Walker’s burnished vocals have a hint of restrained passion that suggests country music, but her phrasing, which dances around before and after the beat, is pure jazz. Her low-key approach is folky at times, but raw emotion lurks just beneath the surface, adding an alluring tension to her performances.
Walker produced Life Is Sweet with bassist Jon Evans (Tori Amos, Spencer Day). The arrangements are by Walker and 2010 Grammy-nominated pianist John R. Burr (Alison Brown). Drummer Scott Amendola (Madeleine Peyroux) and Grammy-winner guitarist Scott Nygaard complete the basic quartet, with special guest appearances from cellist Philip Worman, organ player Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco), trumpeter Steven Bernstein (Rufus Wainwright), and Dave Ellis on sax.
Wilbert Sostre, in his review for JazzTimes said, “Jazz, folk and country are fused beautifully on Lissy Walker’s debut album. Emotional, lovely, dreamy, sweet…Lissy’s vocals are simply beautiful.” David Becker of The Examiner writes, “Life Is Sweet is an eclectic riff on the vocal jazz tradition that finds Walker wrapping her sassy, playful voice around standard and not-so-standard tunes…” Lissy’s recent album release show at the new Freight & Salvage was featured in the SF Chronicle’s Datebook (“Best in Entertainment This Week”), and J. Poet of The East Bay Express also chose the performance as a Pick of the Week: ”Walker has a voice that brings out the subtle nuances of the songs she sings, with jazzy arrangements that are flavored with folk, pop, and country music.” Kirsty Evans of The East Bay Express calls the album, “Sweet indeed. Jazz songstress Lissy Walker has a distinctly sweet voice, with some impressive technical chops.”
The result is a quiet classic, with the musicians placing their restrained virtuosity in the service of Walker’s subtle vocals to deliver an album that keeps revealing its emotional and musical intensity with repeated listenings.
Isn't This A Lovely Day
Lissy Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The thunder and lightning
Seem to be having their way.
But as far as I'm concerned, it's a lovely day.
The turn in the weather
Will keep us together
So I can honestly say,
That as far as I'm concerned, it's a lovely day
Isn't this a lovely day to be caught in the rain.
You were going on your way, now you've got to remain.
Just as you were going, leaving me all at sea,
The clouds broke, they broke and oh what a break for me.
I can see the sun up high, though we're caught in a storm.
I can see where you and I could be cozy and warm.
Let the rain pitter patter
But it really doesn't matter
If the skies are gray.
Long as I can be with you, it's a lovely day.
The song "Isn't It A Lovely Day" by Lissy Walker is a classic jazz tune that is often performed with a swing band. The song describes a rainy day, where the weather is frightening with thunder and lightning. Despite the bad weather, the singer believes it is still a lovely day because of the company she is keeping. She is happy to be with her lover and feels that being together in the rain is cozy and warm. The rain may cause inconvenience and may be seen as a hindrance, but for her, she does not mind it as long as she can be with her lover.
The first stanza of the song describes the current weather condition as frightening with thunder and lightning. The singer feels that the turn in the weather will keep them together, and as far as she is concerned, it is still a lovely day. In the second stanza, the singer expresses her delight at spending time with her lover, even though they are caught in the rain. As they were going on their separate ways, the rainstorm begins, and they are forced to remain together. The clouds break, which is seen as a positive for the singer, as she can now see the sun up high and feels that they could be cozy and warm together. The final stanza emphasizes that being with her lover is more important than the weather; therefore, the rain does not matter as longs as they are together.
Line by Line Meaning
The weather is frightening.
The current weather situation is scary and alarming.
The thunder and lightning
The loud rumbling and bright flashes of light in the sky caused by the storm.
Seem to be having their way.
It appears as though the weather conditions are uncontrollable and dominating.
But as far as I'm concerned, it's a lovely day.
Despite the negative circumstances, I choose to view this as a beautiful day.
The turn in the weather
The change or shift in the weather.
Will keep us together
The bad weather makes staying together a necessity rather than parting ways.
So I can honestly say,
With sincerity, I can express that
That as far as I'm concerned, it's a lovely day
To me, despite the circumstances, this is still a beautiful day.
And everything's okay.
All things are well and under control.
Isn't this a lovely day to be caught in the rain.
A rhetorical question suggesting that this is still an enjoyable day despite the rain.
You were going on your way, now you've got to remain.
You were planning to leave, but now you have to stay due to the weather.
Just as you were going, leaving me all at sea,
At the moment you were departing, you left me feeling lost and unsure.
The clouds broke, they broke and oh what a break for me.
Suddenly, the clouds parted, which was a fortunate turn of events for me.
I can see the sun up high, though we're caught in a storm.
Despite being in the middle of a storm, I can still see the brightness of the sun shining above us.
I can see where you and I could be cozy and warm.
I can envision a place where we both can be comfortable and at ease.
Let the rain pitter patter
Allow the sound of the falling rain to create a calming and soothing mood.
But it really doesn't matter
The rain isn't important and has no impact on the overall happiness of the day.
If the skies are gray.
Even if the skies are overcast and grim.
Long as I can be with you, it's a lovely day.
The only thing that matters is being together, as that makes the day beautiful.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind