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.
Fruits Of My Labor
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
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Velvet curtains on the windows too
Keep the bright and unforgiving
Light from shining through
Baby, I remember all the things we did
When we slept together
In the blue behind your eyelids
Traced your scent through the gloom
'Til I found these purple flowers
I was spent, I was soon smelling you for hours
Lavender, lotus blossoms too
Water the dirt, flowers last for you
Baby, sweet baby
Tangerines and persimmons
And sugarcane
Grapes and honeydew melon
Enough fit for a queen
Lemon trees don't make a sound
'Til branches bend and fruit falls to the ground
Baby, sweet baby
Come to my world and witness
The way things have changed
'Cause I finally did it, baby
I got out of La Grange
Got in my Mercury and drove out west
Pedal to the metal and my luck to the test
Baby, sweet baby
I been tryin' to enjoy all the fruits of my labor
I been cryin' for you boy but truth is my savior
Baby, sweet baby if it's all the same
Take the glory any day over the fame
Baby, sweet baby
The lyrics to Lucinda Williams's song "Fruits Of My Labor" depict a woman who has found success and happiness after leaving behind a difficult past. The first verse describes how she has created a comfortable and private space for herself, shielding herself from the outside world. The second verse reminisces about a past relationship, and how the memory of that person lingers on through the scent of flowers. The chorus expresses appreciation for the good things in life, such as fruits and sweet treats, but also acknowledges the hard work that had to be done to achieve them. The bridge is a triumphant declaration of the progress she has made, having finally escaped a problematic situation and reached a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, see how I been living
Look at the way I've been living
Velvet curtains on the windows too
I've put up velvet curtains on the windows to keep the outside world from seeing
Keep the bright and unforgiving
So they won't let in any harshness from the outside world
Light from shining through
Or any light to reveal the truth about my life
Baby, I remember all the things we did
I recall all the moments we shared
When we slept together
When we were intimate
In the blue behind your eyelids
In the dreamlike state of sleep
Traced your scent through the gloom
I followed your scent through darkness
'Til I found these purple flowers
Until I found these purple flowers that reminded me of you
I was spent, I was soon smelling you for hours
I was exhausted, but I kept smelling the flowers, trying to hold on to the memory of you
Lavender, lotus blossoms too
These purple flowers were lavender and lotus blossoms
Water the dirt, flowers last for you
If you take care of the soil, the flowers will last for a long time to remind you of your loved one
Tangerines and persimmons
I've harvested tangerines and persimmons
And sugarcane
As well as sugarcane
Grapes and honeydew melon
And even grapes and honeydew melons
Enough fit for a queen
Enough to live like royalty
Lemon trees don't make a sound
Lemon trees grow silently
'Til branches bend and fruit falls to the ground
Until their branches are heavy with fruit that drops to the ground
Come to my world and witness
Come to my life and see for yourself
The way things have changed
How everything has transformed
'Cause I finally did it, baby
Because I finally accomplished my goals
I got out of La Grange
I left my hometown of La Grange
Got in my Mercury and drove out west
I got in my Mercury car and drove west
Pedal to the metal and my luck to the test
I put the pedal to the metal and tested my luck
I been tryin' to enjoy all the fruits of my labor
I've been trying to enjoy the rewards of my hard work
I been cryin' for you boy but truth is my savior
I've been crying for you, but facing the truth has saved me
Baby, sweet baby if it's all the same
My dear, if there are two choices
Take the glory any day over the fame
I'll choose the honor over the attention
Baby, sweet baby
My dearest
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind