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.
Foolishness
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I do in my own time
Is none of your business and all of mine
All of this foolishness
All of this foolishness in my life
All of you liars in my life
All of you liars in my life, don't need you
But I know the truth even if you don't
None of you liars in my life
None of you liars in my life
None of your pie in the sky
None of your pie in the sky, don't need it
No matter how you go or where
I ain't gonna follow you anywhere
None of your pie in the sky
None of your pie in the sky
All of you fear-mongers in my life
All of you fear-mongers in my life
You can try to scare me down
But I know how to stand my ground
None of you fear-mongers in my life
None of you fear-mongers in my life
All of this foolishness in my life
All of this foolishness in my life
What I do in my own time
Is none of your business and all of mine
None of this foolishness in my life
None of this foolishness in my life
All of this foolishness
All of you liars
All you talk about is pie in the sky
All of you fear-mongers
Foolishness
I don't need you liars
I don't need your pie in the sky
I don't need you fear-mongers
Don't need your foolishness
All this foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but your foolishness
It's nothing but your foolishness
"Foolishness" by Lucinda Williams is a song that speaks to the frustration of living in a world filled with lies, fear-mongering, and unrealistic expectations. The opening lines set the tone for the song, saying, "All of this foolishness in my life, don't need it. What I do in my own time is none of your business and all of mine." The song is about rejecting the opinions and expectations of others and living life on your own terms.
The song is broken down into several verses, each addressing a different group of people who are causing the singer stress. She rejects the "liars" who twist the truth to suit their own ends, the "pie in the sky" dreamers who offer false hope, and the "fear-mongers" who try to intimidate her into submission. She repeats the refrain "None of you [group] in my life" several times, emphasizing her desire for independence and autonomy.
Ultimately, "Foolishness" is a defiant song that rejects conformity and instead celebrates individuality. It encourages the listener to reject the pressure to conform to society's expectations and to live life in their own way, on their own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
All of this foolishness in my life, don't need it
I don't want all the unnecessary drama in my life
What I do in my own time
Is none of your business and all of mine
I don't need anyone interfering with my personal decisions and choices
All of you liars in my life, don't need you
You can talk all the trash you want
But I know the truth even if you don't
None of you liars in my life
I don't want to associate myself with people who lie or talk trash behind my back
None of your pie in the sky, don't need it
No matter how you go or where
I ain't gonna follow you anywhere
None of your pie in the sky
I'm not interested in any unrealistic or unattainable promises, and I won't be led blindly by someone else's agenda
All of you fear-mongers in my life
You can try to scare me down
But I know how to stand my ground
None of you fear-mongers in my life
I won't let anyone intimidate or manipulate me through fear tactics - I have the courage and determination to hold my own
None of this foolishness in my life
I refuse to let anything that's not worth my time and energy come into my life
All of this foolishness
All of you liars
All you talk about is pie in the sky
All of you fear-mongers
Foolishness
I'm tired of all the negativity and superficiality that surrounds me - it's just a waste of time and energy
I don't need you liars
I don't need your pie in the sky
I don't need you fear-mongers
Don't need your foolishness
All this foolishness
I'm done with all the fake promises, lies, and fear tactics - they hold no value or importance in my life anymore
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but foolishness
It's nothing but your foolishness
It's nothing but your foolishness
Everything that's not genuine, honest, or worthwhile is just foolishness - and if you're a part of it, you're just as foolish
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LUCINDA GAYL WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@isaiahpostenrieder1146
Four years later and I keep coming back to this performance. Always grateful for Lu’s timeless work. ❤️
@jeffreybooth5129
What can you say ,absolutely brilliant ,love it
@riffedwood5597
she's bare, real, honest, and open with her message. no auto tune, no overproduction. this is Bob Dylan as far as I'm concerned.
@realmusiklover
Tremendous, great song. Judging by the comments it hit home too.
@genXrVT
Sometimes I forget how much I love Lucinda….then I listen to her again. ❤
@Frank-es1yj
wow this is coming from the soul, love you Lucinda!!!
@aprilmoon7680
Love it.
@scottmerrell4507
That is real American music during a very dark period in the USA's history.
@johnnyguitar5222
Hehe....2020 is upon us hippie.
@laurencedauplay8166
Bravo bravo bravo loooooove it! Lucinda you are sensational!!!