, who later suggested that the high post-1960s crime rates would decline toward the end of the 20th century as all those baby boomers grew out of their crime-prone teens and 20s.
Other scholars gleefully disagree with Meier. "It is television that provides the real wellspring of political ideas in America," opines political scientist Richard Waterman of the University of Kentucky. For example, Waterman suggested that "Lost in Space" must have been the inspiration for President Bush's sudden interest in sending a manned mission to Mars.
No matter the scientific plausibility, it's still fun to consider the social/interpersonal dramas played out in some country song titles.
"Billy Broke My Heart at Walgreens and I Cried All the Way to Sears" (Ruby Wright)
"I Spent My Last Ten Dollars on Birth Control and Beer" (Gretchen Phillips)
"If My Nose Was Running Money, Honey, I'd Blow It All on You" (Michael Carr, Michael Hammond)
"Did I Shave My Legs for This?" (Deana Carter)
"How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?" (Dan Hicks)
"Never Went to Bed With an Ugly Woman but I Sure Woke Up With a Few" (Bobby Bare)
"My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend and I Sure Do Miss Him" (Phil Earhart)
"You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" (Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty)
"Too Dumb for New York, Too Ugly for L.A." (Waylon Jennings)
"You Done Stomped on My Heart and Mashed That Sucker Flat" (Mason Williams)
