At work on Friday, I had my iPod set to shuffle, and Greg Brown's song Ella Mae came on. It always makes me cry, and Friday was no exception. I just sat there with my eyes leaking until it was over.
One of the many reasons I love Greg Brown so much (and for that matter, Stan Rogers) is that he captures the quiet dignity, beauty and humor of farm life without turning to ridiculous tropes or redneck-pride stereotypes. There are so few people who can convey that experience well -- even Garrison Keillor is hit or miss, but when he hits, like in his monologue "Hog Slaughter", he really hits it.
Ella Mae, like Canned Goods and Our Little Town just resonates inside me like a memory of someone I used to know personally.