Chris Smither
Chris Smither (born November 11, 1944 in Miami, Florida) is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He grew up mainly in New Orleans and attended the University of the Americas in Mexico City, planning on becoming an anthropologist, but transferred to Tulane University after a year, during which time he discovered the music of Mississippi John Hurt. While in Paris for a junior year abroad, he spent his time playing guitar rather than attending classes and was kicked out of college as a result. Read Full BioChris Smither (born November 11, 1944 in Miami, Florida) is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He grew up mainly in New Orleans and attended the University of the Americas in Mexico City, planning on becoming an anthropologist, but transferred to Tulane University after a year, during which time he discovered the music of Mississippi John Hurt. While in Paris for a junior year abroad, he spent his time playing guitar rather than attending classes and was kicked out of college as a result. In 1965, he left for Florida to meet Eric von Schmidt, another musical hero of his. von Schmidt encouraged Smither to move to New York City or Cambridge, Massachusetts, and so Smither moved to Cambridge and when he showed up at Club 47, found von Schmidt performing there, who invited him to play a few songs on stage. His first album, I'm a Stranger, Too was released on Poppy Records in 1970. Chris Smither has been touring since then.

Chris Smithers song "Love you like a man" from Smithers first album has been famously covered by Bonnie Raitt who has made it a signature song of hers under the title "Love me like a man" (published on her second Album "Give it up")- she has openly expressed admiration for Chris Smithers songwriting and guitarplaying. Later Raitt's version of the song has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Diana Krall.

The protagonist of Linda Barnes's series of "Carlotta Carlyle" mysteries is a fan of Smither's music and several of her books mention it.
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What They Say
Chris Smither Lyrics


They say the good die young but it ain't for certain.
I bin good all day. I ain't hurtin'.
Not in any way.
I'm too old to die young.

I shouldn't talk too loud.
Bad luck is preying on the proud ones.
There's nothin' like lying in a graveyard
To teach you to hold your tongue.

(Guitar turn around)

They say the Devil was an angel back in the beginnin'
So was I. Nobody's pinnin' any hopes on me.
I ain't sayin' that they ought'a.

I didn't wanna change but the road kept slidin' in a funny way
And I kept ridin' on it anyway.
Sometimes you do what you gott'a.

What they say. What they do.
They'll swear it is. They'll think it's true.
When they think at all but they ain't willin'.
If they cain't think of what to say, they talk anyway.
It's all cliché, fast food for the brain but not too fillin'.

(Guitar turn around)

They say time and tide will wait for no-one.
The time it takes one tide to go one time
Around the world would leave you spinnin'

But the race is on between the tide
And the people livin' right beside it.
No-one's drownin' yet but they ain't winnin'.

If words were wisdom, we'd all speak
And smarten up from week to week
Just sayin' "live and learn". There's nothin' to it.

Friends in need are friends indeed
But the friends who think of what we need
They hardly talk at all. They just do it.
They hardly talk at all. They just do it.

Writer(s): Chris Smither Copyright: Homunculus Music

Contributed by Isaac P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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