is always new and exciting. Even if the artist has been around for many years. This has been the case for me with Lucinda Williams. The great thing about her music is it’s not and never really has been genre specific or easy to classify. So many different genres are infused in her sound. Like many other great artists, it seems that her musical idol and inspiration is Bob Dylan (no surprise there). The influence is pretty apparent, but she makes the songwriting craft her very own.
What grabbed me right away and has caused me to want to own her entire back catalog is that she personifies everything that a brilliant singer/songwriter is. When I hear her lyrics (sometimes plain and simple, sometimes filled with visual imagery) I can tell that the guitar is the musical conduit for her songs. I find that to be the case with my own songwriting. In very rare cases have I ever been able to pen lyrics without first working them into a series of chords that I’ve worked out on the guitar. In some instances, I begin a song with a lyric or two and then find the right chords to further the writing process. It varies a bit in each case.
I love that many of her songs are personal, melancholy, and often deal with difficult relationships. I’ve always been drawn to songs that are sad or full of heartbreak or longing because they embody such real, raw expressions of the human condition.
It’s disheartening how underappreciated songwriters are in this day and age. So much focus on music is generated to the overall sound and many people are of the attitude of ‘well.. if it has a good beat, I like it.’ So if it’s not something you can dance to, it’s not worth the time? Songs with great lyrics allow us to connect with each other through our own experiences. I can’t recall how many times I’ve listened to certain records and felt that I could empathize completely with the artist.
An example of this I found in Lucinda’s song “Fruits of My Labor.” It was actually the first song I really listened to of hers and it really struck a chord in me. Within fifteen minutes after listening to it a few dozen times, I recorded a cover version and I plan to include it on Exile in Circuitville. Once the record is completed (and royalties/license permissions are worked out), I will try to send her a copy. I think songwriters need constant positive reinforcement and praise like this. It’s my personal way of saying thank you for your gift.
