Williams has garnered considerable critical acclaim but her commercial success has been moderate. She has a reputation as a perfectionist and as a slow worker when it comes to recording; six years passed between the release of her second and third albums. However, she frequently makes guest appearances on other artists' albums and contributes to compilations and soundtracks. She has recorded with Elvis Costello, Nanci Griffith, John Prine, Leftover Salmon, and Steve Earle, among others. She has also opened concerts for artists such as Neil Young.
Early life
Williams was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the daughter of poet and literature professor Miller Williams. Her father worked as a visiting professor in Mexico and Chile as well as different parts of the American South, before settling at the University of Arkansas. His daughter showed an affinity for music at an early age, and was playing guitar at 12.
Career
By her early 20s, Williams was playing publicly in Austin, Texas and Houston, Texas, concentrating on a folk-rock-country blend. She moved to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1978 to record her first album, for Smithsonian/Folkways Records. Titled Ramblin', it was a collection of country and blues covers. She followed it up in 1980 with Happy Woman Blues, which consisted of her own material. Neither album received much attention.
In the 1980s Williams moved to Los Angeles, California (before finally settling in Nashville, TN), where -- performing both backed by a rock band and in acoustic settings -- she developed a following and a critical reputation. Nevertheless, it was not until 1988 that Rough Trade Records released the self-titled Lucinda Williams. The single "Changed the Locks", about a broken relationship, received radio play around the country and gained fans among music insiders, including Tom Petty, who would later cover the song.
Its follow-up, Sweet Old World (Chameleon, 1992), was a melancholy album dealing with themes of suicide and death. Williams's biggest success during the early '90s was as a songwriter. Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded a cover of "Passionate Kisses" (from Lucinda Williams) in 1992, and the song became a smash country hit for which Williams received the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994.
Williams had garnered considerable critical acclaim, but her commercial success was moderate. Emmylou Harris said of Williams, "She is an example of the best of what country at least says it is. But, for some reason, she's completely out of the loop. And I feel strongly that that's country music's loss."
Williams also gained a reputation as a perfectionist and slow worker when it came to recording; six years would pass before her next album release, though she appeared as a guest on other artists' albums and contributed to several tribute compilations during this period.
The long-awaited release, 1998's Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was Williams' breakthrough to the mainstream. Containing the single "Still I Long for Your Kiss" from the Robert Redford film The Horse Whisperer, the album received wide critical notice and soon went gold. It received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. She toured with Bob Dylan and on her own in support of the album.
Williams followed up the success of Car Wheels with Essence (2001). This release featured a less produced, more stripped-down approach both musically and lyrically, and moved Williams further from the country music establishment while winning fans in the alternative music world. She won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock performance for the single "Get Right With God", an atypically uptempo gospel-rock tune from the otherwise rather low-key release. The title track was co-written and co-recorded with alternative country musician Ryan Adams.
Her seventh album, World Without Tears, was released in 2003. A musically adventurous though lyrically downbeat album, this release found Williams experimenting with talking blues stylings and electric blues.
In 2006, Lucinda recorded a version of the John Hartford classic "Gentle On My Mind," which played over the closing credits of the Will Ferrell filmTalladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby
Williams was a guest vocalist on the song "Factory Girls" from Irish punk-folk band Flogging Molly's 2004 album, "Within a Mile of Home", and appeared on Elvis Costello's The Delivery Man. She duetted with Steve Earle on the song "You're Still Standin' There" from his album I Feel Alright from 1996.
Williams released the album "West" on February 13, 2007, to mostly good reviews. The material is highly personal, chronicling the death of her mother and the breakup of a turbulent relationship.
Lucinda released her ninth studio album, "Little Honey", on October 14th.
Dark Side of Life
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skip Edwards piano
Don Reed fiddle
Pete Andersen guitar
Dan Fredman bass
Josh Lee White drums
Think you never know me
You think I don't know the troubles
You face everyday
I know all about the things
That cuts you like a knife
Yes I know about the dark side of life
Souls on your shoes are almost worn through
You've been running hard at best searching for something new
You can search high and low
For peace you'll never find
While you're living on the dark side of life
You live on the dark side of life
You can't tell what's wrong and what's right
You don't look too good
There's circles neath your eyes
Cause your living on the dark side of life
SOLO
You sit on a bar stool all dressed up
Your broke and your down
And your looking for love
But you won't find the kind of love that's sweet and right
While your living on the dark side of life
Cause your living on the dark side of life
From "A Town South Of Bakersfield Volume 2"
Restless Records 1988
Lucy Jones Music(BMI)
The song "Dark Side of Life" by Lucinda Williams is a poignant and insightful reflection on the struggles and challenges of life. The lyrics speak to the pain, difficulties, and darkness that many people face, even when it may not be evident to others. The opening lines set the tone for the song and suggest a sense of misunderstanding or misjudgment: "Think you never know me / When you turn and walk away / You think I don't know the troubles / You face everyday." The singer suggests that despite appearances, she understands the trials and tribulations that others endure. She speaks from a position of empathy and compassion, acknowledging the difficulties of life and the ways in which they can cut deeply, like a knife.
The chorus of the song reinforces this idea, as the singer sings, "Yes I know about the dark side of life / You live on the dark side of life / You can't tell what's wrong and what's right / You don't look too good / There's circles neath your eyes / Cause your living on the dark side of life." These lines capture a sense of hopelessness and despair, as the singer recognizes the toll that living on the "dark side" can take. She speaks to someone who is struggling, searching for something more, but unable to find it. The song ends on a bleak note, with the understanding that sometimes life can be difficult, and that we don't always find what we're looking for.
Overall, "Dark Side of Life" is a powerful and moving song that speaks to the human experience of pain, suffering, and disillusionment. It offers a reminder that we all face challenges, and that sometimes life is difficult, but that it is possible to find understanding and compassion even in the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
Think you never know me
You assume that you know me when you really don't
When you turn and walk away
You leave before you can fully understand me
You think I don't know the troubles
You believe that I cannot relate to the problems you face
You face everyday
You encounter these issues frequently
I know all about the things
I am aware of the various challenges
That cuts you like a knife
That cause you great emotional pain
Yes I know about the dark side of life
I have experienced and understand the hardships of life
Souls on your shoes are almost worn through
You have been journeying tirelessly and are beginning to feel weary
You've been running hard at best searching for something new
You have been trying your best to find a new purpose or fulfilment
You can search high and low
No matter how far and hard you try
For peace you'll never find
You will never find inner peace
While you're living on the dark side of life
As long as you keep dwelling in a negative situation
You live on the dark side of life
You are living in a dark and difficult state
You can't tell what's wrong and what's right
You struggle to discern what is good or bad for you
You don't look too good
You appear worn down and unhappy
There's circles neath your eyes
You have dark circles under your eyes, likely from stress and exhaustion
Cause your living on the dark side of life
It is because you're stuck in a difficult place in life
You sit on a bar stool all dressed up
You sit at a bar, trying to look good outwardly
Your broke and your down
You are struggling economically and emotionally
And your looking for love
You are seeking love or companionship
But you won't find the kind of love that's sweet and right
You won't find genuine and nurturing love in this dark state of mind
While your living on the dark side of life
Until you escape this negative place in life
Cause your living on the dark side of life
You will never be able to find true peace or happiness
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind