Song of the Day

Song of the Day (261): Box of Rain – The Grateful Dead

What do you want me to do? This song is searching for answers, trying to find a way. Walking through a dream or is it life? I’m trying to be there for you, not sure what you want and what can I do? Is this world not enough? Such a long, long time to be […]

Song of the Day (260): At Last – Etta James

Go to enough weddings and you’ll hear this song so often that it may fade into the background so that it no longer registers. Give it a good listen. Let the lush strings lull you into a near meditative state and then that voice: powerful, insistent, coming from a deeper well, mixing longing and anguish […]

Song of the Day (259): I Want You – Bob Dylan

A fun pop hit, the chorus of “I Want You” makes clear the singer’s desire while the verses explain all the complications. And that’s what makes this such a great song. If we only had the chorus, it would be a trite love song, but the frenzy of characters and struggles laid out in the […]

Song of the Day (258): Walking After Midnight – Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline first sang this song in 1957 on the “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” television show. She won that contest and went on to reach #3 on the country charts and #12 on the pop charts with this song. Cline’s success owes some to Owen Bradley, the producer who created, for better or worse, the […]

Song of the Day (257): Never Get Out of this World Alive – Hank Williams

I’m in Nashville for a few days with my bride and some lifelong friends. Music City is always a good time and a place to dig into some of the stories behind the songs we love (The Ryman Auditorium, The Johnny Cash Museum, Studio Tours, The Country Music Hall of Fame, etc.) I’ve been listening […]

Song of the Day (256): The Wild Rover – The Dubliners

It’s St. Patrick’s Day so let’s listen to a good old Irish song, The Wild Rover. The Dubliners turn this into a rousing drinking song and claimed it for the Irish, but this tune has a very different origin. It dates back to the 17th century as an English ballad and if you listen carefully […]

Song of the Day (255): Absolutely Sweet Marie – Jason and the Scorchers

To live outside the law, you must be honest. Jason and the Scorchers burn through this song with a frenzy that completely remakes the Dylan original. They do what great cover versions require: they make the song their own with no regard to the original. They re-envision the song so we see it anew, see […]

Song of the Day (254) – Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? by Tom Russell

It is a simple enough question: if we deport millions, put up a barrier, even build a moat, who’s gonna build the wall? Who’s gonna build your wall boys? Who’s gonna mow your lawn? Who’s gonna cook your Mexican food When your Mexican maid is gone? Who’s gonna wax the floors tonight Down at the local mall? #Songoftheday #Spreadinghappiness #tomrussell […]

Song of the Day (253): All Your Favorite Bands – Dawes

Taylor Goldsmith carried the chorus for this song in his head for more than a year before it gave rise to the rest of the song. The memory of a friend popping into his head and he thinks of him as if frozen in the amber of his youthful memories. The song is a blessing […]