I. David Wilcox i… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists named David Wilcox.
I. David Wilcox is a Canadian rock and blues musician.
II. David Wilcox is an American folk musician and singer-songwriter guitarist.
I. More than three decades into his career, singer/songwriter David Wilcox continues to push himself, just as he always has. Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.
That's not by accident; it's very much by design. It's the result of a man giving himself over in gratitude and service to something bigger than himself. “I'm grateful to music,” he says. “I have a life that feels deeply good, but when I started playing music, nothing in my life felt that good. I started to write songs because I wanted to find a way to make my life feel as good as I felt when I heard a great song. I don't think I'd be alive now if it had not been for music.”
An early '80s move to Warren Wilson College in North Carolina set his wheels in motion, as he started playing guitar and writing songs, processing his own inner workings and accessing his own inner wisdom. In 1987, within a couple of years of graduating, Wilcox had released his first independent album, The Nightshift Watchman. A year later, he won the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award and, in 1989, he signed with A&M Records, selling more than 100,000 copies of his A&M debut, How Did You Find Me Here.
In the 30 years and more than 20 records since — whether with a major label, an indie company, or his own imprint — Wilcox has continued to hone his craft, pairing thoughtful insights with his warm baritone, open tunings, and deft technique. He's also kept up a brisk and thorough tour itinerary, performing 80 to 100 shows a year throughout the U.S., and regularly deploying his talents by improvising a “Musical Medicine” song for an audience member in need. In recent years he’s taken that process a step further, carefully writing and recording dozens of his “Custom Songs” for long-time fans who seek his help in commemorating and explaining the key milestones in their lives.
Lest anyone think that he's lost his touch, Wilcox pulled no punches on his most recent release, 2018's The View From the Edge. Not only does the song cycle find him delving into mental health, family legacies, spiritual contemplations, and topical concerns, the song “We Make the Way By Walking" also won him the Grand Prize in the 2018 USA Songwriting Contest.
"I think the coolest thing about this kind of music is that, if you listen to a night's worth of music, you should know that person,” he explains. “If you're hearing a performer sing all these songs, you should know not only where he gets his joy and what he loves, but you should know what pisses him off and what frightens him and what runs him off the rails, what takes him apart and what puts him back together.”
To attain that level of revelatory honesty, Wilcox follows a song to its deepest truth, even when it haunts him, a practice which demands the strength of vulnerability that he has sought since his teen years. That honesty is why Rolling Stone has written that his “ongoing musical journey is compelling and richly deserving of a listen.” It's also why Blue Ridge Public Radio has noted that, “The connection people feel with David’s music is also the connection they feel with each other.”
But Wilcox's unique brand of storytelling doesn't come easily. And it doesn't come quickly. “I could always think of a lot of possible ways the song could go, but the trick was recognizing truth amidst all the cleverness,” he confesses. “The more time I took, the more my deep heart could speak to me through the process of songwriting. I could gradually craft a song that felt like it was coming from the place I was going. If you decide to trust heart over cleverness, you not only get a song that moves you, you get a song that moves you toward being who you want to be. The time you spend immersed in the emotion of a song changes you. The song shows you the world through a particular point of view. Once you have seen the world that way, you can't un-see it.”
Website: David Wilcox
II. The American David Wilcox was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His work features lyrical insight, asmooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings. He released an independent album in 1987, won the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk award in 1988, and by 1989 he had signed with A&M Records. His first release on the label, ‘How Did You Find Me Here’, sold over 100,000 copies its first year. 17 albums later his songs have been covered by artists such as k.d. lang and many others.
Fall Away
David Wilcox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the shining lights and music will not stay
Everything I do falls away
All the songs that I remember will not play
When my time is through call my name
Show the way to sweet surrender help me say
Everything but you
Everything but you
Everything but you
Fall away
The lyrics of David Wilcox's song Fall Away revolve around the concept of impermanence and the fleeting nature of material pleasures. The opening lines depict the transience of worldly possessions and experiences. The singer acknowledges that everything he knew or did eventually fades away, including the shining lights and music that provide temporary joy. Similarly, all the songs that he remembers will not play forever.
