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.
Righteously
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your manhood to me constantly
I know you're the man can't you see
I love you Righteously
Why you want to dis me
After the way you been kissin' me
After those pretty things you say
When you run your hand
All up and run it back down my leg
Get excited and bite my neck
Get me all worked up like that
Think this through
I laid it down for you everytime
Respect me I give you what's mine
You're entirely way too fine
Arms around my waist
You get a taste of how good this can be
Be the man you ought to tenderly
Stand up for me
Flirt with me don't keep hurtin' me
Don't cause me pain
Be my lover don't play no game
Just play me John Coltraine
In "Righteously," Lucinda Williams sings about a relationship in which she is secure in her love for her partner and does not need constant validation of his manhood. She urges him to respect her and be tender with her, rather than hurting her and playing games. Throughout the song, Williams asserts her self-confidence and independence in the relationship.
One of the striking aspects of this song is the way Williams plays with gender roles and expectations. By telling her partner that she doesn't need him to constantly prove his manhood to her, she challenges the idea that men must always be dominant and assertive in relationships. When she asks him to be tender and stand up for her, she is flipping the script on traditional gender roles and encouraging men to be vulnerable and emotionally present.
Another notable aspect of the song is Williams's use of sensual imagery to describe her feelings for her partner. She describes his touch on her leg and his bites on her neck in vivid detail, using these images to convey the intense physical and emotional connection between them.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't have to prove
You don't need to constantly prove your masculinity to me
Your manhood to me constantly
I don't need you to constantly prove yourself as a man
I know you're the man can't you see
I know you're the one for me, why can't you see that?
I love you Righteously
I love you with a purity and sincerity
Why you want to dis me
Why do you want to disrespect me?
After the way you been kissin' me
After the way you've been kissing me with such passion and love
After those pretty things you say
After the sweet things you say to me
And the love we made today
And the affectionate lovemaking we experienced today
When you run your hand
When you run your hand up and down my leg
All up and run it back down my leg
Gently caress my leg and then bring your hand back down
Get excited and bite my neck
Demonstrate your passion by biting my neck and getting me excited
Get me all worked up like that
Turn me on and get me aroused
Think this through
Consider what I have done for you in the past
I laid it down for you everytime
Everytime, I gave you everything I had in me
Respect me I give you what's mine
If you respect me, I'll give you my all
You're entirely way too fine
You are an amazing person, and I'm lucky to have you
Arms around my waist
Hug me close and hold me tight
You get a taste of how good this can be
You can experience how amazing our relationship can be
Be the man you ought to tenderly
Be the man I know you can be, and treat me with tenderness
Stand up for me
Defend me and support me
Flirt with me don't keep hurtin' me
Flirt with me, but don't hurt me
Don't cause me pain
Don't make me suffer
Be my lover don't play no game
Be my true lover, and don't play any games
Just play me John Coltraine
Make love to me the way John Coltrane plays his music: with soul and passion
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Corey Anderson
Pettibones lead work in this is absolutely amazing... it oozes the same emotion and depth that Lucinda’s voice does... if this song doesn’t hit you deep inside you must have no pulse.
Cheyenne King
Heard this song once on the radio and it took me years to find it again. Love this sexy cool song.
Blurt Reynolds
The lyrics and guitar just burn into your soul. Still get chills when I hear it. If it comes on when I’m driving it gets loud!!!
Brenda Tomlinson
It’s on my road trip mix :)
Marcus Aurelius
A lone deserted Diner somewhere in England and I've discovered Lucinda. Better Late than Never .
Kevin Newsom
Hahha...nice. She has been around the block...
Adz Dahlman
Shit happens ~ ha ha*
Adz Dahlman
~ 'a lone' ~ alone : interesting how language pans out eh . Obv can't have an alone diner ; but , the word lone is so very specific and rarely used - lone wolf - lone trader - ~ just overthinking here....
Pinot Grigio Girl
7 years later, SAME.
Adz Dahlman
@Pinot Grigio Girl 7 yrs lone wolf ok*