Washburn says she never set out to be a songwriter or a recording artist. In 2005 when she found herself on stage in a smoke-filled Beijing club playing her banjo and singing old-time Appalachian mountain music in Chinese to a packed house, she was as surprised as anyone. “A daring, definite talent, whose feel for the folk idiom results in moving material. Soulful is the word,” hailed the Wall Street Journal at the time. “On stage, her voice resonated with the power of a seasoned performer and her poetic hill tunes sounded all the more evocative in Chinese.”
It was in Tennessee in 2000 that Washburn met KC Groves, one of the founding members of the band Uncle Earl, and she went on to spend five years touring with the band. In 2005, in the midst of touring with Uncle Earl, Washburn released her first solo debut, and bilingual album, Song of the Traveling Daughter, (Nettwerk). At that point Washburn joined cellist, Ben Sollee, in performing her music around the globe. In 2005 Washburn, Sollee and a few friends—Béla Fleck on banjo, Casey Driessen on fiddle- toured China and recorded as Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet. In 2006, the US State Department and the American Center for Educational Exchange requested that the group come back to lead the first official tour of a US band in Tibet.
In 2010, Washburn released "City Of Refuge".
As a member of The Wu Force, they played their first show together at the Yugong Yishan music club in Beijing in late 2011 and came back together in early 2014.
Beginning in August 2013, Washburn began performing and recording as the duo Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with her husband Béla Fleck.
In 2020, Washburn released an album as Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn.
Corner Girl
Abigail Washburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why'd you close your eyes?
I see you
Always in the corner
I hear them telling lies
I see you
What do you see from the corner?
Show me now
Always in the corner
They don't see your sky
Show me now
Take me to your corner
Watch your sunshine rise
Beautiful
Together in the corner
We will close our eyes
I see you
"Corner Girl" is a song of empathy and understanding. It speaks of a person who is always in the corner, as if hiding or trying to escape from something. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and concern for this person, questioning why they always close their eyes and asking to be taken to their corner to see what they see. The line "they don't see your sky" suggests that the person may have a different perspective, a different reality or worldview that others cannot see or understand.
The chorus is optimistic and uplifting, offering hope and a sense of togetherness. By joining the person in their corner, watching their sunshine rise, the song suggests that understanding and connection can be found if we are willing to try. The repetition of "I see you" reinforces the message of empathy and validation, acknowledging the person's presence and value.
Line by Line Meaning
Found you in a corner
I noticed you secluded in a corner
Why'd you close your eyes?
Why did you shut out the world and refuse to see?
I see you
I acknowledge your existence and perceive you as you are
Always in the corner
You are always at that spot
I hear them telling lies
I am aware of the lies they tell about you
What do you see from the corner?
What do you perceive from your secluded vantage point?
Is it bigger than the sky?
Is your perspective larger than what's already a universally vast thing?
Show me now
Reveal to me your perspective
They don't see your sky
They are unaware of how large your perspective is
Take me to your corner
Lead me to where you reside
Watch your sunshine rise
Let's see your world from your viewpoint
Beautiful
It's a remarkable spectacle
Together in the corner
We are together in your secluded space
We will close our eyes
We will shut out everything and marvel at the beauty in front of us
I see you
I acknowledge your existence and perceive you as you are
Contributed by Taylor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mihai Calin Cosariu
oh yes