That's because she's the real deal, a Primitive Baptist preacher's daughter raised in the rural southeastern Kentucky crossroads of Williams Branch, where family and faith came first. Singing old style hymns in a church where no musical instruments were allowed, living down a rural road where electricity and running water weren't available until she was in high school, Bradley learned the hardships and the joys of a way of life that had more in common with that of earlier generations than the experiences of her contemporaries in today's bluegrass scene. "It was very different. It was not easy," she says. And even as a girl, she knew she wanted more. "When you go up on one of the mountains there, it's breathtakingly gorgeous -- but I was so sure I was never going to be able to leave."
She was sure of something else: her love for music. An uncle who'd been part of the Appalachian migration to Detroit city brought country music tapes back with him when he came to visit, opening her ears to music beyond church hymns. Bradley began to claim her own right to music as a teenager, borrowing her uncle's guitar to play and sing at school events. Eventually that love for music would take her out of the mountains and into the top ranks of bluegrass stars.
Women are reshaping the bluegrass sound, and Bradley, with her mountain pure soprano, her knack for storytelling, and her true-life roots, is one of those creating that exciting music. Steeped in the past and present of the bluegrass way of life, she is equally at home with a contemporary country song turned high lonesome as she is with a mountain ballad.
That's clear through the range of music she's chosen for Catch Tomorrow, her third solo album. "I want this record to be thought provoking," Bradley says, "Maybe it will make people take a second look at how we view the world, walk in somebody else's shoes a little bit."
Bradley turned to GRAMMY award winning banjoist and Compass Records co-founder Alison Brown to produce Catch Tomorrow. Sitting in with Bradley and Brown is an all-star cast of roots music's finest including Jim Lauderdale, Tim O'Brien, Jeff White, and Steve Gulley (Mountain Heart). Stand out tracks include an exquisite gospel duet with Larry Sparks on Pass Me Not, a traditional country duet with Marty Raybon (Shenandoah) on Holding on to Nothing, and a collaboration with Irish super group Lunasa on When the Mist Comes Again. She also delivers some hard driving bluegrass on the self-penned Run Rufus Run, Julia Belle, and the soon to be classic Rita Mae with the help of her past and current band mates including Michael Cleveland, Jesse Brock, and longtime co-writer Vicki Simmons.
Bradley offers heartfelt storytelling and tackles not so bluegrass songs, including Texas tunesmith Billy Joe Shaver's Live Forever and rock icon Kris Kristofferson's Me and Bobby McGee. She makes them her own. When she first heard bluegrass music, "it hit me so strong," Bradley recalls, "I thought, this is the genre that can do it all."
"When you've got the desire to write and sing, it's who you are," Bradley says. That desire pulled her from the hardscrabble life she knew as a teenager in rural eastern Kentucky all the way to a nod as Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year from SPBGMA, a 2006 IBMA nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year, and to her current status as one of the most respected musicians in bluegrass. Along the way she lent her voice to the famed Renfro Valley Barn Dance and The New Coon Creek Girls, and saw her solo debut, East Kentucky Morning, chosen as an editor's pick at Billboard. Longtime fan Alison Krauss comments: "Dale Ann Bradley is one of the most gifted vocalists bluegrass and country music has ever heard. She is a dream."
Dale Ann Bradley's dreams for this record, and for her career, are about the connecting power of the music itself. "It's important to express something long lasting. Music has the power to be a healing thing."
This musician's roots, in Appalachian Kentucky and in bluegrass music, run deep and long. With the outstanding collection of traditional and modern bluegrass that is Catch Tomorrow, Dale Ann Bradley stakes her powerful claim as an artist with an authentic right to this music and a true birthright in bluegrass.
Dale Ann is represented by Class Act Entertainment 615-262-6886
Live Forever
Dale Ann Bradley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How your garden grows, 'cause I just want to fly
Lately, did you ever feel the pain?
In the morning rain as it soaks you to the bone
Maybe I just want to fly, I want to live, I don't want to die
Maybe I just want to breathe, maybe I just don't believe
Maybe you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see
Maybe I don't really wanna know
How your garden grows 'cause I just want to fly
Lately, did you ever feel the pain?
In the morning rain as it soaks you to the bone
Maybe I will never be all the things that I wanna be
Now is not the time to cry, now's the time to find out why
I think you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see
You and I, we're gonna live forever
Maybe I don't really wanna know
How your garden grows, 'cause I just want to fly
Lately, did you ever feel the pain?
In the morning rain as it soaks you to the bone
Maybe I just wanna fly, wanna live but don't want to die
Maybe I just wanna breathe, maybe I just don't believe
Maybe you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see
You and I are gonna live forever
We're gonna live forever
Gonna live forever (x5)
Dale Ann Bradley's song "Live Forever" is a reflection on the fragility of life and the desire to make the most of the time we have. The lyrics open with a sense of uncertainty, with the singer admitting that she may not want to know all the details of someone else's life, instead focusing on her own goals and dreams. The song then moves into a contemplation of pain and hardship, with the rain serving as a powerful symbol of these difficulties. Despite these struggles, however, the song remains optimistic and hopeful, with the repeated refrain of "you and I, we're gonna live forever" suggesting a sense of resilience and determination.
The lyrics are powerful in their simplicity, using evocative imagery and repetition to create a sense of urgency and emotional depth. The idea of wanting to fly, to live, and to breathe all serve as ways of expressing the singer's desire for freedom and agency in her life. The repeated use of the phrase "maybe I just" serves to underline the uncertainty inherent in life, while the final assertion that "we're gonna live forever" suggests a belief in the power of human resilience and perseverance.
Overall, "Live Forever" is a meditation on the challenges and joys of the human experience, embracing both the dark and the light in equal measure. The song's simplicity and emotional resonance have made it a beloved classic in the world of country and bluegrass music.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I don't really wanna know
Perhaps the singer is not interested in knowing every detail of someone else's life.
How your garden grows, 'cause I just want to fly
The singer is more focused on their own personal growth and desires, rather than the details of another's life.
Lately, did you ever feel the pain?
The singer is curious about others' experiences with pain, perhaps as a way to feel less alone in their own struggles.
In the morning rain as it soaks you to the bone
The pain described is likely a metaphor for deep emotional pain that can be all-encompassing.
Maybe I just want to fly, I want to live, I don't want to die
The artist desires to have a full, meaningful life, free from death and limitations.
Maybe I just want to breathe, maybe I just don't believe
The singer may feel suffocated by the pressures of life and may struggle with belief in themselves or the world around them.
Maybe you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see
The singer is searching for a connection with someone who sees the world in a similar way.
You and I, we're gonna live forever
The artist is hopeful that they and their chosen companion will be able to make the most of their lives and leave a lasting legacy.
Maybe I will never be all the things that I wanna be
The artist may have big dreams but acknowledges that they may not be able to achieve everything they want in life.
Now is not the time to cry, now's the time to find out why
Instead of giving up or wallowing in sadness, the artist suggests taking action to figure out how to achieve one's goals.
I think you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see
The singer sees potential in their relationship with the other person, feeling that they share a unique understanding of the world.
Maybe I just wanna fly, wanna live but don't want to die
The artist desires to soak up everything life has to offer without the fear of death holding them back.
We're gonna live forever
The singer is hopeful that they and their companion will leave behind a legacy that will last long after their lives end.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDY (JOHN EDWIN) SHAVER, BILLY JOE SHAVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind