The album interweaves relationship songs (“Bluff,” “Love and Hate”), interior dialogues (“Still Tryin’,” “Pulled Tight”) and pieces inspired by the need for catharsis—her own and, by extension, that of her listeners (“Not Always Easy,” “Swirl”). These dozen songs also reveal a young woman in firm possession of a supple, hyper-melodic style, writing with a sophistication that belies her age. Because of the silky, disarming ease of her songs, Willis has been described as a female Jack Johnson, but below the surface this introspective yet life-embracing young artist brings a cutting-edge liveliness to the confessional singer/songwriter tradition that recalls the music of Rickie Lee Jones at the same age. Like Jones three decades earlier, Willis is turning the conventional notion of the young woman with an acoustic guitar on its ear.
Willis began recording the tracks that would grow into What to Say on her own, with the help of Chicago-based engineer Stephen Shirk, planning to release it herself. Serendipitously, Vanguard and Welk Music Group head Kevin Welk plugged in his earbuds during a flight on American Airlines and heard several cuts from her self-made 2007 EP Matter of Time on one of the in-flight music programs. Immediately hooked by Willis’ vocal emotiveness and the depth of her writing, Welk wasted no time tracking her down.
The youngster, who hadn’t given a thought to looking for a record deal, was knocked out by the enthusiasm of Welk and Nashville-based Vanguard A&R rep Gary Pascoza, who’d been dispatched to Chicago to check out a club set. Pascoza wound up lending his expertise to the project. “Gary’s a really talented guy who’s worked with Natalie Maines, the Dixie Chicks and Alison Krauss,” says Willis. “So, from a vocal standpoint, his involvement was an extra bonus and an excellent opportunity for me to grow.”
Working in a Chicago studio with Pascoza producing, Willis developed seven of the tracks to their final form. In what turned out to be a canny move, Pascoza then suggested that she tackle the remaining five with Nashville-based producer Tim Lauer. Armed with fresh ears, Lauer “revved up” these tracks (as Willis delightedly puts it) with funky basslines, snarling electric guitar licks and Memphis-style horns, underscoring the soulfulness of her vocals.
The visceral results of these deftly placed overdubs can be heard on the one-two punch of “Everybody Else” and “Bluff,” a pair of tracks so vital that they simply had to open the album. Lauer’s handiwork is also readily apparent on the slammin’ rocker “All I Know” and the title song, a smoky soul ballad that wouldn’t be out of place on Dusty in Memphis. And on “Not Always Easy,” as electric guitars peck away and the horns slip in and out like cat burglars, Willis breaks out an acrobatic, syllable-hopping vocal that recalls Jason Mraz at his most tongue-twisting. There seems to be no limit to what she can do with her elastic alto.
The buoyant musical settings of What to Say are juxtaposed with Willis’ thought-provoking lyrics, which delve with withering candor and remarkable insight into the psychological complexities of coming of age and struggling with relationship issues in the first decade of the 21st century.
The rousing “Everybody Else,” says Willis “has to do with our culture and my generation, which are so media-driven and conformist. People tend to act and dress a certain way because they’re told to or because it’s what they’re surrounded by and comfortable with. It’s an open-ended, optimistic song with a bit of sarcasm about breaking out of your shell, crossing the boundaries you’ve set and being original.”
Describing the emotionally turbulent yet lilting “Bluff,” she says, “When we’re young, we’re not sure what we want because we haven’t fully experienced everything out there. This song is about a rough breakup that went back and forth for quite a while and took a lot of patience on both ends.”
As for the songs of release, Willis explains, “If I’m stressed out or feeling down, I’ll write something in that space, and when I play it back, it calms me down and helps put things in perspective. I’m like everybody else—I get caught up in the heat of the moment, but in the long run that moment is not really that big a deal. A lot of drama is created by things that don’t really make much of a difference in the big picture. Some of the songs were inspired by the need to relax, tune out and get away.”
What to Say closes powerfully with the heart-wrenching acoustic ballad “Jim Thornton,” written for and about Willis’ maternal grandfather, who died last year. “He was an awesome guy, really funny,” she says. “He’d been on kidney dialysis for a long time, and he just got tired of it because he wasn’t able to do the things he wanted with his life anymore. So he decided to go off dialysis, and we all lucked out because it isn’t that often you get a chance to say goodbye. So we all went down to Houston, where he lived, and had a party. That was a really eye-opening experience for me, because I had yet to have someone close to me pass away. The way in which he faced his death, with such grace, really inspired a lot more than a song.”
