Here’s a nice song from John Legend’s 2004 album, Get Lifted. I can’t say much more about it than that.
I like Legend well enough through his many talk show and award show appearances, but I’ve never taken the time to listen to any of his music.
Song of the Day #2,783: ‘Factory’ – Lucinda Williams
I mentioned that the title track of Lucinda Williams’ The Ghosts of Highway 20 reminded me of Bruce Springsteen. Well, here she drives that connection home by covering a Springsteen tune.
‘Factory’ is a song from Springsteen’s 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town, and its story of a man who toils away at a factory fits in nicely with the rustic sadness of the rest of this album. Williams recorded the track as a tribute to her father-in-law, who held a job a lot like the one described in the song.
Song of the Day #2,782: ‘Bitter Memory’ – Lucinda Williams
Disc Two, Song Two. After the epic title track, Lucinda offers up a little country blues ditty about a busted love affair. It seems Disc Two is definitely more upbeat than Disc One (musically, anyway… I don’t think we’re getting any lyrically upbeat songs on this album!).
This is the most fun song on the record so far, and another fine showcase of the guitar work by Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz.
Song of the Day #2,781: ‘Ghosts of Highway 20’ – Lucinda Williams
Disc Two of The Ghosts of Highway 20 kicks off with the title track. Fittingly, this song serves as the thematic underpinning of the whole album.
Highway 20 is a stretch of road that touches on all of these sad southern stories, all of this grace and pain, and Williams can look back and vividly recollect every mile. Williams counts Flannery O’Connor as an influence, and that southern gothic quality is all over this album.
Song of the Day #2,780: ‘Louisiana Story’ – Lucinda Williams
The final track of Disc One of Lucinda Williams’ The Ghosts of Highway 20 is, lyrically, the most impressive so far. Also the most gut-wrenching.
Williams recalls her own childhood in Louisiana with sweet nostalgia. She paints a picture of carefree days spent mostly outside, and loving parents who got angry only over little things like spilled milk or a slamming screen door.
Meet Me In Montauk 