Bluegrass Survival

BLUEGRASS SURVIVAL

There was a young man came ‘round from the city
Wearing a worn-out guitar from a pawn shop sale
And his hair pulled back in a ponytail like a hippie
A darned ole hippie
What was he doing ‘round in our town

Then one morning at the town bluegrass picking
Where old men strummed guitars and the women tapped their toes
To fiddles, mandolins, doghouse bass, and old banjos
Came the hippie, in walked the hippie
What was he doing there with his long hair

Then his fingers started flying cross that old flat top
And the women started dancing and the men’s jaws dropped
Who was this smartass with his fancy bluegrass

But soon the old men were learning from the hippie
Singing brand new songs and flashing shiny new picks
They even let their hair grow out a little bit
Jjust a little, you gotta grow a little
But then so did the kid learn their licks

And he carried their music to a brand new crowd
Threw a few notes in took a few beats out
What a revival
For when he played their songs old became new
He gave that bluegrass sound a new attitude
Of survival

Then one night while out on the road ‘a picking
His ponytail long gone and his hair grown thin
Came a young boy chopping on a mandolin
Gave it a licking, man the boy could pick it
Little smartass with his fancy newgrass

The boy said “I like your style, man”, but I’d play it like this
And then he let loose with an explosion of licks
The crowd went wild
For when he played their songs old became new
He gave that bluegrass sound an adjustment attitude
Of survival

There was a young girl came ‘round from the city

And she carried their music to a brand new crowd
Threw a few notes in, took a few beats out
Bluegrass Survival

Written by Pamela Rose Gadd c2021
In loving memory of Ron Murphy and Tony Rice