Although, in my view, TGFH isn't one of the strongest songs on the album, I do like it.
I don't find it "sleepy and monotonous" at all - though what I feel does rather let it down is the music. It comes across to me as neither traditional nor innovative, and not reaching much above a Mainstream feel. What saves the song, though, and makes it enjoyable for me, is Carrie's interpretation, and the imagery in the lyric. It's noticeable that Carrie can change her intonation to match the theme of the song she's singing - and in this one, she does adopt a rather more "down home" tone in her singing, which fits the theme of a return to the singer's roots. This type of song can get lost in a rather forced and phony nostalgia about rural stereotypes - but this one avoids that, and includes some effective imagery. I liked the tension in the contrast between not caring about going back, and the sense of belonging once she takes the plunge and does return. "The county lines that pull you in.."
This song, I think, justifies its place on the album, as one of the "reassuring" choices that balance the more innovative (and sometimes darker) songs.
However, once again, I'm voting for BA, as the stronger song - that has both more musical innovation, more demands on the singer, and a more striking and unusual theme.
