Everything I Do (I Dun Fer You)

Some rollicking bluegrass as a spoon to the heart of Bryan Adams, Kevin Costner, and basically that whole period of the early 90s.

This is an entry for this month's "band you hate/song you hate" music challenge, but while I'm certainly over that gravely Canadian ballad thing I don't really hate the song and was pretty down with it when I was listening to nothing but soft rock during that odd middle part of my childhood. But my wife hates it with a passion, so I figured I should help her out.

My fingers still aren't fast enough to do the flashy bits that'd really make this a perfect breakneck bluegrass jam, but it's good enough and made me laugh a few times putting it together.

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posted by cortex (22 comments total)

I'm sorry, cortex, but this is so well-executed that the parody has redeemed the original. In fact, what I'd like more than anything is a "straight" version, without the (admittedly very) funny asides, so I can put this on a real playlist and enjoy the music without being reminded that it's a satire.
posted by bicyclefish at 1:00 PM on May 9, 2011

this is great, cortex.
posted by Richat at 1:14 PM on May 9, 2011

Dammit, cortex. This is so good.
posted by jnrussell at 2:06 PM on May 9, 2011

I'm going to have to agree with the consensus here. Ya dun good!
posted by languagehat at 2:38 PM on May 9, 2011

This. Is. Perfect.

And I don't know if you just haven't done anything this "hi-fi" for a while or I haven't listened to it, but I was a little surprised when it was all clean and sparkly. I dig.
posted by uncleozzy at 4:16 PM on May 9, 2011

I've been doing a lot of really really rushed (and often iphone-based) recordings the last few months when I've recorded at all, so, yeah, this definitely had more patience and care taken with it than a lot of that. Not a crazy amount, but I at least took a basic amount of time, mixed and waited and listened and mixed again, that sort of thing.
posted by cortex at 4:56 PM on May 9, 2011

Did "Jethro" just call the other guy a "twit"? He's been watching too much BBC.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:56 PM on May 9, 2011

Weeeeeelll Doggies! I'm with yer wife on this one. Hated the original...love this!

Clap. Stomp. Clap. Stomp. Etc.

*Imma cloggin'...barr foot!*
posted by snsranch at 6:03 PM on May 9, 2011

Did "Jethro" just call the other guy a "twit"?

That exchange is my remembered paraphrase of the exchange in the middle of Prince of Thieves between the Sheriff of Nottingham and his cousin Guy of Gisbourne. Alan Rickman as Nottingham was far and a way the best thing about that film.

According to some googling, Nottingham's actual name may have been George, and was almost certainly not Jethro, but I decided to take a liberty. I also considered swapping out "twit" for "git", but didn't like the way the latter ended up coming out.
posted by cortex at 6:07 PM on May 9, 2011

God. When the backing group chimes in I fair lost my shit.
posted by Jofus at 5:24 AM on May 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

This, sir, is brilliant. Kudos.
posted by aine42 at 8:02 AM on May 10, 2011

That is completely awesome.
posted by eggplantia5 at 8:05 AM on May 10, 2011

Honestly, this makes me want to film a remake of Prince of Thieves set in the Appalachians constructed entirely around this song. This is great.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 8:08 AM on May 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't even miss the accordion. Awesome.
posted by lysdexic at 8:13 AM on May 10, 2011

Honestly, this makes me want to film a remake of Prince of Thieves set in the Appalachians constructed entirely around this song. This is great.

I tried to think of a cheapo animated music video or something along those lines to make for it but nothing leapt to mind. Just running PoT footage double speed seemed like scraping the barrel.
posted by cortex at 8:29 AM on May 10, 2011

Holy crap, this just reminded me of another similar project: Rodeohead.
posted by mathowie at 10:26 AM on May 10, 2011

Yeah, Rodeohead is just fucking aces. Those guys have the bluegrass chops I wish I had.
posted by cortex at 10:45 AM on May 10, 2011

Dread Zeppelin?
posted by Joseph Gurl at 11:34 PM on May 10, 2011

OMG Rodeohead. Amazing.

(also, great job cortex!)
posted by nile_red at 1:04 AM on May 12, 2011

I know there's no winner in the MeFiMu challenges.

But this is very full of win. Well done cortex.
posted by eyeballkid at 9:26 AM on May 12, 2011

Wow. This is fantastic. Well done you!
posted by peachfuzz at 6:49 PM on May 13, 2011

Constructed entirely of the finest quality win
posted by Jonesisdying at 5:39 PM on May 14, 2011