The second stanza shifts the focus to mortality, as the singer asks for divine guidance in his final moments. He implores to be shown the way to "sweet surrender," an acceptance of the inevitable end of life. The repetition of "Everything but you" at the end of each stanza highlights the importance of finding solace in something permanent in contrast to the transient nature of everything else.
Overall, Fall Away is a poignant reflection on the inevitability of change and the importance of seeking meaning beyond material pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything I knew falls away
All the things I thought were certain are no longer true and are disappearing.
All the shining lights and music will not stay
The things that once brought me so much joy and comfort are nothing but fleeting moments that will eventually disappear.
Everything I do falls away
No matter what I do or accomplish, it will ultimately fade away and be forgotten.
All the songs that I remember will not play
Even the memories I hold dear will eventually fade away and be lost forever.
When my time is through call my name
As I approach the end of my life, I hope to be remembered and thought of fondly by those who know me.
Show the way to sweet surrender help me say
Guide me towards a peaceful end and help me accept that everything must eventually come to an end.
Everything but you
Despite everything else falling away, the one constant thing in my life is you.
Everything but you
You are the one thing that has remained constant in my life, despite everything else changing and disappearing.
Everything but you
No matter what happens in my life, you will always be there and will never fall away.
Fall away
The inevitability of everything falling away and disappearing, leaving only you as the constant presence in my life.
Lyrics © SOROKA MUSIC LTD.
Written by: DAVID WILCOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ian B
I'm grieving a painful breakup from a 3-year relationship, and "Common As The Rain" and "Language Of The Heart" are true godsends. Thank you, David.
Denielle Basom
Our daddy always pointed us in your direction when he couldn’t explain what was needed in any given moment. He called you his prophet. I grew up listening to your words and his words of wisdom. You hold a special place in our hearts. He just suddenly passed away this week and we’re devastated. It’s so hard to understand how someone so full of life and love and wisdom could leave us so early in his life, before we were ready to really let him go. I’m now searching through your songs, grieving, and loving you both as I try to grasp what is. Thank you for your kind and wise work. It filled and lead him to be the incredible humanitarian he was. Your songs bring me comfort and real sobs in this time of despair. Thank you for being my daddy’s ally and hero 💗
C C
I'm so sorry for your loss. My dad is the same. I grew up listening to Wilcox thanks to my dad. May yours rest in peace. Love never dies. ❤️
Ken Barbe
David Wilcox is a rare combination of poet, singer/songwriter, musician and philosphoer. He has a talent for making you look at things in a meaningful way. This Ted Talk is worth every second of the 20:16 it takes to watch. His songwriting and performances have many levels of meaning. He has had the good fortune (at least for us listeners) not to have become a superstar like James Taylor or Jackson Brown. So, he is not required by producers and agents to make music for money, Don't expect toe taping pop music from David Wikcox; although he has plenty of songs that make my toe tap. With David Wilcox, you can count on an experience that comes from the heart and the mind. Open your heart and mind and give him a listen.
Allastar Sevan
+Ken Barbe David is truly a GIFT, glad others like yourself "get" the gift.
Mark Mancini
i agree with you, ive been listening to david since age 12 (now 36) and every once and a while i come across someone who knows who he is and i freak out!! he is my absolute favorite artist. In his prime he most certainly could have sold out but he chose to stay true to his art.he writes in triple metaphors. David is accessable to his fans as well. i am going to Wilcox weekend in may. Its a three day retreat in the mountains of north carolina. $700 for the whole thing. that covers cabin or suite lodging, 3 meals and intimate performances and fellowship with him!
reliablebow
Ken Barbe well said
Randy Kent
One of the best story tellers of all time.
Terry Smith
I love David's stories (spoken and sung) I was fortunate to have seen him in concert at MSU, it was a beautiful experience. I recall many of the women in the audience were crying during his more emotional songs. He's really an under appreciated troubadour and reminds me a lot of Michael Tomlinson and James Taylor
Ken Verheecke
David... one of the best of the best... his music has meant so much to me since 1990... thank you for this!