I Still Like Bologna
Encyclopedia
"I Still Like Bologna" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country
artist Alan Jackson
. It is the fifty-seventh single
release of his career, and the fifth single from his 2008 album Good Time
. The song was released to radio on August 3, 2009 and debuted at number 56 on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts.
sandwich
on white bread
, or the scenery of a rural lifestyle.
Regarding the song's theme, Jackson said that the title "just sounded like the perfect way to say that I’m aware of all the modern technology and do adapt to some of it, and the health — better eating and diet policies — but every now and then, I still like that bologna on white bread."
said that the song "jettison[s] any serious attempts at reflection by simply reciting long lists of common points of reference," and Rolling Stone
critic Rob Sheffield said that Jackson "goes overboard" on the song due to its length. The 9513 critic Karlie Justus gave a thumbs-down review, saying that the song's premise "wears a thin", although her review also calls it "agreeable, likable album filler." In his Allmusic review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine
gave a more favorable description, calling it "slightly gangly, tongue-in-cheek Western swing
," and Bobby Peacock of Roughstock said, "While that list [of things that Jackson likes] may sound fairly pedestrian[…]every note seems to ring true here. The lyrics find Alan in his smoothest narrative mode[.]"
is directed by Scott Scovill. It was released to Country Music Television
on August 20, 2009. On GAC's Top 50 Videos Of 2009, it was voted in at #36.
Hot Country Songs
charts dated for the week of August 8, 2009. The song reached a peak of number 32 in October 2009, making it Jackson's first single to miss Top 20 since "The Blues Man" in 2000.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
. It is the fifty-seventh single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
release of his career, and the fifth single from his 2008 album Good Time
Good Time (album)
Good Time is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on March 4, 2008 and produced five singles on the country singles charts. The first three of these — "Small Town Southern Man", the title track, and "Country Boy" — have all become Number One...
. The song was released to radio on August 3, 2009 and debuted at number 56 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts.
Content
As with all of the other songs on Good Time, Jackson wrote "I Still Like Bologna" himself. In the song, the narrator states that, although he owns many pieces of modern technology (such as a cell phone, plasma television and laptop computer), he still prefers the simplicity of a bolognaBologna sausage
Bologna sausage is an American sausage derived from and definitely not similar to the Italian mortadella . It is commonly called boloney, baloney or, more formally, bologna...
sandwich
Bologna sandwich
The bologna sandwich or baloney sandwich is a common and inexpensive lunch choice in the United States and Canada. It is traditionally made from pre-sliced bologna sausage between slices of white bread, along with various condiments, such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise...
on white bread
White bread
White bread is made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ have been removed through a process known as milling. Milling gives white flour a longer shelf life by removing the bran which contains oil, allowing products made with it, like white bread, the ability to survive storage and...
, or the scenery of a rural lifestyle.
Regarding the song's theme, Jackson said that the title "just sounded like the perfect way to say that I’m aware of all the modern technology and do adapt to some of it, and the health — better eating and diet policies — but every now and then, I still like that bologna on white bread."
Critical reception
The song has been met with primarily negative reception. Jonathan Keefe of Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
said that the song "jettison[s] any serious attempts at reflection by simply reciting long lists of common points of reference," and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
critic Rob Sheffield said that Jackson "goes overboard" on the song due to its length. The 9513 critic Karlie Justus gave a thumbs-down review, saying that the song's premise "wears a thin", although her review also calls it "agreeable, likable album filler." In his Allmusic review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
gave a more favorable description, calling it "slightly gangly, tongue-in-cheek Western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
," and Bobby Peacock of Roughstock said, "While that list [of things that Jackson likes] may sound fairly pedestrian[…]every note seems to ring true here. The lyrics find Alan in his smoothest narrative mode[.]"
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
is directed by Scott Scovill. It was released to Country Music Television
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
on August 20, 2009. On GAC's Top 50 Videos Of 2009, it was voted in at #36.
Chart performance
"I Still Like Bologna" debuted at number 56 on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts dated for the week of August 8, 2009. The song reached a peak of number 32 in October 2009, making it Jackson's first single to miss Top 20 since "The Blues Man" in 2000.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 32 |