Plainview

Plainview
by Bernie Nelson
Essie Country’s 
Song of the Week
August 2-8, 2026

While searching Spotify for real country music, there it was—in plain view. It’s the opening track on Bernie Nelson’s 2014 album Blue. The song? Plainview, co-written by Bernie Nelson and Rich Fagan.

As the story goes, Bernie and Rich were looking for a clever concept for a new song when they thought about the Texas town of Plainview. Plainview gave them the perfect play on words: “hiding out in Plainview.” As they say, the rest is history—a perfect country song.

Plainview is more than just a song. It’s a textbook example of what country music should sound like—lyrics that tell a believable story, instrumentation that is unmistakably country, and a genuine vocal performance that leaves no doubt you’re listening to a real country song.

Talk about real country music. Within the first thirty-five seconds, this song opens with a fiddle, mentions a saddle and his truck, talks about the highway and forever, tells the story of a love gone wrong, says he’s leaving, and even blames himself for what went wrong. All of that in just the first thirty-five seconds. Now that’s a country song!

Plainview, performed by Bernie Nelson, is country music at its best. That is why Essie Country is proud to present Bernie Nelson’s masterful performance of Plainview. All you have to do is click on the link below. It’s right there—in plain view.

https://youtu.be/o3u9U1O0fVo?is=yEQG9xsFjVnPYbBZ

Gene Johns
Founder, Essie Country 

Essie Country — promoting country music, the way it’s supposed to sound.