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.
Stowaway in your Heart
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't need anything special, none of that stuff
I'm a stowaway in your heart and that's enough
Thank you for giving me a place to keep my love
Thank you for giving me a place to close my eyes
You don't have to promise heaven or paradise
I'm a stowaway in your heart and that's the prize
Thank you for giving me a place to close my eyes
Don't have to say Hail Mary or halleluh
I'm a stowaway in your heart and that will do
Thank you for giving me a place to take my blue
Thank you for giving me a place to hang around
You don't have to be an angel or wear a crown
I'm a stowaway in your heart, I won't make a sound
Thank you for giving me a place to hang around
Thank you for giving me a place to keep my love
Thank you for giving me a place to close my eyes
Thank you for giving me a place to take my blue
Thank you for giving me a place to hang around
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I'm a stowaway in your heart
The song "Stowaway in Your Heart" by Lucinda Williams is a thank-you note to a lover who has provided a special place in their heart. The singer expresses their gratitude for this sanctuary which requires no flashy promises or grand gestures, just the assurance that their love has a permanent home. The lyrics emphasize a sense of humility and contentment, as well as the acknowledgment that love is enough without needing anything else. The repetition of the phrase "I'm a stowaway in your heart" highlights the singer's appreciation for feeling like a hidden treasure within their lover's heart.
The song's simple structure, repetitive melody, and gentle instrumentation all work together to create a sense of comfort and intimacy. Williams' vocal delivery is restrained yet emotional, further underscoring the understated beauty of the song. Overall, "Stowaway in Your Heart" is a tender tribute to the power of love to provide solace and security.
Line by Line Meaning
Thank you for giving me a place to keep my love
I am grateful for having found a place in your heart where I can keep my love whole and safe
I don't need anything special, none of that stuff
I am content with the simple presence of my love within you, and do not desire any grand gestures or material possessions
I'm a stowaway in your heart and that's enough
My love resides within you discreetly and without fanfare; this is all I require
Thank you for giving me a place to close my eyes
I appreciate that I can trust you enough to close my eyes and rest my head within the safety of your heart
You don't have to promise heaven or paradise
I don't require your promise of grandiose things like heaven or paradise, as long as I can find refuge in your heart
I'm a stowaway in your heart and that's the prize
Being able to hide and find solace within your heart is the ultimate treasure for me
Thank you for giving me a place to take my blue
I appreciate that there is a place within you where I can comfortably and safely confront and express my sadness
Don't have to say Hail Mary or halleluh
I don't need religious phrases or rites to find comfort within you
I'm a stowaway in your heart and that will do
Simply being able to be myself and seek refuge within your heart is all I require
Thank you for giving me a place to hang around
I appreciate being able to linger within your heart and find companionship within it
You don't have to be an angel or wear a crown
I don't need you to be anything else other than yourself to be able to seek comfort within your heart
I'm a stowaway in your heart, I won't make a sound
I don't require attention or recognition for residing within the safety and comfort of your heart
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I am content with hiding myself within your heart and finding comfort within it
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I am content with hiding myself within your heart and finding comfort within it
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I am content with hiding myself within your heart and finding comfort within it
I'm a stowaway in your heart
I am content with hiding myself within your heart and finding comfort within it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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