There’s another aspect of this undertaking that Willis finds especially gratifying. “My favorite part of the whole thing is the interaction,” she says. “I’ve met so many people with the same kind of ideals and interests. I love it that people are connecting through my music. Speaking philosophically, life is short, and I’m just trying to get people to calm down and enjoy these moments together.”
Love and Hate
Daphne Willis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And finally hit ground,
That didn't give beneath the weight,
I put my shirt on,
The curtains drawn,
Wonderin' how long this would take.
Now I've wasted so much not knowin' that and I'm runnin' late.
Well I drive my car fast,
Just tryin' to get past, This traffic, but it ain't no use,
Now all these lights flash,
Red, give it less gas, But my break pedal's loose,
Well sometimes I miss you, Sometimes I don't,
And sometimes I'll admit that, And sometimes I won't.
Now isn't it strange, to find, That end point in your mind?
And all of this change, defined, The way I got to leaving you behind.
Love is so blind, For me, a different kind, Of not being able to see,
What have you done here? What have you done dear? No more what you're doin' to me.
Cuz it's not as simple as love and hate,
Now I've wasted so much not knowin' that and I'm running late,
Yeah, I've wasted so much time and I'm running late.
The lyrics of Daphne Willis’s song “Love and Hate” delve into the complexities of relationships and the emotions that come with them. The singer is grappling with the aftermath of a breakup, as he reflects on the dichotomy of love and hate. He acknowledges that the situation is not as simple as those two extreme emotions and that navigating it has been a struggle. The lines “Now isn't it strange, to find, That end point in your mind? /And all of this change, defined, The way I got to leaving you behind” illustrate that he has reached a point where he has to let go, but it’s not easy.
The song captures the push and pull of emotions that come with a breakup. The singer takes out his frustration on the road, driving fast and recklessly, but eventually, the reality of the situation catches up with him. The repeated line “Now I’ve wasted so much time and I’m running late” emphasizes that the singer is acknowledging that he has ignored the complexities of his relationship for too long. The final verse is particularly poignant as the singer confronts his own blindness in love and the hurt that comes with it. The lines “What have you done here? What have you done dear? No more what you're doin' to me” suggest not only heartbreak but also the singer finally rising up and taking control of his own emotions and situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I put my foot down,
I finally made a decision and acted on it.
And finally hit ground,
My decision was firm and didn't waver.
That didn't give beneath the weight,
My decision was strong and stable.
I put my shirt on,
I prepared myself for what was about to come.
The curtains drawn,
I isolated myself from potential distractions.
Wonderin' how long this would take.
I was unsure of the duration of what was to come.
Cuz it's not as simple as love and hate,
Things aren't always black and white.
Now I've wasted so much not knowin' that and I'm runnin' late.
I've lost time by not recognizing this earlier.
Well I drive my car fast,
I'm trying to move on quickly.
Just tryin' to get past,
I'm trying to leave the past behind me.
This traffic, but it ain't no use,
My progress is being hindered and I can't do anything about it.
Now all these lights flash,
There are warning signs along the way.
Red, give it less gas,
I need to slow down and be cautious.
But my break pedal's loose,
I'm not in complete control of the situation.
Well sometimes I miss you,
I have mixed emotions about you.
Sometimes I don't,
My feelings are inconsistent.
And sometimes I'll admit that,
I'm honest with myself about my feelings.
And sometimes I won't.
Sometimes I choose to ignore my true feelings.
Now isn't it strange, to find,
It's unusual to discover something unexpected.
That end point in your mind?
That moment when you realize you're done.
And all of this change, defined,
My transformation is noticeable and definite.
The way I got to leaving you behind.
How I reached the decision to move on.
Love is so blind,
Love can make you oblivious to negative aspects.
For me, a different kind,
My perspective on love is unique.
Of not being able to see,
I was unable to recognize some issues in our relationship.
What have you done here?
What impact have you had on my life?
What have you done dear?
What have you done, my love?
No more what you're doin' to me.
I won't let you affect me anymore.
Yeah, I've wasted so much time and I'm running late.
I regret not seeing the truth earlier and now I'm behind schedule.
Writer(s): Daphne Willis Copyright: Lichelle Music O/B/o Welk Music
Contributed by Isaac L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.