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.
I Don't Know How You're Livin'
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dared to do
What I was never prepared to do
I've talked you down
Driven you around
All but followed you underground
I've defended you
I've seen it through to the end with you
I've supported you
Encouraged you
Comforted and consoled you
I don't know how your livin'
I don't know where you are
And you may not be willing
To open up the door
If you should ever wonder
You shouldn't have to ask
'Cause I hope you know brother
I've always got your back
I've paid for you
I've borrowed for you
I've planned all my tomorrows for you
I've believed in you
Grieved with you
I've rolled my sleeves for you
I've fed you
I've clothed you
I've loved you and stood up for you
I've sided with you
I cried for you
I put my knees aside for you
But I don't know how your livin'
And I don't know where you are
And you may not be willing
To open up the door
And if you should ever wonder
Well you shouldn't have to ask
'Cause I hope you know brother
I've always got your back
I've always got your back
The song "I Don't Know How You're Livin'" is a heartfelt ballad performed by Lucinda Williams. The song's verse's lyrics demonstrate the singer's love and loyalty for their loved one. The conversation in the song implies that the person to whom Williams is singing has been distant and inaccessible. The song implies that they were once very close and that the singer's efforts to reconcile the two of them have not worked. Through the lyrics, it is apparent that the singer is an active part of the other person's life, helping them out of numerous difficult situations. Despite all of that, the person has little to no knowledge of the life's happening of the individual.
The song portrays a message of loyalty, brotherhood, and support. The lyrics speak to the notion that no matter the situation or the state of the relationship, the singer will always be there for him. The song's lyrics are deeply emotional and introspective, creating a sense of sincerity and vulnerability that is authentic to Williams's music.
Line by Line Meaning
I cared for you
I had concern for you
Dared to do
I took risks for you
What I was never prepared to do
I did things for you that I never thought I could do
I've talked you down
I convinced you not to do something harmful
Driven you around
I provided transportation for you
All but followed you underground
I was willing to go to extreme lengths to support you
I've defended you
I spoke up for you when others criticized you
Commended you
I praised you for your good qualities
I've seen it through to the end with you
I supported you until the end of a difficult situation
I've supported you
I provided emotional support for you
Encouraged you
I motivated you to keep going
Comforted and consoled you
I helped you feel better when you were sad
I don't know how your livin'
I'm not sure about your current status
I don't know where you are
I don't know your specific location
And you may not be willing
You might not want to share your situation with me
To open up the door
To discuss your situation with me
If you should ever wonder
If you're curious
You shouldn't have to ask
You don't need to ask me to know that I care
'Cause I hope you know brother
I hope you understand, friend
I've always got your back
I will always support and protect you
I've paid for you
I've provided financial assistance for you
I've borrowed for you
I've borrowed money to help you
I've planned all my tomorrows for you
I've made future plans with you in mind
I've believed in you
I had faith in you and your abilities
Grieved with you
I mourned with you during a difficult time
I've rolled my sleeves for you
I've worked hard to help you
I've fed you
I've provided food for you
I've clothed you
I've provided clothing for you
I've loved you and stood up for you
I cared for you and defended you
I've sided with you
I supported you in a dispute
I cried for you
I got emotional when something bad happened to you
I put my knees aside for you
I humbled myself for you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind