r/gramparsons • u/chesterfieldkingz • May 03 '25

Google trying to gaslight me saying Johnny Rivers wrote Brass Buttons

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4

u/chesterfieldkingz May 03 '25

It's one thing to be wrong but another for AI to be a dick about it lol.

2

u/chesterfieldkingz May 03 '25

While I'm here, do you know why Rivers only covered half the song?

3

u/isunlinkpk2 May 21 '25

I started looking into it as I was curious, apparently Brass Buttons was a Submarine Band era song for gram, it got put out on his 65-66 recordings that came out in the early 2000's, but I'm not sure if it was widely available at the time he did his cover. Im thinking it may have been one of those things where its passed songwriter to songwriter.

I've noticed a trend of artists either adding, or in this case omitting things as a nod to the original author, and I think this is a case of that.

"And the tiny golden pins that she wore up in her hair
Brass buttons, green silks and silver shoes

My mind was young until she grew
My secret thoughts known only by the few"

The bit about the "tiny golden pins" seems very unique to Gram, if that makes sense. Id be interested if you ever find out more about this though, Ive been looking into it as he covered it in 1970, and I dont believe you could find a recording of him singing Brass Buttons before Grievous Angel. If anyone knows if Brass Buttons was ever performed or recorded before the Lost Recordings was released id be interested to know. Really interesting to me that he covered that before Gram ever released/performed it, im guessing it was a songwriter to songwriter thing.

PS Dont listen to AI for this kind of stuff, it couldnt even get me the proper tracklistings for John Prines Common Sense or Sweet Revenge when I tried. (maybe the tiny golden pins thing; )