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.
Never Enough
David Wilcox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One trying to keep his lifeboat afloat.
One man trying to make his mansion finer,
One trying to make his house trailer note.
You give a guy a dollar in the parking lot,
And he holds his hand out for what else you've got,
[Chorus]
No there's never enough.
I mean even when I've got everything I need,
I can tell myself times are tough.
No there's never enough.
See, my uncle Jon went to Reno.
He won about a hundred grand.
But he kept on trying to beat the casino,
And he played it right out of his hand.
So now he's back bettin' the ponies,
And he's trying to get back on his luck,
But there's never enough...
[Chorus]
Let's say tomorrow you win the lotto,
You got pockets so deep,
you drown all the sorrow.
You've got all the friends that money can buy,
now you're wondering if there's one you can trust.
'cause there's never enough...
[Chorus]
The song "Never Enough" by David Wilcox is about the futility of always wanting more in life. The lyrics describe the different material possessions and experiences that people pursue in their lives, from the luxurious ocean liner and mansion to the modest house trailer and gambling in Reno. Despite having some measure of success or fulfillment, these individuals still feel the need to accumulate more and more, and they never feel satisfied. Even someone who wins the lottery could find themselves in a similar predicament, wondering if they can truly trust anyone around them.
The chorus, "No there's never enough," serves as a reminder that the pursuit of happiness through material gain is ultimately unsatisfying. The line, "I mean even when I've got everything I need, I can tell myself times are tough," speaks to the idea that no matter how much someone has, there will always be a desire for more. The song highlights the dangers of seeking fulfillment through external means, and encourages listeners to seek happiness from within.
Overall, "Never Enough" is a poignant and insightful commentary on the nature of human desire and the pursuit of happiness. It reminds listeners that true fulfillment comes not from accumulating wealth or material possessions, but from finding contentment and peace within oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
One man cruising on his ocean liner,
A wealthy man on a luxurious cruise ship.
One trying to keep his lifeboat afloat.
A poor man struggling to survive.
One man trying to make his mansion finer,
A wealthy man improving his already lavish home.
One trying to make his house trailer note.
A poor man trying to make his modest trailer more livable.
You give a guy a dollar in the parking lot,
Even a small amount of generosity can create a sense of entitlement.
And he holds his hand out for what else you've got,
Expecting more than what was given, even if it was a small gesture.
'Cause there's never enough.
There will always be a desire for more, regardless of how much one already has.
No there's never enough.
Reinforcing the idea that there will always be a sense of lack.
I mean even when I've got everything I need,
Acknowledging that even if one has basic necessities, there will still be a desire for more.
I can tell myself times are tough.
Comparing one's own sense of lack to those who are truly struggling.
See, my uncle Jon went to Reno.
Anecdote about a family member who entered into a gambling addiction.
He won about a hundred grand.
Initially had a stroke of luck with gambling.
But he kept on trying to beat the casino,
Gambling addiction led him to keep spending his winnings to keep trying to win more.
And he played it right out of his hand.
With no self-control or moderation, he lost all of his initial winnings.
So now he's back bettin' the ponies,
Resorted to gambling on horse races instead of casinos.
And he's trying to get back on his luck,
With hopes of winning more money to recoup his losses.
But there's never enough...
Continuing the cycle of desire for more and sense of lack.
Let's say tomorrow you win the lotto,
Hypothetical situation of obtaining a large sum of money.
You got pockets so deep, you drown all the sorrow.
The idea that money can fix all problems and lead to ultimate happiness.
You've got all the friends that money can buy,
The superficiality of friendships formed through financial gain.
now you're wondering if there's one you can trust.
The uncertainty of whether or not there's genuine connection in these newfound relationships.
'cause there's never enough...
Reinforcing the idea that nothing is ever truly enough, and there will always be a sense of lack.
No there's never enough.
Final repetition of the central idea of the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NICHOLSON, WILCOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind