The Brothers Osborne Premiere ‘It Ain’t My Fault’ VEVO Footnotes
In the new episode, John and T.J. Osborne talk presidential scandals and knowing when you have a hit on your hands.
The Brothers Osborne are the latest artists to stop by VEVO Footnotes, breaking down the inspirations behind and execution of the video for their hit song “It Ain’t My Fault.” Released in 2017, the video plays on the infamous “Ex-Presidents” gang in 1991’s Point Break while also sending up real-life political scandals.
John and T.J. Osborne wrote the song with Lee Thomas Miller, who suggested they pen lyrics exploring avoiding blame for ones actions. “We knew instantly it was a special song, but it was when we played it live that we knew it was going to be one of our biggest songs,” T.J. explained.
In the video, T.J. and John only appear at the very beginning, when a gang of four robbers wearing Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump masks, respectively, hold up their pawn shop and make off with money, sunglasses and more. As the video progresses, it pokes fun at the headline-making behavior of some of the aforementioned presidents. (At one point, a getaway driver in a Hillary Clinton mask even appears to rescue Bill.)
“It’s only natural for there to be hesitation when you’re essentially putting your career at risk to make a statement,” John noted. “But at the end of the day, what are you doing all of this for?” He added: “On the flip side, I don’t think that there is a creator out there that can make anything that’s more absurd than reality itself these days.”
Click to load video
Although the video is largely a fictional romp, the Brothers Osborne did make sure to include some personal details. As John points out, the ‘90s black Dodge Ram that serves as a getaway car at one point is the exact same vehicle that brought the duo to Nashville early in their career. (“It’s unstoppable!” he mused.)
It’s been a decade since the release of the track, but as John points out, plenty of the videos themes still ring eerily true today. “Sad to say, not much has changed,” he said. “The distrust in our country’s politicians is at an all-time high and I think it resonates now more than ever.”
