Bluegrass Joy Unleashed: The Energetic Ode to Fiddle Music
If “Sleep On” was the gentle lullaby of Alison Krauss’s early career, then “Sawing On The Strings” is the ecstatic, up-tempo celebration of the very music that defines her. This song is pure, high-spirited bluegrass, capturing the infectious joy of a traditional mountain party where the music is the only thing that matters.
“Sawing On The Strings” is a classic piece of bluegrass lore. It was written by Lewis Compton and has been a staple in the repertoire of acoustic musicians for decades, famously recorded by the legendary David Grisman in 1976. Alison Krauss’s version—often performed live with her longtime band Union Station and featured on her 2007 compilation album, A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection—is a vibrant, modern standard.
The song is a musical story, a clear-eyed piece of Americana paying tribute to a great, mythical figure of the Appalachian mountains: “Fiddlin’ Will.”
The lyrics tell the tale of an old mountaineer whose musical talent brings the entire community together:
Way back in the mountains, Way back in the hills There used to live a mountaineer They called him fiddlin’ Will. He could play most anything And some say he could sing But the one thing that he liked to do best Was sawing on the strings.
The phrase “sawing on the strings” is a colloquial and affectionate term for playing the fiddle with vigorous, uninhibited energy—the very sound that gets feet moving at a “shindig” or a “frolic.” The meaning is entirely about the raw, visceral power of the music: the energy of a five-string banjo, the thump of a tapping toe, and the collective noise that makes the “rafters ring.”
In Alison Krauss‘s hands, “Sawing On The Strings” bursts with life. It provides a thrilling contrast to her softer, more introspective ballads, allowing her to showcase her world-class dexterity on the fiddle. Her playing is fast, clean, and utterly captivating, perfectly backed by the impeccable musicianship of her band. The vocal delivery, usually traded between Krauss and her bandmates (such as Dan Tyminski or Sam Bush in live settings), is joyful and celebratory, inviting everyone to join the party.
This track is the sound of tradition being kept alive, vibrant, and fun. It’s a reminder that Krauss, for all her pop and country acclaim, is fundamentally rooted in the high-octane spirit of bluegrass—a genre built on storytelling, virtuosity, and the sheer, unbridled love of playing fast and playing hard.