Buddur - Posted - 07/10/2017:  08:25:11

Is it?

I have ask because I wrote a song (it pretty much wrote itself) called Bluegrass Ass when I was down with the flu and 102.7 F temp.   Our band have been playing it for a while now, however, we just got done recording a CD of all original tunes and now that it is going to press one of our band members suddenly wants me to change the name.  I don't want to.  The song is about a guy who had a dream, and in the dream he happens upon a grange where Flatt & Scruggs are playing, while there he sees a woman dancing and she has a banjo butt.  

The chorus goes like this... She had a banjo butt, she was tearin' it up. Boogie oogie oogie she was making the cut.  Just tearin' up the floor, cuttin' the grass...that backwoods music Momma' s got a bluegrass ass.

In this de-sensitized world live in I simply don't see the title as an issue.  Frankly, I think it will spur curiosity and make people want to listen to it simply out of curiosity.  I'll post it in the Sound Off section once the CD is out.

Am I missing something?  Is the title too much to put on a CD?  If I'm wrong, please help me understand?

Edit:  To hear the song, I uploaded the pre-mix version to my homepage.

Edited by - Buddur on 07/11/2017 15:26:16

pickin_fool - Posted - 07/10/2017:  08:31:48

i am pretty sure you can get away with it..theres been worse cussin done on songs..lol..listen to the WHO live at leeds...young man blues...SWEEEEEEEET **** ALL

Tobus - Posted - 07/10/2017:  08:33:40

I don't think I would put it in the "bad word" category like some others.  But it's certainly not a word one uses in polite conversation.  It's one of those "trashy" words that doesn't quite reach the level of real obscenity.  Yet not the sort of thing you'd want to say to your mother.

That said, I certainly would  not want to listen to a bluegrass song with content like you describe.  No offense to your creativity or anything.  But that level of ...well ...trashiness has already taken hold in the Country & Western scene, and I had better hopes for the bluegrass scene.  I'm not an old fuddy-duddy or anything, but there's an art to keeping it classy, y'know?

AndrewD - Posted - 07/10/2017:  08:39:01

Not here its not. Whereas arse....

The BHO brother who called me an a**hole in a PM last week (you know who you are) should have known that I am in fact an arsehole

The acid test is that BHO didn't change it to a**.

Edit: But the BHO fairy does put asterisks in a**hole. 

but not  arsehole...

Edited by - AndrewD on 07/10/2017 08:41:38

rinemb - Posted - 07/10/2017:  08:42:21

Talk to my wife, and you would think she was married to a donkey.   Brad

Owen - Posted - 07/10/2017:  09:07:33

quote:

---

Originally posted by AndrewD

 

Not here its not. Whereas arse....

The BHO brother who called me an a**hole in a PM last week (you know who you are) should have known that I am in fact an arsehole

The acid test is that BHO didn't change it to a**.

 

Edit: But the BHO fairy does put asterisks in a**hole. 

but not  arsehole...

---

"Blackhorse" is a Newfieland beer.  But to my "from away" ears it sounds like the locals are saying "Blackarse."

As to the acceptability of any word, I suppose it pretty much depends on the [anticipated] audience... like Tobus says...classy or trashy or somewhere in between?   

mbuk06 - Posted - 07/10/2017:  09:08:56

It's just a word. And even the words that might cause the vicar to over-dunk his cookie and let it drop into his tea all have good old English roots.

That said, if we refer to someone as an ass/arse (or don't answer correctly when our wife asks how hers looks in her new jeans) we generally find ourselves in hot water. 

Edited by - mbuk06 on 07/10/2017 09:09:29

raharris - Posted - 07/10/2017:  09:15:29

It's a matter of context. If used in an angry, derisive or sexist way the answer might be "yes." If used as a descriptor the answer is likely 'no."

pickin_fool - Posted - 07/10/2017:  09:53:18

would also help if we could hear the music to it..if the music is good..its acceptable

Buddur - Posted - 07/10/2017:  09:54:49

quote:

---

Originally posted by raharris

 

It's a matter of context.

---

Some good food for thought so far.

Would it be better to hear the song in order to understand the context?   It's a silly song, even the first line states it...One late night I was feeling really silly, and on the television was the Beverly Hillbillys...

Edit: I uploaded the song and it can be found in my homepage.  It's the pre-mix version and I probably shouldn't be putting it out yet since the CD is not out...so I'll leave it up for a little while.

Edited by - Buddur on 07/10/2017 10:02:56

pickin_fool - Posted - 07/10/2017:  10:02:51

silly songs are good...eg..kickin mule

Banjo Lefty - Posted - 07/10/2017:  10:41:13

Yet another song about the importance of a woman's appearance. Sigh.

donc - Posted - 07/10/2017:  11:26:39

It can also be a regional thing. We were taught that ass was o.k. if you referring to a donkey. Calling somebody a silly ass was o.k. but you could not call someone a dirty ass. Other trashy words like 'crap' seem to vary. My dad was a man of high morals but he would often refer to something as crappy. I was told by a teacher not to use that word in public.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 07/10/2017:  11:27:21

Banjo Lefty:  I always heard when a man stops looking, he's dead.  I always told my husband he could look, but better not touch.  I can remember times I even nudged him and pointed to a beautiful lady so he wouldn't miss seeing her beautiful face and fantastic figure.  No sexual references meant, just looking at a nice looking woman.  

In that particular song that he's talking about, what would you call her rear end, her butt, her derriere, her hind quarters?  None of those rhyme with grass so.... I see nothing wrong with using the word ass.  It doesn't upset me.  Everyone has one. 

steve davis - Posted - 07/10/2017:  11:38:30

Ass is a bad-ass word.

It even has curves.

Edited by - steve davis on 07/10/2017 11:39:26

DeanT - Posted - 07/10/2017:  14:15:04

Jesus rode an ass into Jeruselium. So if the woman had a bluegrass donkey butt...

Roxsanne - Posted - 07/10/2017:  14:41:15

Mmmm.. is the inner sanctum door about to be smashed by rule nudging posts?... 

​

Omeboy - Posted - 07/10/2017:  14:50:42

One day after school, a little Timothy asked his dad if "Rotterdam" was a bad word.

His dad said: "Not at all, Timmy.  In fact Rotterdam is a perfectly good word.  Why do you ask?"

Timmy broke into a grin and said: "Well my teacher has poison ivy pretty bad and I hope it'll rotterdam arm off!!!"

donc - Posted - 07/10/2017:  16:00:22

quote:

---

Originally posted by DeanT

 

Jesus rode an ass into Jeruselium. So if the woman had a bluegrass donkey butt...

---

One of those guys in the bible was made of rubber. It was noted that he tied his ass to a tree and walked into Jerusalem. 

Roxsanne - Posted - 07/10/2017:  16:06:50

quote:

---

Originally posted by donc

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by DeanT

 

Jesus rode an ass into Jeruselium. So if the woman had a bluegrass donkey butt...

---

One of those guys in the bible was made of rubber. It was noted that he tied his ass to a tree and walked into Jerusalem. 

---

..can you explain?..why wasn't the donkey ridden into town?..

donc - Posted - 07/10/2017:  16:11:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roxsanne

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by donc

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by DeanT

 

Jesus rode an ass into Jeruselium. So if the woman had a bluegrass donkey butt...

---

One of those guys in the bible was made of rubber. It was noted that he tied his ass to a tree and walked into Jerusalem. 

---

..can you explain?..why wasn't the donkey ridden into town?..

---

Probably like downtown Vancouver. The parking is expensive even if you are able to find it.  .... remember you are reading this on BHO so it has to be true. 

Roxsanne - Posted - 07/10/2017:  16:27:35

Am I missing something?  Is the title too much to put on a CD?  If I'm wrong, please help me understand?..

yes,,its wrong, you should alter the title. suffecent enough for verses to include that word,,however, and remember, if the CD title was discussed in say a teens house, that word will, or may resound {how said} awkwardly and become soo embarrising,  to his/her,  thier parents ears,,could maybe cause a issue,,??..i don't care for it...come up for different title?

"Bluegrass Bess"  or something?..i'm sorry you did ask though..

mike gregory - Posted - 07/10/2017:  16:38:58

Bluegrass songs have adultery, murder, robbery, child abuse, warfare.

If those words aren't too AWFUL to be heard by Decent People, I'm guessing that "ass" isn't as bad.

SURVEY:

Which would YOU rather see?

A happy dancer with a happy ass, or a coal miner's child weeping because her father died in a mine disaster?
A happy dancer with a happy ass, or Pretty Polly being stabbed in the heart?
I could keep asking variations on this theme, all evening.

But, like the blizzard said to the driveway" "I'm sure you catch my drift!"

Roxsanne - Posted - 07/10/2017:  16:56:26

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quote

OP was discussing the CD’s title, not the verses...{smiley} ?? the written word as opposed the spoken..my drift??​

---

Originally posted by mike gregory

 

Bluegrass songs have adultery, murder, robbery, child abuse, warfare.



If those words aren't too AWFUL to be heard by Decent People, I'm guessing that "ass" isn't as bad.



SURVEY:



Which would YOU rather see?



A happy dancer with a happy ass, or a coal miner's child weeping because her father died in a mine disaster?

A happy dancer with a happy ass, or Pretty Polly being stabbed in the heart?

I could keep asking variations on this theme, all evening.



But, like the blizzard said to the driveway" "I'm sure you catch my drift!"

---

Edited by - Roxsanne on 07/10/2017 16:58:28

mike gregory - Posted - 07/10/2017:  17:36:09

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banjo Lefty

 

Yet another song about the importance of a woman's appearance. Sigh.

---

One cannot HELP but notice!

As three of the world's GREATEST poets have written:

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

-Billy Bob Shakespeare-

"When you're hot, you're HOT!"

-Jerry Reed-

"Her jeans were tight as a banjo head"

-Mike Gregory-

gone - Posted - 07/10/2017:  18:31:21

In what you call this desensitized world, there's a lot worse being taken for normal behavior.

Marc

mike gregory - Posted - 07/10/2017:  18:56:04

"Her Bluegrass glutes were a pair of beauts!"

Hey, I like the title.
No need to change it.
No matter WHAT anybody says or does, SOMEBODY is going to CHOOSE to PERCEIVE it as being absolutely AWFUL.

Let he who is without stones, cast the first sin!

511nfs - Posted - 07/10/2017:  19:10:51

I wouldn't get too anal about the whole thing...

Rawhide Creek - Posted - 07/10/2017:  20:16:05

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike gregory

 

"Her Bluegrass glutes were a pair of beauts!"



Hey, I like the title.

No need to change it.

No matter WHAT anybody says or does, SOMEBODY is going to CHOOSE to PERCEIVE it as being absolutely AWFUL.



Let he who is without stones, cast the first sin!

---

Or, as the theater critic wrote,

"Let he who is without sin stone the cast first . . . "

Or the poet who wrote:

I am a conscientious man.

When I throw rocks at sea birds,

I leave no tern unstoned;

And when I portray baboons,

I leave no stern untoned.

Kenneth Logsdon - Posted - 07/10/2017:  20:21:01

Wouldn't worry about it too much... Look at that Wagon Wheel song.. Sure ain't about rocking the newborn..

Buddur - Posted - 07/10/2017:  21:17:52

Turns out the issue was much ado about nothing, which was pretty much how I saw it anyways.

Our band played at a local brew pub tonight and we got to discuss the matter face to face.  Ended up beforehand he asked alot of people their opinion, even a local radio bluegrass DJ and the engineer who recorded the song for us.  Based on an idea he asked for a compromise that was writing the title as Bluegrass @$$ using symbols instead of letters.  Heck, since the symbols are so obvious you might as well use real letters cause there's not much difference I told him.  

So you know, there has never been crazy issues between anyone in the band, and that imo has kept us together for so long.  It was just weird since no one has ever expressed an issue like this until now.   

Anywhoo... Tonight there were alot of people dancing in front of the stage and it went over well enough that at the end of the set he told me that he'll accept the name as is, that he's heard from both sides and seen the light, and that the name wasn't really as bad as he had originally thought.   

To me there was really no issue, but it sure got me wondering though.  Is ass really bad word?  It's not when your woman has a banjo butt.

donc - Posted - 07/10/2017:  22:26:30

Did you hear about the snake who played Bluegrass for a living ? He was so poor he didn't have pit to hiss in.

mbuk06 - Posted - 07/11/2017:  01:29:25

Maybe we need the cultured thoughts of an expert on this subject? Let's wake and ask Father Jack...

Edited by - mbuk06 on 07/11/2017 01:30:43

Father Jack

 

mike gregory - Posted - 07/11/2017:  03:12:05

Unfamiliar with the Father Jack character, I looked for him on youtube, with the keywords
Father Jack Comedy

Funny guy!
Thanks for the info.

(Still, I'd rather watch a happy woman dancing to bluegrass.)

gradelyduck - Posted - 07/11/2017:  03:37:09

Bet your sweet bippy.

Edited by - gradelyduck on 07/11/2017 03:38:16

kevin chilton - Posted - 07/11/2017:  04:24:41

That aint no part of nothin.

OM45GE - Posted - 07/11/2017:  05:11:26

Glad you resolved the issue Tom.

For what it's worth, the fact that you asked the question and that the issue came up is proof that the word is controversial. If your song had been titled "Bluegrass Baby", you never would have started the conversation. 

