When you think of Dire Straits’ towering 1985 hit ‘Money For Nothing’, the first genre to come to mind is probably not bluegrass. The fiercely authentic group Greensky Bluegrass seems to have been out to change this, however, with the group uploading a stunning bluegrass version of the legendary song to YouTube and watching it rack up hundreds of thousands of views.
Trading electrifying rock riffs for banjos and upright basses, Greensky Bluegrass have arguably achieved the impossible with their cover, taking an iconic song and putting their own stamp on it without losing the essence of what made the original so great in the first place. Even hardcore Dire Straits fans are going crazy for the cover!
Viewers are particularly loving the bluesy vocals on the cover, which arguably put a whole new spin on the song’s lyrics. In fact, the comments are full of nothing but praise for the musicians on the cover and the bluegrass style of this unique cover. “Made my day and it’s only morning,” said one fan, whilst another revealed, “didn’t imagine this but I loved it.”
If any Music Man readers out there are already fans of Greensky Bluegrass, they will probably also know that the band is particularly famous for their amazing live shows. Check out a snippet of one via the video below, which shows the band delivering a stunning version of Pink Floyd’s ‘Time’ that the audience goes absolutely wild for.
If I had to choose one Greensky Bluegrass cover to listen to, however, I would almost certainly pick their take on Dire Straits’ ‘Money for Nothing’. It doesn’t get more authentically bluegrass than their take on the song, and it is refreshing to see such an original cover doing so well online.
Greensky Bluegrass have pulled off a remarkable reinvention of “Money for Nothing,” winning over rock purists and bluegrass fans alike.