# Steve Martin's 1977 "Let's Get Small" Album--What's the Banjo Song on Track 3?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 28, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379 "2014-12-28T20:27:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Codex33486](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@Codex33486](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Codex33486)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/1 "2014-12-28T20:27:48Z")

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Hello, Dopers; Codex10168 here.

Steve Martin’s 1977 comedy album, “Let’s Get Small.” Track 3, which is entitled “Let’s Get Small” has a banjo tune that starts at about 11:30 into the 15-minute-long track.

What the heck is that tune? I’m sure it’s probably something everybody knows–everybody but me, that is.

It’s the tune he plays as he does the bit “you just can’t play a sad song when you’re playing the banjo. You just can’t go ‘oh death and grieve and sorry and hurt…’”

Thanks!..Codex33486

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**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/2 "2014-12-28T21:02:46Z")

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[Cued up on YouTube.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WPgurvq6MIU#t=681)

CMC fnord!

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**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/3 "2014-12-28T21:26:49Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> 12/28/2014 12:18:57
> 
> Hello, banjo folks; Codex10168 here.
> 
> Steve Martin’s 1977 comedy album, “Let’s Get Small.” Track 3, which is entitled “Let’s Get Small” has a banjo tune that starts at about 11:30 into the 15-minute-long track.
> 
> What the heck is that tune? I’m sure it’s probably something everybody knows–everybody but me, that is.
> 
> It’s the tune he plays as he does the bit “you just can’t play a sad song when you’re playing the banjo. You just can’t go ‘oh death and grieve and sorry and hurt…’”

[Strange coincidence](http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/296805) I guess?

It’s not _8 more miles to Louisville_?

CMC fnord!

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**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/4 "2014-12-28T21:51:29Z")

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[Here’s a link to the tab](http://www.banjohangout.org/tab/browse.asp?m=detail&v=20962) just in case you want to start working on it…

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/5 "2014-12-29T01:08:37Z")

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**Moderator Action**

Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society.

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**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/6 "2014-12-29T01:21:46Z")

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> [@Codex33486](#):
>
> {…} 'oh death and grieve and sorry and hurt {…}

BTW It’s “Oh death and grief and sorrow and murder”.

CMC fnord!

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**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/7 "2014-12-31T03:09:40Z")

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Grandpa Jones on YouTube: [Grandpa Jones - Eight More Miles to Louisville - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AA5ci4TogQ)

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steve-martins-1977-lets-get-small-album-whats-the-banjo-song-on-track-3/708379/8 "2014-12-31T17:40:18Z")

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Man I used to have the album memorized.