The Valleyist Papers
A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS WRITTEN IN FAVOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF STEPHENS VALLEY
Author – William Ray
Edition 3. Issue 10.
You Too, Can Be a Nashville Cat
In the mid-1960s, the music scene in Nashville was booming, especially with the rise of country music. The city was home to an incredible array of talented session musicians (and, of course, it still is) often referred to as the "Nashville Cats." These musicians were known for their technical proficiency and versatility, able to play on countless records across various genres. Their work helped define the "Nashville Sound," which was becoming increasingly influential in popular music.
John Sebastian, the lead singer and song writer for Lovin’ Spoonful, (strangely enough, the author of the happy tunes of Lovin’ Spoonful AND the extremely dark songs which were the hits of The Doors) was fascinated by these musicians and the culture surrounding them. He admired their skill and the way they could seamlessly switch between different styles of music. This admiration led him to write "Nashville Cats," a tribute to the session musicians who were the unsung heroes behind so many hit records. This song was a hit in many countries around the world and gave untold millions of people their first introduction to the place we call home. Sebastian's lyrics were filled with both humor and respect, painting a picture of the incredible talent housed in Nashville's recording studios.
One of the most memorable lines from the song, "Nashville cats, play clean as country water," encapsulates Sebastian's awe of the musicians' ability to play with such clarity and precision. It is quite certain that many new Nashville Cats (NCs) were born from the world-wide fascination with the Lovin’ Spoonful. Do you think that is just a little story about the past? No, it isn’t. While Sebastian thought there were “1,352 guitar pickers in Nashville (in 1965),” there are certainly a lot more in 2024, and if you want to be one, you can! Nashville Cats are still developing today, and some of them are living right here in SV!
There are at least three or four full-blown NCs in SV right now, and they can “pick more notes that the number of ants on a Tennessee ant hill.” But there are many more in various stages of their journey toward being a NC. The journey isn’t all that hard and modern brain research shows just how beneficial it can be for you to immerse yourself in music that moves you by becoming a NC.
It is true. You can get yourself a dose of dopamine by running, cycling, or playing racket sports, but you can also get a safer dose of endorphins to the good old ventral striatum by listening to music that moves you. And, if you actually participate in the production of that music, the dose is massive and immediate, and really good for you! Research shows that it directly reduces chronic pain, PTSD, and , in general, many of the maladies that torment we humans. Here is how you too can become a NC and a dopamine junky.
Becoming a NC is shockingly easy. Here is what you do. First, banish the thought that you are incapable of playing an instrument, because you certainly can. Next, visit some of the locally owned music stores that are right around the corner from us in SV. Bandwagon Music is beside the Post Office in Bellevue, and Kevin’s Rock and Roll Emporium is just down 100 in the edge of Fairview. Go to either and confess that you want to become a Nashville Cat. They will point you toward an inexpensive beginner acoustic guitar and they will also set you up for a few lessons. Give those lessons a few months, then download one of the many cool apps that help you play the songs that tug at your heartstrings by giving you the chords to play (you will have just learned those chords in the lessons). Just like that, you will be sitting on your front porch, playing music, and tripping on the dopamine made inside your own body!
But, there is more. Once you start exploring your favorite songs and learning to play them yourself and sing the lyrics, another mysterious thing happens. As the music comes out of your fingers and your throat, you actually feel the emotional experiences that drove that music's author to write it. It is both satisfying and emotional to melt into the author's world, and well worth learning to play.
For John Sebastian and The Lovin' Spoonful, "Nashville Cats" was more than just a song; it was a love letter to the musicians who influenced them and shaped the music of an era. The track remains a classic example of how the band combined their love for various music styles into something fresh and memorable, leaving a lasting impact on the sound of the 1960s. You’ll want to make it one of the first songs you learn to play on your porch, and becoming John Sebastian for a few minutes is quite an experience.
“Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred 'n' twenty one
Mothers from Nashville;
All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight
If one of the kids will;
Because it's custom made for any mothers son
To be a guitar picker in Nashville;
And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about
The music and the mothers from Nashville.”
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