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The Cure for Everything—Banjo Music
by Neale Osborn
[email protected]

Attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise

No politics, no guns, nothing but bluegrass tonight! Last night, I caught a few seconds of a commercial for Letterman. Steve Martin was holding a banjo on the commercial, so I set the DVR and toodled off to bed. I'm not a fan of Letterman, so I only wanted to watch Steve, especially if he was picking. Waaay back in the late 70s, Steve Martin observed that it was impossible to stay depressed or mad when listening to a banjo pickin'. He even felt that Nixon could have kept his job if he'd a just played the banjo at his last few press conferences. (Glad Tricky Dick didn't do it!) Hell, I'd even support.... Never mind. I DID say no politics here, tonight.

SO, I was watching Steve talk about his Banjo award, and my kids didn't believe that a "Wild and Crazy Guy" could pick a banjo. So I pulled up Steve and Earl Scruggs (Earl Scruggs and Friends) on YouTube and showed the boys Steve Martin playing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with the master. Well, one thing led to another, and we wound up listening to 5 different versions of "Duelling Banjos" on YouTube (Arguably the most recognizable bluegrass song to the non-fan, made popular by the 1973 movie "Deliverance". It's the song y'all refer to when y'all say "I hear Banjo Music! Paddle Faster!!)

I grew up with an Elvis Mom and a country and western father. I sang "Hound Dog" and "Wabash Cannonball" from the beginning. I've been a banjo fan for as long as I can remember. Now, my playlist includes everything from Metallica to Hank Sr. It is Heavy Metal for those late night tired drives. A mix of everything for working or playing. And blugrass for the blues. If you're down a little pickin' and grinnin' will fix you right up. Roy Clark coined the term "Pickin' and Grinnin' on HeeHaw in the 60s and early seventies. And tonight, I didn't even realize I needed a little pickin' to pick me up.

My wife and daughter are in Cincinatti, having Marie's trach removed (Out on Friday, she's doing GREAT!) I'm just sitting there, missing my girls, and the whole thing with the boys started. Next thing you know, I'm in a great mood, and now. I'm listening to a bunch of F&S, and writing about the cure for everything, BANJO MUSIC!! No matter what ails you, download a litlle "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", or "Earl's Breakdown", and whatever ails you will just leave. Hell, even if the song is about your girlfriend leavin', your impending execution, or orange blossoms, Bluegrass cures everything!

(Legal Disclaimer—we do NOT recommend actually using banjo music to cure diseases. Take the medicine the doctor gave you. Right NOW, Damnit!. Okay, NOW put on the banjo music, and the medicine will work better. SEE?)

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