Why cant they just leave us alone?

**journeybear** · Aug-03-2012, 2:24pm

Well, the recording existed before the video, so the video director and/or producer had nothing to do with the instrumentation. The mise en scene, OK, though Taylor surely had some input there. My understanding is she has tremendous clout in Nashviklle these days owing to her immense sales figures and numerous awards (testaments to her popularity within the industry as well as the public), and she hardly needs to cash in on the vast bluegrass market and the untold dozens of albums she could sell to those consumers. I think this is more just an example of her imaginative approach to songwriting, arranging, and producing. She wanted a bluegrass feel for this song, so she went for it. Using a banjitar or guitarjo (never can remember what it's called; someone in Shakira's band played one on a song, too) enabled her to contribute that sound to the mix without having to learn the banjo. (I think there would be a majority here wishing there be no increase in the number of banjo pickers, anyway.) She played this on live appearances on talk shows, too, so it wasn't just for the recording. That leads me to think that is how she heard the song in her head. It's all good, as far as I'm concerned, or as much as I care. (Just a bit.)

**Mandolin Mick** · Aug-03-2012, 2:51pm

Well, I guess it came across as a backhanded compliment, I'll give you that. However, I'll tell you who wades into Bluegrass waters occasionally, and I wish would just come over to our side is Patty Loveless!

**sarai** · Aug-03-2012, 3:24pm

and I wish would just come over to our side is Patty Loveless!

AGREED. Love her voice in the bluegrass genre - and her ability to sing harmonies. I don't care for her as a country artist per se.

**Mike Bunting** · Aug-03-2012, 4:42pm

Agree for sure on Patty Loveless, she can sing.

**journeybear** · Aug-03-2012, 11:14pm

I thought she did venture into bluegrass now and then, or worked bluegrass into her music sometimes. Hasn't she worked with Tim O'Brien some? Maybe that's Kathy Mattea. Martina McBride is also one of the good ones, far better than standard Nashville fare.

**Marty Henrickson** · Aug-04-2012, 8:58am

Originally Posted by journeybear

I thought she did venture into bluegrass now and then, or worked bluegrass into her music sometimes. Hasn't she worked with Tim O'Brien some? Maybe that's Kathy Mattea. Martina McBride is also one of the good ones, far better than standard Nashville fare.

Originally Posted by Mandolin Mick

However, I'll tell you who wades into Bluegrass waters occasionally, and I wish would just come over to our side is Patty Loveless!

Read, JB. They want her to come over to the bluegrass side and STAY.

**billkilpatrick** · Aug-04-2012, 9:22am

sorry guys ... music is bigger and better and much more funner than what any of those nasty ol' bg nazis would have us believe:

**Pete Summers** · Aug-04-2012, 10:07am

Originally Posted by billkilpatrick

sorry guys ... music is bigger and better and much more funner than what any of those nasty ol' bg nazis would have us believe:

Thanks for that charming and delightful video. What a little doll.

**journeybear** · Aug-04-2012, 12:43pm

Originally Posted by Marty Henrickson

Read, JB. They want her to come over to the bluegrass side and STAY.

Hmmm ... mebbe them country folks want the bluegrass folks to just leave THEM alone!

Can't we all just ... get along?

**catmandu2** · Aug-04-2012, 12:54pm

Bill is that your girl?--very well! My kids say they don't know the song but they are obviously impressed...but they say "It looks more like a banjo than a mandolin"... Typical Americans I guess

**Marty Henrickson** · Aug-04-2012, 1:07pm

Originally Posted by journeybear

Hmmm ... mebbe them country folks want the bluegrass folks to just leave THEM alone!

Can't we all just ... get along?

LOL.

My nine-year-old daughter, a big Taylor Swift fan (well, I think she's more of a Carrie Underwood fan now, but she was on a big TS kick a while back), will sometimes get on me and her older sister's case for teasing her. She'll say, "Why have you two got to be so mean?", at which time the older sister and I will instantaneously launch into "Why you gotta be so mean?" (in perfect two-part harmony), and the 9-year-old says "STOP!" Good times.

