This is yet another instance where I have to show how out of the loop I am in regard to modern pop and hip-hop. I came into this song having no idea what “Old Town Road” was or that it was prominent (much like I did with MartyParty’s “Sicko Mode” Remix).
And as a result, I’m torn between two philosophies: do I A. Just post the song and let it stand alone as its own work or B. Follow the doctrine of the pursuit of knowledge by researching and writing about the history of the song? I’m going to try to do both.
If you’re just here for the music and not the news, history, or potential politics then don’t read past the first divider.
This is Meaux Green’s remix of “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X by Nine Inch Nails (more on that below). This is exactly the kind of song that I’ve been wanting to see from Meaux Green ever since his remix of “I Wish” by Skee Lo.
In electronic music I love the blending of traditional cultural elements with modern sound design. The present track maintains the twang of a banjo from the original. When you’re remixing and blending these dichotomous sounds you can create a divide between the chorus and verse. I think that a good balance is struck here by Meaux Green which keeps the song cohesive.
And now for a comprehensive overview of the genesis of the aforementioned song.
In December of 2018, Lil Nas X released a song entitled “Old Town Road” with a music video featuring clips from Red Dead Redemption 2 (shown below).
The video lay untouched for some time, but in March 2019 things started to pop off (see below trend). At the time of this article’s writing, the video has gained more than 15 million views. It’s worth noting that prior to “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X was relatively undiscovered. However, his first song, “Shame,” was released in May of 2018, so it didn’t take him long to make something that went viral.
During this explosion, the song began to climb the charts and someone at Billboard thought that it should be labeled as a country song. I don’t know about you, but I immediately associated this with hip-hop. We could discuss what qualifies a song for a certain genre but that conversation would continue ad infinitum.
In March of 2019, Billboard removed the song from their country chart, presumably because they didn’t think that the song fit that category. Since they have nothing better to do, people became outraged and many believed that it was a deliberate attempt to slight Lil Nas X. For some reason those people fail to accept that the song still appears on Billboard’s “Top 100” list. But should we be surprised by the media outrage? Unfortunately, no. They make their money when they manufacture controversy where none exists.
Lil Nas X has publicly expressed regret that the song was booted from the country list, but in all actuality that move will likely gain the song even more publicity.
So what about the original itself? Actually, it may be a little bit of a stretch calling “Old Town Road” the “original.” Have a listen to this (15 to 20 seconds should suffice)
Yeah, “34 Ghosts IV” was plopped right into Lil Nas X’s song. Vocals and percussion were added alongside a tempo adjustment, but it’s pretty obvious where the song gets most of its instrumental track.
(Ghosts I-IV was an instrumental project by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails which consisted of four segments each with 9 songs. “34 Ghosts IV” means that it’s track number 34/36 and was on the 4th [IV] section of the album)
It’s at this point we could have another debate–this time about what constitutes stealing and what is fair use. Legally I’m not sure what the protocol is. However, if I was Nine Inch Nails I would have at the very least expected a credit. It’s entirely possible that they have the legal standing to collect all the revenue from “Old Town Road.” It’s also possible that the use qualifies as “significant modification” that would free the song from other ownership claims.
So there you have it. Those are the pertinent facts of the matter. But one question remains: what does “I got horses in the back” mean? My first guess is that it refers to driving a mid or rear-engine car, an allusion to the drivetrain setup where the horsepower is generated from a power plant situated behind the driver. As a result, “I got horses in the back” would be a flex since those cars are generally exotics. It could also mean that you’re hauling a livestock trailer and you literally have horses behind your truck. I don’t know and I probably shouldn’t care, but I remain curious.
