That certain something can be heard on "Keep This Love," the leadoff cut on White's fourth album, One More Time. Capturing a conversation between two lovers, White suddenly interjects, "Yea yea yea yea yea yea" - it's an unexpected blast of feeling that expresses all the pent-up frustration the woman's been holding back. It's not accusatory or personal; it's just a volatile explosion of pure emotion that communicates what the couple's words can't, and it's stunningly effective - just the kind of thing lifts talents like Aretha Franklin or Van Morrison above their peers.
"I try to write songs that have something to say, that have a strong point of view," says White. "I want to feel a clear emotion when I sing. It lets me play that character for a few minutes while drawing on an experience I've had. If it's real for me, then it's going to be more real for whoever's listening."
The Arkansas native, who was raised in Indiana, reveals that special characteristic throughout One More Time. It's there when she's holding a long note on the chorus of "I'm Free," snarling with righteous pride on "Good Rockin' Mama," quietly conveying poignant truths in "Girls with Apartments in Nashville" or bringing layers of complexity to the tough self-examination of the title song.
For another example, check out how she transforms Naomi Neville's classic "Certain Girl," one of two songs on the album White didn't write (the other is a touching cover of Phil Lee's "Just Some Girl.") By changing the gender to make it "A Certain Boy," White becomes the first female to record the cheeky New Orleans classic. The song’s had several famous versions, from early takes by Ernie K-Doe, Fats Domino and Clarence "Frogman" Henry to latter covers by The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton and Warren Zevon. White matches Zevon's swaggering version, singing it with a flinty, flirty sneer that suggests White is southern music's answer to such take-no-guff rockers as Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett.
That attitude serves White's artistry well - even if it has created some speed bumps in her career path. Nashville early on embraced and encouraged White, although eventually her uncompromising ways and brass-in-pocket style proved too stout for an era that preferred sweet-smiling pop-country divas. Still, White's two '90s albums on Columbia Records remain acclaimed collections, predating the success of similarly bold female artists like the Dixie Chicks (who covered two of White's recordings, "Tonight the Heartache's on Me" and "Cold Day in July") As with many iconoclasts who cast their fate with creative freedom, White found her audience outside strict genre lines, where she can mix-and-match various roots styles into an alchemy all her own.
"I feel like I can be myself when I don't have to fit someone else's idea of what will get me airplay," she says. "I've done that, and while I appreciated the opportunity, I felt constrained by it. It felt a lot more natural to let my songs and my arrangements go where they needed to go without worrying about what box they fit in. I wanted to be able to do what felt right."
She's been welcomed by such well-known outsiders as Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller, Dwight Yoakam, Robbie Fulks, Amy Rigby, Iris DeMent and Chip Taylor, all of whom have called on her as a harmony vocalist and opening act. Williams, especially, loves to ask White to join her on tour as a warm-up act. In a special honor, Buddy Miller asked her to fill in for his wife Julie Miller while performing a series of European shows. Her duet with Fulks on "Tupelo County Jail" was a highlight of the Webb Pierce tribute album, Caught in the Webb.
White's previous independent release, 1997's grand The Lucky Few, was produced in Los Angeles by Pete Anderson and became a No. 1 seller on the Americana charts. The acclaimed roots-rock album, full of searing country soul, revealed how much more powerful White's songwriting and voice could be when freed from the formulas of commercial country music.
White was building momentum while touring after the release of The Lucky Few when tragedy struck. A close member of her family had died unexpectedly; the singer put her career on hold to spend time in East Tennessee with her immediate family as they all pulled together after the devastating loss.
Still, she continued to write songs, gaining a long-running song publishing contract with esteemed Welk Music. She eventually returned to touring steadily and contributed vocals to albums by dozens of acclaimed friends. She also took on her first big dramatic role; playing Mother Maybelle Carter in a musical production based the story of The Carter Family. Along the way, she released a web-only album of demo songs, On Her Own, that's now in its third printing.
For her return to recording, she went into the studio at the invitation of Kyle Lehning, the famed producer who collaborated with Randy Travis on his classic debut, Storms of Life, as well as working with George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, The Derailers, Dan Seals and others.
"Kyle was a godsend," says White. "He's such a consummate professional, and he loves working with good singers and strong material. I learned a lot co-producing a record with him. He really went to bat for me across the board, and I couldn't have finished this record if it wasn't for how committed he was to getting it done."
