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.
Somebody Somewhere
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
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It must have all started with that darn'd old Late Show.
It made me so lonely and sad.
And to make it all better, I kept getting bluer,
With each little drink that I had.
So I tuned in a DJ,
Who played every sad song he owned.
Is away, bein' needed at home.
Somebody, somewhere don't know what he's missin' tonight.
Lord, here sits a woman, just lonesome enough to be right.
For love 'em or leave 'em, how I need someone to hold tight.
Somebody, somewhere don't know what he's missin' tonight.
The song "Somebody Somewhere" by Lucinda Williams is a lamentation on loneliness and the desire for companionship. The singer is sitting alone at home, feeling sad and disconnected from others. She turns on the radio and listens to a DJ who plays only sad songs, adding to her despair. The singer longs for someone to be with her, but all of the people she knows are busy with their own lives. The chorus repeats the sentiment that "somebody, somewhere don't know what he's missin' tonight," suggesting that there is someone out there who would be a perfect match for the singer if only they could find each other.
The first verse sets the scene of the singer's loneliness and the events that led up to her turning on the radio. The singer is watching the Late Show, which adds to her sadness. She then drinks to try to feel better but only becomes more depressed. The second verse highlights the singer's need for companionship, which is heightened as she listens to the sad songs on the radio. The chorus expresses the hope that there is someone out there who would be a good match for the singer.
Overall, the song captures the experience of feeling isolated and disconnected from others, while also expressing hope for finding love and connection. The repetition of the line "somebody, somewhere don't know what he's missin' tonight" adds to the longing in the song and underscores the idea that the right person could bring joy and meaning to the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody, somewhere don't know what he's missin' tonight.
There's someone out there who's missing out on the chance to be with me tonight.
It must have all started with that darn'd old Late Show.
My loneliness might have started when I watched that TV show earlier.
It made me so lonely and sad.
The show made me feel incredibly lonely and sad.
And to make it all better, I kept getting bluer,
I tried to make myself feel better, but ended up feeling even worse.
With each little drink that I had.
I tried to drown my sorrows with alcohol.
So I tuned in a DJ,
I changed the channel and listened to a radio DJ instead.
Who played every sad song he owned.
The DJ played a bunch of sad songs on the radio.
Lord, I need someone so, but everyone I know,
I really need someone to be with, but all the people I know are busy with their own lives.
Is away, bein' needed at home.
Everyone I know is at home taking care of their own responsibilities.
Lord, here sits a woman, just lonesome enough to be right.
I'm sitting here feeling lonely, but maybe it's the right time for someone to come into my life.
For love 'em or leave 'em, how I need someone to hold tight.
I don't care if it's a short-term or long-term thing, but I really need someone to hold onto and be with.
Somebody, somewhere don't know what he's missin' tonight.
There's still someone out there who's missing out on the opportunity to be with me tonight.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GIUSEPPE (PINO) DONAGGIO, SIMON NAPIER-BELL, VICKI WICKHAM, VITO PALLAVACINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind