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.
Pineola
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I couldn't believe what he just said
Sonny shot himself with a 44
And they found him lyin' on his bed
I could not speak a single word
No tears streamed down my face
I just sat there on the living room couch
Mama and Daddy went over to the house
To see what had to be done
They took the sheets off of the bed
And they went to call someone
Some of us gathered at a friend's house
To help each other ease the pain
I just sat alone in a corner chair
I couldn't say much of anything
We drove on out to the country
His friends all stood around
Subiaco Cemetery
Is where we lay him down
I saw his mama, she was standin' there
His sister, she was there too
I saw them look at us standin' around the grave
And not a soul they knew
Born and raised in Pineola
His mama believed in the Pentecost
She got the preacher to say some words
So his soul wouldn't be lost
Some of us, we stood in silence
Some bowed their heads and prayed
I think I must've picked up a handful of dust
And let it fall over his grave
I think I must've picked up a handful of dust
And let it fall over his grave
The lyrics of Lucinda Williams's song "Pineola" recount the story of a man named Sonny who killed himself with a 44. The singer of the song learns of Sonny's death from her father and is struck silent by the news. She watches as Sonny's family and friends deal with his loss and attend his funeral. The singer and the mourners gather at a friend's house to comfort each other, but the singer remains unable to say much of anything. The funeral takes place in the Subiaco Cemetery, where Sonny's mother has convinced the preacher to say some words, hoping to save her son's soul. The singer closes the song by saying that she picks up a handful of dust and lets it fall over Sonny's grave.
The lyrics of "Pineola" capture the sense of powerlessness and confusion that often accompanies grief. The singer is unable to express her feelings or help those around her. She watches as Sonny's family struggles to come to terms with his death, and she is reminded of the finality of death as they lay him to rest. The repetition of the phrase "I couldn't say much of anything" emphasizes the weight of the emotions that the singer and the other mourners are feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
When Daddy told me what happened
I was told by my father what had occurred
I couldn't believe what he just said
I couldn't comprehend the words that he had said
Sonny shot himself with a 44
Sonny used a .44 caliber gun to take his own life
And they found him lyin' on his bed
He was discovered laying on his bed
I could not speak a single word
I was unable to utter a sound
No tears streamed down my face
I didn't cry a single tear
I just sat there on the living room couch
I remained seated on the couch in the living room
Starin' off into space
I gazed absentmindedly into the void
Mama and Daddy went over to the house
My parents went to his residence
To see what had to be done
They went to assess the situation
They took the sheets off of the bed
They removed the bed sheets
And they went to call someone
They proceeded to contact someone
Some of us gathered at a friend's house
A group of us congregated at a friend's residence
To help each other ease the pain
To provide support and alleviate grief
I just sat alone in a corner chair
I was isolated, sitting in a solitary chair in the corner
I couldn't say much of anything
I was unable to articulate my thoughts or feelings
We drove on out to the country
We departed for a rural destination
His friends all stood around
His acquaintances encircled the area
Subiaco Cemetery
We arrived at Subiaco Cemetery
Is where we lay him down
We laid him to rest there
I saw his mama, she was standin' there
I witnessed his mother in attendance, standing there
His sister, she was there too
His sibling was also present
I saw them look at us standin' around the grave
I observed them gazing at all of us surrounding the burial site
And not a soul they knew
However, none of us were personal acquaintances of theirs
Born and raised in Pineola
His roots are in Pineola
His mama believed in the Pentecost
His mother had faith in the Pentecostal religion
She got the preacher to say some words
She requested that a minister speak some words
So his soul wouldn't be lost
To ensure his afterlife was not in peril
Some of us, we stood in silence
Several of us stood in mute, respectful silence
Some bowed their heads and prayed
Others lowered their heads in prayer
I think I must've picked up a handful of dust
I'm fairly certain I picked up a handful of dirt
And let it fall over his grave
And allowed it to drift down over his burial site
I think I must've picked up a handful of dust
I'm almost confident I picked up earth with my hand
And let it fall over his grave
And cast it over his final resting place
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom Dempsey
Country music doesn't get more real than this.
Ed C
I would not call it Country. It is Southern Gothic.
Jason Conley
My God, Lucinda’s voice and a slide guitar
Jennie Hughes
Very much under appreciated. Or known to all that many .
Mojo Rider
incredible lyrics, great story telling based from real life, and great songwriting by Lucinda. This song always sends a chill thru me
José Luis Gracia Mosteo
Me encanta. I love Lucinda´s music. She is great.
flamencoprof
My brother lost a son about that time and this brings it back like a painting, pain fixed in time.
patricia S
Great poet, Frank Stanford, "The Battlefield Where The Moon Says I Love You," died much too soon. But not forgotten. Thanks, Lucinda, for this tribute to your friend.
Old guy
Nice lead guitar..He rocks...
NorbertEddy
A handful of dust; I just love all of this. Lucinda and the band at their greatest...