The album includes a stellar core band featuring guitarists Duane Jarvis and George Bradfute, bassist Dave Jacques and drummer Paul Griffith, with White on acoustic guitar and Lehning providing R&B-style organ accents.
"I wanted to wait for the right situation before putting together another recording," White says. "Once I started working with Kyle and with this great band, I knew this was the right situation."
The 11 cuts prove worth the wait. Always a critical favorite - reviewer Alanna Nash once described White as "a fiery redhead with a wild-and-wounded delivery and an attitude that says she’s not to be ignored"--One More Time puts White back in the spotlight and as a reminder of her one-of-a-kind talent.
Or, as White might put it, "Yea yea yea yea yea yea."
Why Do I Feel So Good
Joy Lynn White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just wasn't satisfactory
when they said he's too rough and a little too wild
and gave her all the reasons
why she should leave him
she just smiled
if he's so bad
why do i feel so good
and dropping his name everywhere
tell me mom and dad
if he's so bad
why do i feel so good
now she lives in a forty-room mansion
with a man so boring
but mom and dad adore him
she's lost in the big bed where she lies
and somewhere between midnight
and hindsight
she cries
if he's so good
why do i feel so bad
why am i chilled to the bone
and wishing i'd never left home
and if i should
feel so good
why do i feel so bad
then she runs home to momma
and she cries to her dad
why did you talk me out of
the only chance for happiness that i ever had
if he's so bad
why did i feel so good
why was i walking on air
and dropping his name everywhere
tell me mom and dad
if he's so bad
why did i feel so good - why did i feel so good
1989 tree publishing co., inc.
The lyrics of Joy Lynn White's song, "Why Do I Feel So Good," are about a woman who is faced with conflicting feelings about her relationship. The verses describe her past with a man who was considered too rough and wild by others, but she felt exhilarated by his company. She questions why she feels so good around him in the midst of other's disapproval. Later on, she marries someone else, who is considered boring by her parents. She lives in a large mansion but feels lost in her big bed, crying at night. The chorus signifies her confusion as she questions why she feels so bad around her current husband while she felt so good with her past lover, despite being told he was bad for her.
The song explores the complexities of human emotion and the idea that sometimes we feel drawn to someone despite the criticism of others or logical reasoning. It highlights the struggles of making sense of these emotions and the consequences of choosing between detrimental choices. It also portrays the theme of regret and questioning decisions after the fact, showing the importance of being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
cause working in a factory
Working in a factory was not fulfilling
just wasn't satisfactory
The job was not satisfying
when they said he's too rough and a little too wild
People criticized her partner for being too rough and wild
and gave her all the reasons
They gave her reasons why she should not be with him
why she should leave him
They advised her to leave him
she just smiled
She disregarded their advice
if he's so bad
If her partner is really that bad
why do i feel so good
Why does she feel so good being with him
why am i walking on air
Why does she feel so happy
and dropping his name everywhere
Why does she keep mentioning him to everyone
tell me mom and dad
Asking her parents for an explanation
now she lives in a forty-room mansion
She lives in a big mansion now
with a man so boring
Her current partner is boring
but mom and dad adore him
Her parents like him
she's lost in the big bed where she lies
She feels lost in the large bed where she sleeps
and somewhere between midnight
During the late hours of the night
and hindsight
And reflecting on the past
she cries
She cries over her situation
if he's so good
If her current partner is really that good
why do i feel so bad
Why does she feel so unhappy
why am i chilled to the bone
Why does she feel cold inside
and wishing i'd never left home
Why does she regret leaving her previous life
and if i should
And if she should
feel so good
Feel happy
why do i feel so bad
Why does she still feel unhappy despite feeling good
then she runs home to momma
She goes back to her parents' home
and she cries to her dad
She cries to her dad
why did you talk me out of
Why did you convince me otherwise
the only chance for happiness that i ever had
The opportunity for happiness that she had with her previous partner
why did i feel so good
Why did she feel so happy
why was i walking on air
Why did she feel so elated
if he's so bad
If her previous partner was really that bad
why did i feel so good - why did i feel so good
Reiterating the confusion and conflict of emotions
Writer(s): Bobby Braddock
Contributed by Charlie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.