Personally, I don't' find it offensive, but then I worked in the trucking industry for years and have heard it all.  I'm guessing that for every person who's offended there's at least one who will take a listen because of the title.

The lyrics you posted are catchy. Do you have a sound clip?

steve davis - Posted - 07/11/2017:  05:51:13

Bluegrass also has an ass at its end,so it must be OK.

Helix - Posted - 07/11/2017:  07:09:01

Send my mouth way sown South and kiss my *** goodbye. Ross Nickerson, Let's kick some ***


Try not to covet yer neighbors' ***, or your neighbor's wife's ***

Or the Mumfords' : I came from Alabama with a Banjo, going to Louisiana with a Banjo.

banyes - Posted - 07/11/2017:  07:29:53

If you take the word "ass" out of your songs you'll rectum.

Buddur - Posted - 07/11/2017:  11:03:16

quote:

---

Originally posted by OM45GE

 

Glad you resolved the issue Tom.

For what it's worth, the fact that you asked the question and that the issue came up is proof that the word is controversial. If your song had been titled "Bluegrass Baby", you never would have started the conversation. 

Personally, I don't' find it offensive, but then I worked in the trucking industry for years and have heard it all.  I'm guessing that for every person who's offended there's at least one who will take a listen because of the title.

The lyrics you posted are catchy. Do you have a sound clip?

---

You can find the sound file on my homepage.  I'll leave it up for maybe another day, then take it down until I can post the final mix version that will be on our CD.

No one else in the band took issue with the name, as per the conversations last night.  What was hard to believe was the person who did take issue is very liberal who likes controversy and isn't afraid to offend others.  He was relentless up to the end...I say he was insisting...he says he was recommending...well, his recommending was as if he was going to pursue the issue until he got his way.  At the end of the night, it was water under the bridge, and we had a blast playing to a great crowd.

I should mention that another song by our guitar player on our CD is titled "Hell On Wheels".   I guess in the hierarchy of swear words, hell is not as bad as ass.

Edited by - Buddur on 07/11/2017 11:07:31

mike gregory - Posted - 07/11/2017:  11:19:59

Sodium is poison.
Chlorine is poison.
But, mix them together, and you have a perfectly necessary part of the human diet.

By the same method, you take the first half of ONE cuss word, the second half of another cuss word, stick them together, and end up with "HECK", a word so mild as to generally pass even the most stringent bans on cussing.

In the wonderful world of playing with words, one might shout or growl "FULL HECK!", thereby using a perfect anagram of the two words, while offending almost no one.

donc - Posted - 07/11/2017:  12:36:53

In 1901 it was considered very distasteful to describe something good as being 'swell'.

Omeboy - Posted - 07/11/2017:  15:14:43

I think someone mentioned that abbreviations can be problematic.

Some many months ago, General Electric was looking into buying some of Halliburton's assets. But I'm afraid the shortened headline didn't quite make that clear:

Helix - Posted - 07/11/2017:  19:26:09

Mother, Mary of Jeezo, I hope this hope is not for naught

overhere - Posted - 07/12/2017:  04:45:43

Using words that imply rather than leave no doubt is one of the trickery of song writing in a particular field where it’s important not to offend. You have to know and read the audience you are trying to reach. Bluegrass as a tradition implies but hardly ever offends. So thinking deeply while writing is an asset. ....again, IMO

Edited by - overhere on 07/12/2017 04:46:09

steve davis - Posted - 07/12/2017:  08:45:54

I used to work for a landscaper in R.I.
On the front edge of his F-250 hood he had "Grassworks" painted in 3" letters.

When he put on his snowplow rig the headlights hid the "Gr and ks" and it read asswor.

Buddur - Posted - 07/12/2017:  09:07:47

quote:

---

Originally posted by steve davis

 

I used to work for a landscaper in R.I.

On the front edge of his F-250 hood he had "Grassworks" painted in 3" letters.



When he put on his snowplow rig the headlights hid the "Gr and ks" and it read asswor.

---

Too funny.  Somthing similar is... Our old mandolin player, his wife had a car with a blue bumper sticker that said "My Grass Is Blue".  A friend of theirs, a painter, was doing work at their house and used blue painters tape to cover the "Gr" of grass.   She drove around for a long time with the sticker saying "My ass Is Blue"

Edited by - Buddur on 07/12/2017 09:08:33

hardleydavidson - Posted - 07/12/2017:  09:22:37

Growing up words like Ass or Bum were strict no-no's in our house, we simply didn't talk about such things

Edited by - hardleydavidson on 07/12/2017 09:22:53