Must not diss women

Controversy in the world of Bluegrass

When I started this piece on Thursday October 3, I had simply intended to write a brief acknowledgement of Junior Sisk's reasoned decision, seven months or more in coming, to remove the offensive and questionable Old Bicycle Chain from his live set.

The song, written by Billy Smith, Marilyn Smith, and Kenny Mullins, is included on "The Story of the Day I Died" and features the pointed lyrics "It is never too late to change your ways dear, fix your mistakes and take the blame..."

Had the songwriters stopped there, we wouldn't be embroiled in one of the most pointless and divisive arguments to hit the bluegrass world since someone suggested 'a big tent.'

In this song which has been variously described by some supporters as hilarious and harmless, the female spouse has caused offense by leaving the car on empty, drinking the last cup of coffee, faking headaches, and disturbing her husband's rest, and is therefore naturally threatened with "I'll whip you with an old bicycle chain" should she choose to "come back and mess 'round here."

As difficult as it may be for some readers to believe, there are those who support this song. It is hilarious, they suggest, a great novelty tune where no one is actually injured. Threats don't harm anyone, right? The associated hilarity escapes me, as it does folks much wiser than me- Pete Wernick, Laurie Lewis, Terry Herd, and Archie Warnock among them.

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