State Fair (song)

Last updated
"State Fair"
Single by Doug Supernaw
from the album Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind
B-side You Never Even Called Me by My Name [1]
ReleasedAugust 1994
Genre Country
Length3:39
Label BNA
Songwriter(s) Mickey Cates
Producer(s) Richard Landis
Doug Supernaw singles chronology
"Red and Rio Grande"
(1993)
"State Fair"
(1994)
"You Never Even Called Me by My Name"
(1994)

"State Fair" is a song recorded by American country music artist Doug Supernaw. It was released in August 1994 as the first single from his album Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind . It peaked at number 55 in the United States. [2]

Contents

Content

"State Fair" is a mid-tempo ballad. The narrator reminisces about an event in 1973, where him and his second cousin Calvin are heading to the state fair. On the way, they get involved in a head-on drunk-driving collision that claimed Calvin's life. The narrator survives and explains his guilt over the crash years later and talks about how he remembers his final moments with Calvin on the road trip, reaching underneath the dash and pulling out a pack of cigarettes he kept stashed. [3]

Controversy

The song caused controversy by MADD advocates due to its portrayal of underage drinking, after a couple scenes in the video show two teenagers standing outside a convenience store getting an adult to purchase alcohol for them and one of the teenagers throwing an empty beer can into a farmer's field.

Supernaw stated the video was never intended to glorify underage drinking, rather use the song's video as a message to talk about the consequences of it. [4]

Music video

The music video was directed by Sherman Halsey.

The video tells the story of the narrator and his second cousin, Calvin as teenagers in 1973. Calvin picks him up at his home and they stop at a convenience store where they ask an older man to purchase beer for them. The man does and they part ways. The teens stop and drink the beers and smoke cigarettes in a farmer's field. The pair then were in an off-camera head-on collision in which the narrator survives.

The video flashes forward to the present day, where Supernaw and his friends are stopped at a service station on the way to a Houston Astros game. On the way inside, Supernaw sees two teenagers standing outside the store, he goes to approach them before reconsidering and walking into the store ignoring them.

The video shows Supernaw at a state fair singing on the midway in between story clips. The video was shot partially in black and white, with some scenes shot in color.

Related Research Articles

Convenience store Small store that stocks a range of everyday items

A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store, or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, tobacco products, lottery tickets, over-the-counter drugs, toiletries, newspapers, and magazines. In some jurisdictions, convenience stores are licensed to sell alcoholic drinks, although many such jurisdictions limit such beverages to those with relatively low alcohol content such as beer and wine. Such stores may also offer money order and wire transfer services, along with the use of a fax machine or photocopier for a small per-copy cost. Some also offer to sell tickets or recharge a smart card, like the OPUS card in Montreal. They differ from general stores and village shops in that they are not in a rural location and are used as a convenient supplement to larger stores.

Sheetz

Sheetz, Inc. is an American chain of convenience stores and coffee shops owned by the Sheetz family. The stores sell custom food, beverages and convenience store items, with all locations having offered 24/7 service since the 1980s. Nearly all of them sell gasoline; a few locations are full-scale truck stops, including showers and a laundromat. Sheetz's headquarters are in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with stores being located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Same Old Lang Syne 1980 single by Dan Fogelberg

"Same Old Lang Syne" is a song written and sung by Dan Fogelberg released as a single in 1980. It was also included on his 1981 album The Innocent Age. The song is an autobiographical narrative ballad told in the first person and tells the story of two long-ago romantic interests meeting by chance in a grocery store on Christmas Eve. The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and is now frequently played during the holiday season and alongside traditional Christmas songs.

Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States

Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States of America is an umbrella term for alcohol consumption by individuals under the age of 18 in the country.

Douglas Anderson Supernaw was an American country music artist. After several years performing as a local musician throughout the state of Texas, he signed with BNA Records in 1993.

Sari-sari store

A sari-sari store or waróng, or anglicized as neighborhood sundry store, is a convenience store found in the Philippines. The word sari-sari is Tagalog meaning "variety" or "sundry". Such stores occupy an important economic and social location in a Filipino community and are ubiquitous in neighborhoods and along streets. Sari-sari stores tend to be family-run and privately owned operating within the shopkeeper's residence. Commodities are displayed in a large screen-covered or metal-barred window in front of the shop. Candies in recycled jars, canned goods and cigarettes are displayed while cooking oil, salt and sugar are stored at the back of the shop. Prepaid mobile phone credits are provided. The sari-sari store operates with a small revolving fund, and it generally does not offer perishable goods requiring refrigeration. The few that do have refrigerators carry soft drinks, beers, and bottled water.

So Small 2007 single by Carrie Underwood

"So Small" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Carrie Underwood. It was released in August 2007 as the first single from her 2007 album Carnival Ride. Underwood co-wrote this song with Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird.