**journeybear** · Aug-04-2012, 6:01pm

Ya see? This stuff really DOES bring people together. Even people with as little in common as two sisters. And their dad.

I like to think the song's ability to provide emotional support and healing outweighs the divisiveness of the title and theme of this thread. But then, I'm a hopeless idealist.

**Marty Henrickson** · Aug-04-2012, 6:28pm

Originally Posted by journeybear

Ya see? This stuff really DOES bring people together. Even people with as little in common as two sisters. And their dad.

I like to think the song's ability to provide emotional support and healing outweighs the divisiveness of the title and theme of this thread. But then, I'm a hopeless idealist.

That's what we like about you, man - the sparkling idealism. But I must refute one minor point - my wife says my daughters are just like me - much to her consternation!

**mandolino maximus** · Aug-05-2012, 1:11pm

Congratulations to OP. Looking back through the last 10 pages of bluegrass threads, this seems to be easily the most viewed thread unless I missed something. You might say it's downright emblematic. Not many chords, but a lot of picking.

**journeybear** · Aug-05-2012, 1:25pm

OH!!! You mean this kind of picking!

**billkilpatrick** · Aug-05-2012, 1:33pm

" ... ballll-zac!"

**sarai** · Aug-06-2012, 4:02pm

Martina McBride is also one of the good ones, far better than standard Nashville fare.

I have never really heard Martina sing harmonies - don't get me wrong, I love her a ton I used to listen to her constantly. But I like Patty because of her ability to blend in and sing harmonies too as part of the group. NOnetheless it would be interesting to hear Martina sing some bluegrass style music ind more of a group setting.

The little girl is a doll! And how great that she is coordinated to sing and play with great timing - not easy for everyone so she is quite mature to do this so young.

**jim farmer** · Aug-15-2012, 11:15am

Mizer Madison....pickin' mando for Miss Swift??

**Jim Yates** · Aug-15-2012, 2:13pm

I like this a lot better than most of the new country stuff. I won't buy a CD, since it's not my type of music, but it's fine for what it is, better than How Do You Like Me Now ? or Achy Breaky Heart.
I just can't figure out why some folks think she's trying to play bluegrass. She hasn't called it bluegrass. Acoustic instruments doesn't mean "bluegrass".
Some folks called Oh Brother a bluegrass movie. It also had very little bluegrass.

**JeffD** · Aug-15-2012, 3:32pm

Anything with a round instrument resembling a banjo is "bluegrass" to the general music consuming audience. The distinctions we all make are important, but only to us, inside what Niles calls the "bluegrass bubble".

**Mike Bunting** · Aug-15-2012, 3:53pm

Originally Posted by Jim Yates

I like this a lot better than most of the new country stuff. I won't buy a CD, since it's not my type of music, but it's fine for what it is, better than How Do You Like Me Now ? or Achy Breaky Heart.
I just can't figure out why some folks think she's trying to play bluegrass. She hasn't called it bluegrass. Acoustic instruments doesn't mean "bluegrass".
Some folks called Oh Brother a bluegrass movie. It also had very little bluegrass.

Not everyone has said that she was attempting to play bluegrass, I, for one, just said it was lousy music.

**JEStanek** · Aug-15-2012, 9:19pm

The Squirrel Nut Zippers (and Catherine Whalen on banjo) certainly kicked off a hot jazz revival in the late 90s were never called bluegrass.

Jamie

**mahoganyfolk.com** · Aug-21-2012, 6:08pm

ohhh i really don't like taylor swift.. I really don't.

**Nick Triesch** · Aug-21-2012, 8:16pm

Because of Taylor Swift more young people are picking up acoustic instruments than ever before and learning to play and write songs. That is a very good thing. The same thing happened to me in 1964 when the Beatles came out. Everyone was buying guitars. She is one of the most successful singer songwriters in pop/country history....and she is only 22.