The result has been critical praise, "surprises don't often crop up on the well-trodden blues circuit. So welcome Kelley Hunt. This Kansan is a full-blown phenomenon: Powerhouse singer, hardboogieing pianist, polished songwriter…” - Minneapolis Star Tribune. “…the freshest slant on classic R&B you're likely to hear these days. She's a tough woman who makes a hip and burly sound." - Westword Denver.
Along with critical acclaim Kelley’s blistering live performances over the last several years have won over legions of blues and roots music fans making her a crowd favorite at over 100 blues and music festivals across North America.
On a trip to Nashville in 2001 Hunt took a meeting with one of the most respected producers in town, Garth Fundis, (Trisha Yearwood, Keith Whitley, New Grass Revival). Her intent was simply to pitch him a few songs for Trisha Yearwood. Fortunately, one of those songs was not yet on CD so Kelley sat down at the grand piano in Sound Emporium’s Studio B and performed it live for Garth. After requesting her to play several more Fundis (taken with her talent) wanted to do more than cut one of her songs, he decided he wanted to take her on as an artist. "When I first heard Kelley Hunt sit down at a piano and sing my reaction was immediate; this was not only a great musician but an artist who is a 'natural'. Like a great athlete, painter, or writer, I believe she was born with a musical gift (soul) that she couldn't escape from if she wanted to" said Fundis.
Garth then decided to call his friend Gary Nicholson, Grammy Award winning producer (Delbert McClinton), who was also an accomplished musician and songwriter. Thinking they would be a natural creative fit, Garth promoted a meeting between Hunt and Nicholson just to see what would happen. From the start the chemistry was right and great song collaborations immediately blossomed. Shortly thereafter Garth asked Gary to co-produce the new project with him. Also taken with Kelley’s talent and passion he gladly accepted. When asked about her ability as a singer Nicholson said, “Kelley has found that soul space that all singers really want to be coming from and she lives there. She's a song's best friend.”
While taking her time writing and recording material for the album, Kelley continued to tour across North America, building up a fan base (her previous two releases on 88 Records have sold a combined 80,000 copies). Her growing grass-roots popularity built a buzz prompting invites to perform on NPR/PRI’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” (seven times) and "Beale Street Caravan" The Blues Foundation's syndicated radio show (six times). Other appearances include "House of Blues Radio Hour", a 2001 appearance on the PBS-TV music series "Backstage Pass" and numerous other syndicated blues radio vehicles. While in Los Angeles on business Fundis met with friend and former co-worker Pam Hughes and played her some rough tracks from Kelley’s sessions. Pam was impressed and immediately suggested that Kelley’s new project land on her newly formed label Coda Terra.
Over the period of the next year Kelley finished recording New Shade of Blue at Sound Emporium with Garth and Gary by her side. They chose to start the album off with mid-tempo “Waking Up Slow.” “ I wanted that to be the first track on the album because I felt it embodied the spirit of the rest of the record,” said Fundis. Although the project boasts 12 strong tracks standouts include a gospel-feel take on Jesse Winchester’s “That’s What Makes You Strong,” her own intense reading of Jim Lauderdale’s alt-country “Why Do I Love You”, “Darkness,” a haunting introspection from Hunt’s pen written well before the recording process began and “Deal With It”, a raucous up-tempo duet with Delbert McClinton that deals with the challenges of making a relationship work.
Their labor of love New Shade of Blue debuted at #9 on the Billboard Blues chart late this summer and was met with critical acclaim from writers across the country. Kelley is currently on North American tour doing live dates and press in support of the project including a recent joint performance in NY City with John Mayer at the Housing Works Benefit in Soho.
Discography
1995 - Kelley Hunt
2000 - Inspiration
2004 - New Shade of Blue
2008 - Mercy
Deal With It
Kelley Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shown up a natural bit
But you want it your way
And I want it my way
And sometimes we just wanna quit
The only way we gonna get it right
Is step up and face the price
It takes a little give and take
We gotta deal with it
Go on and do the best we can
Things they ain't always gonna work out
The way we planned
You know we've got out problems
You might as well admit it
Let's get on down to working it out
And deal with it
Now honey if you run for trouble
It's gonna catch us in a itch
And just when we think
We're out of it's reach
We'll here it come around again
We gonna work together
It's gonna get worse before it gets better
Two love is on the line
Lord knows we're Gotta keep on trying
We're gonna deal with
Go on and do the best we can
Things they ain't always gonna work out
The way we planned
You know we've got out problems
You might as well admit it
Let's get on down to working it out
And deal with it
Let's get on down, darling
Ha, ha, ha
You know
If you weren's so damn hard headed
We couldn't have
No trouble girl
I don't know what you're talking about.
You're right
We're gonna deal with
Go on and do the best we can
Things they ain't always gonna work out
The way we planned
You know we've got out problems
You might as well admit it
Let's get on down to working it out
And deal with it
Let's get on down to working it out
And deal with it
How about you
I've read about it
You gotta deal with it
You gotta deal with it
I gotta deal with it
I gotta deal with it
Come on down and I'll explain it to you
Deal with it, baby
I'm doing the best I can
I'm gonna try
I ain't gonna make no promise, but I'm gonna try
We'll see what's happening now
The song "Deal With It" by Kelley Hunt is about the ups and downs of a relationship between two people who have different opinions on how things should be done. The singer acknowledges that while they may have a good thing going, it takes effort to maintain it. Both parties need to compromise and meet in the middle if they want to make it work in the long run. The chorus emphasizes this point, urging both to take responsibility and "deal with it" instead of running away or giving up.
The second verse of the song is a warning against ignoring problems and hoping they will go away. The singer reminds the other person that trouble has a way of catching up, and that they need to work together to overcome it. The bridge is a moment of levity, with the couple teasing each other about their stubbornness, but ultimately agreeing to face their problems and deal with them head-on.
Overall, "Deal With It" is a hopeful song about the potential for growth and understanding in a relationship. It highlights the importance of communication, compromise, and perseverance in navigating the challenges that arise.
Line by Line Meaning
The only way you've got a good thing going
Your relationship is working well, but...
Shown up a natural bit
It's happened without effort.
But you want it your way
But you have your own ideas of what you want.
And I want it my way
And I have my own ideas of what I want.
And sometimes we just wanna quit
At times, we feel like giving up.
The only way we gonna get it right
The only way we can succeed is by...
Is step up and face the price
...facing the challenges head-on.
It takes a little give and take
We have to be willing to compromise.
We've got to bend before we break
We have to be flexible instead of rigid.
We gotta deal with it
We have to face the reality of our situation.
Go on and do the best we can
We have to do our best despite the challenges.
Things they ain't always gonna work out the way we planned
Our plans won't always come to fruition.
You know we've got out problems
We have issues that need addressing.
You might as well admit it
We might as well be honest with ourselves.
Let's get on down to working it out
We should start working towards a resolution.
Now honey if you run for trouble
If we try to avoid problems...
It's gonna catch us in a itch
...they will eventually catch up to us.
And just when we think
Just when we're feeling optimistic...
We're out of it's reach
...the troubles return.
We gonna work together
We should collaborate to solve the problems.
It's gonna get worse before it gets better
It might seem like the situation is worsening before improving.
Two love is on the line
Our relationship is at stake.
Lord knows we're Gotta keep on trying
We have to persevere.
Let's get on down, darling
We should start taking action, my love.
Ha, ha, ha
Laughs awkwardly.
You know
You're aware of the situation.
If you weren's so damn hard headed
If you weren't so stubborn...
We couldn't have
...we wouldn't have...
No trouble girl
...so many issues, my love.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I don't understand your point of view.
You're right
You are correct in your assessment.
How about you
What about you?
I've read about it
I know what's expected of us.
You gotta deal with it
You have to confront the situation.
I gotta deal with it
I have to confront the situation too.
Come on down and I'll explain it to you
Let me clarify my perspective.
Deal with it, baby
Confront the situation, my love.
I'm doing the best I can
I'm trying my hardest.
I'm gonna try
I'm going to attempt to solve the issue.
I ain't gonna make no promise, but I'm gonna try
I can't guarantee a solution, but I'm going to try.
We'll see what's happening now
Let's take stock of our situation, and see what can be done.
Contributed by Eliana K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Frank Baker
I've seen Kelly Hunt in concert 5 or 6 times here in Kansas,, she never disappoints.
Such a beautiful soulful bluesy voice.
Shelia Pea
I feel like I was just given a special gift, finding her. Her voice is just perfection.
sherrydiddle
Kelley sounds as great as ever! I sure wish I lived close enough to her concert locations to see her again. I have all of her albums (autographed no less) except her newest one. She has soooo much talent.
L. D. Foster
One Word for This ...AWESOME
David Booze
You are a blessing!
Bob Pierce
I remember hearin Kelly Hunt and the Kinetics at the Foundry on Douglas..............................got your autograph on the album...........................years later at the Rivers Edge...........................you couldn't believe I still had vinyl............................I'll try and get it again...............................I knew Lee mcbeee and others in Lawrence..........Carry On
Finn Briscoe
Goddamn girl, you smokin'