There are many who insist that bluegrass didn’t exist until Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, adding his three-finger banjo style to the mix. FWIW, bluegrass music hasn’t been the same since.

Bill Monroe, otoh, insisted that his music had always been bluegrass – three-finger rolls, or not. His pre-1946 recordings – including this one from early 1945 – give listeners the chance to judge for themselves.

Here’s the lineup, and the instrumentation:

Bill Monroe – vocal & mandolin, Tex Willis – guitar, Chubby Wise – fiddle, Sally Ann Forrester – accordion, Cedric Rainwater – bass, Stringbean – banjo.

Let that sink in while you listen to Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys play “True Life Blues” – a story Monroe tells from a woman’s pov:

I hate to see the sun sink low
Just for a cause you ought to know
For it’s true love, I can’t forget
All of my sorrow, you’ll soon regret

You promised me love that was true
And I’m sorry to say that I believed in you
It’s all turned out just like a dream
Left me so sad in the world it seems

There’s dishes to wash and a house to clean
There’s washing to do, oh it seems so mean
There’s a million words, I can’t explain
Think of this girl before you change your name

They’ll go away and leave you at home
They never care, if you’re alone
They seem to forget, they’ve got a wife
This story is sad but it’s a true life