Paul Finebaum is not just a sports talk radio host who holds SEC country in the palm of his hand.  He also has a claim few other sports talk radio hosts can make – he's a country music songwriter.

In the time before Finebaum's new ESPN Radio show launched this past month, he found himself with plenty of extra time on his hands.  Naturally, Finebaum worked with songwriter Walt Aldridge on writing a real live country song.  Via AL.com:

"With lots of down time on his hands between the end of his radio show on Birmingham’s WJOX 94.5 FM in January and the launch of his new, Charlotte-based ESPN Radio show earlier this month, Finebaum joined Aldridge at NoiseBlock recording studios in Florence in early July, and they wrote the song in one day.

“I don’t think either Paul or I sat down with the idea that, ‘Hey, we want to make money with this or have a big hit,’” Aldridge says. “I think Paul wanted to experience writing a song, and I wanted to experience writing a song with Paul.”

Aldridge was adamant that they write an authentic country song, not just a novelty song about Finebaum’s radio show.

“He said, ‘I don’t want to do some shtick with Tammy screaming in the background,’” Finebaum says. “He said, ‘If you’re serious, let’s actually do a song.’”

None of the lyrics mention Finebaum or his show, and while it is inspired by Finebaum’s decision to leave Birmingham for Charlotte, it could be about anybody who leaves home to chase a dream, Aldridge says."

You can actually listen to the full song at this link.  Is there a more perfect marriage than Paul Finebaum and country music?  I'm sure dozens of his regular listeners can place their lives in any number of country songs.

For what it's worth, as a fan of old school country I'm glad Finebaum's track seems to fit into that classic realm and doesn't venture towards the extremes of Taylor Swift pop country and anti-pop Beer with Jesus country.   

As far as the true quality of Finebaum's lyrics go, it is not the greatest country and western song ever written because it doesn't say anything at all about momma or trains or trucks or prison or gettin' drunk.  In fact, you can make the argument it's not even a country song at all if it doesn't include any of that.  Hey, at least it's better than Red Solo Cup.

[AL.com]

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