<i>Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind</i> 1994 studio album by Doug Supernaw

Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind is the second studio album from country music artist Doug Supernaw. It was released on September 13, 1994 and it produced the singles "What'll You Do About Me", "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", and "State Fair". "What'll You Do About Me" was previously a #76 single in 1984 for Steve Earle, and a #74 single in 1992 for The Forester Sisters.

Alcohol laws of Pennsylvania Alcohol laws of the U.S. State of Pennsylvania

The alcohol laws of Pennsylvania contain many peculiarities not found in other states, and are considered some of the strictest regulations in the United States.

"I Don't Call Him Daddy" is a song written by American songwriter Reed Nielsen. It was initially recorded by Kenny Rogers on his 1987 album I Prefer the Moonlight, and was released in October 1993 by Doug Supernaw as the third single from his debut album Red and Rio Grande. Supernaw's version was his only number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, peaking there in December 1993.

Whatll You Do About Me 1995 single by Doug Supernaw

"What'll You Do About Me" is a country music song written by Dennis Linde. It was originally recorded in 1984 by McGuffey Lane and then by Steve Earle. It has also been recorded by Randy Travis on his 1987 album, Always & Forever, The Forester Sisters in 1992, and Doug Supernaw, the latter of whom took it to Top 20 on the Billboard country charts in early 1995.

Reno (Doug Supernaw song) 1993 single by Doug Supernaw

"Reno" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Doug Supernaw. It was released in May 1993 as the second single from his album Red and Rio Grande. It peaked at number 4 in the United States, and number 12 in Canada. It was his first top five hit, as well as his first top ten hit.

Pop a Top

"Pop a Top" is a country song written and originally recorded by Nat Stuckey in 1966. The first hit version was released by Jim Ed Brown in May 1967 as the third and final single from his album Just Jim. The song was a number 3 Billboard country single for Brown in late 1967. It was later revived by Alan Jackson as the lead-off single from his 1999 album Under the Influence. Jackson's version peaked at number 6 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 2 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

"A Jukebox With a Country Song'" is a song written by Gene Nelson and Ronnie Samoset, and recorded by American country music artist Doug Stone. It was released in November 1991 as the second single from his album I Thought It Was You. It became his second song to reach #1 on the country chart in both the United States and Canada. The B-side, "Remember the Ride", was later recorded by Perfect Stranger on their 1995 album You Have the Right to Remain Silent.

"Dumas Walker" is a song written and recorded by Southern country rock band The Kentucky Headhunters. It was released in January 1990 as the second single from their 1989 album Pickin' on Nashville. It reached number 15 on Country charts, and was written by the band's five members at the time.

"You Never Even Called Me by My Name" is a song written by Steve Goodman and John Prine. Prine requested to be uncredited on the song, as he thought it was a "goofy, novelty song" and didn't want to "offend the country music community". Goodman released the song on his eponymous 1971 debut album Steve Goodman to little acclaim. It was more famously recorded by country music singer David Allan Coe on his 1975 album Once Upon a Rhyme. It was the third single release of Coe's career and his first Top Ten hit, reaching a peak of number eight on the Billboard country singles charts. The song, over five minutes long, is known for its humorous self-description as "the perfect country and western song."

Not Enough Hours in the Night 1995 single by Doug Supernaw

"Not Enough Hours in the Night" is a song written by Aaron Barker, Kim Williams and Ron Harbin, and recorded by American country music artist Doug Supernaw. It was released in October 1995 as the first single from his album You Still Got Me. It peaked at #3 in the United States, and #4 in Canada, his highest-charting song in Canada. It was his third top five hit, as well as his only top ten hit in Canada.

I Feel Lucky 1992 single by Mary Chapin Carpenter

"I Feel Lucky" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released in May 1992 as the first single from the album Come On Come On. The song reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The Chipettes recorded a cover of this song for the 1992 album Chipmunks in Low Places. It was written by Carpenter and Don Schlitz.

"The One I Loved Back Then " is a song written by Gary Gentry, and recorded by American country music singer George Jones. It was released September 1985 as the second single from the album Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes. The song peaked at number three on the Hot Country Singles.

We Found Love (music video) 2011 film by Melina Matsoukas

The music video for Barbadian singer Rihanna's 2011 single "We Found Love" was directed by Melina Matsoukas. It was filmed on September 26–28, 2011, in the New Lodge area of Belfast and Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. People driving around the location of the set informed BBC that traffic in the area was congested as drivers wanted to see the singer. The video premiered on October 19, 2011, and was made available to download digitally three days later on October 22. As of November 2021, the video has amassed over 1 billion views on YouTube.

References

  1. Whitburn, p. 412
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 341.
  3. "Doug Supernaw's Giant Comeback". Louisville Music News. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  4. John Wolley (8 March 1996). "Supernaw's a Throwback... And So's His Music". TulsaWorld. Retrieved 9 November 2019.