A city of love and hate: 3 songs with competing opinions about Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee – a musical mecca for all things country. It is one of America's greatest entertainment cities and has experienced every phase of American pop culture. Yet many artists, writers, filmmakers and journalists have artistically documented the city's life. The conclusions drawn include feelings of malice, admiration and ambivalence. Nashville serves as a great artistic muse.

With so many artistic analyses of the city, who better to voice an opinion than the country singers who make Nashville, Nashville? So many artists have used the city as inspiration for their songs, and many have expressed both their dislike and affection for the city musically. Given this extensive catalog, a clear line seems to have been drawn – musicians either love it or hate it. Here are three of the top songs that fuel the competing opinions.

1. “Nashville, TN” by Chris Stapleton

Published 2020 on New beginning“Nashville, TN” is a song about Stapleton's complex love affair with the city. The lyrics thank Nashville for his success while also resenting it for its hardships, offering a kind of catharsis for Stapleton as he prepares to leave town. Personifying Nashville as a former lover is not only clever, it also suggests that Stapleton does indeed feel an unwavering affection for the place that launched his musical career.

A tangled testament of nostalgia and separation, Stapleton suggests that despite the pain Nashville has inflicted on him, he still loves the city. A mature and wise take that makes for a beautiful song laced with rich layers of interpersonal turmoil.

2. “Trashville” by Hank Williams III

The name speaks for itself. Published in 2002 on Lovesickness, bankruptcy and driftingWilliams doesn’t mince his words in his criticism of the city. But all I see in Nashville / Is a bunch of backstabbing people taking you and me / They don't care about the music, you see— it's fair to say Williams isn't a fan of the new Nashville. This dislike stems from the past that Williams clings to. The past that made his grandfather, Hank Williams, and his father, Hank Williams Jr., so famous and respected.

For Williams, Nashville no longer exists and he wants nothing to do with the new Nashville. Of the many songs that describe the stages of Nashville, Williams' song is perhaps the most blatant. But is that surprising coming from a member of the outspoken Williams family?

3. “Down on Music Row” by Dolly Parton

Parton tells the loving story of a naive dreamer and shares her personal memories of performing in Nashville. The song lists landmarks and recalls a time before her fame. It's a whimsical story that expresses the exciting possibilities Nashville has to offer. Parton performs the song with a cheerfulness that can only be mistaken for a connection to the city.

Published in 1973 on My mountain house in TennesseeParton's memories of her youth are a story as old as time, reminding people that she was once a young dreamer hoping to reach the pinnacle of country music. It's a tune full of optimism and an undying respect for the city that gave her a chance.

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