Tennessee gets a bit weird

Stopped in at the Country Music Hall of Fame this morning. Was quite the show and a nice history of the genre, showing how it has adapted to ensure its popularity through time - notably the big changes brought about by trying to keep an audience during the explosion of rock n roll in the 60's. But couldn't help being a little perturbed by the repeated reference to "conservative values" - is it a necessary part of country music? In any case I thought this is exemplified by the famous (I guess) Alan Jackson lyrics...
"I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God..."

Defiant ignorance backed with moral righteousness. Yep, I've noticed quite a bit of that around here. Quaint and a little disturbing.

As we left Nashville we saw this sign ...

I guess if you've got a bunch of empty promises you might as well try to sell them?

We hit the freeway hard and headed to Memphis to get a more bluesie environment. Memphis is for sure a different world! Way less clean, way more black, and quite frankly a bit more scary - more like what we were expecting all over the south. Memphis though is all booked up - the Inn is full. We've had to stay in a remote hotel in a shopping mall district. Tomorrow we head to Graceland to get our Elvis fill, then the Civil Rights museum, and hopefully a few dirty blues bars before we move on...