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.
Ugly Truth
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
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Hide your given middle name
Swallow your pride, swallow your pills
In your house up in the hills
Leave your husband, leave your wife
Keep on runnin' your whole life
Sweep your dirt under the rug
[Chorus]
From the cradle to the grave
You will always be a slave
To the quiet darkness of your memories
And that's the truth, my friend
The ugly truth, my friend
I've got proof, my friend
And that's the truth
Keep your secrets to yourself
Keep your paperbacks up on the shelf
Burn your bridges, burn your friends
Blow 'em kisses and make amends
Take the high road or take the low
No one but you and God will ever know
And you might play rough and win or lose
Either way, love, you'll get the blues
[Chorus]
I've got proof, my friend
And that's the truth
The lyrics of Lucinda Williams's song Ugly Truth reveal the harsh reality of life, especially in the context of concealing one's true nature and emotions from the world. The lyrics urge the listener to hide their true identity, background, and even fame, which creates a facade of perfection, but it comes at a cost - one's true self. The song highlights the societal pressure of maintaining the status quo, which forces individuals to neglect their emotional wellbeing, and to hide their hurt and pain. The song delicately balances between harsh truths of life and vulnerability, which is evident in the line "fix your hurt with a little love." The Ugly Truth is harsh, and it's a reflection of society's implacable expectations and the personal sacrifices that individuals make to fit in.
Furthermore, the chorus of the song continually reminds the listener that they'll always be a slave to the "quiet darkness" of their memories. The song's perspective is clear, and it suggests that true freedom comes from accepting one's reality, even if it's ugly. The lyrics of the song also urge the listener to burn bridges and to make amends, as either course of action could lead to happiness or sadness, but either way, in the end, it's the individual's emotional cost, and they will "get the blues."
Line by Line Meaning
Hide your background, hide your fame
Conceal where you come from and any recognition you have achieved in your life
Hide your given middle name
Don't let anyone know your full name
Swallow your pride, swallow your pills
Suppress your self-respect and take medication to mask your problems
In your house up in the hills
Live in a luxurious home secluded from the rest of the world
Leave your husband, leave your wife
Abandon your spouse
Keep on runnin' your whole life
Continue avoiding your issues and keep moving forward
Sweep your dirt under the rug
Cover up and ignore your flaws and mistakes
Fix your hurt with a little love
Attempt to heal your emotional pain by seeking affection
From the cradle to the grave
Throughout your entire life
You will always be a slave
You will forever be controlled by
To the quiet darkness of your memories
The painful and unpleasant memories that haunt you
And that's the truth, my friend
This is an honest, but unpleasant, reality
The ugly truth, my friend
It's not a desirable truth
I've got proof, my friend
I have evidence to support this claim
Keep your secrets to yourself
Don't reveal your private information
Keep your paperbacks up on the shelf
Don't show others the books you read
Burn your bridges, burn your friends
Sever all relationships and connections with people
Blow 'em kisses and make amends
Attempt to reconcile while still maintaining your distance
Take the high road or take the low
Choose to act with moral superiority or abandon your values
No one but you and God will ever know
No one will ever be aware of your actions and motives except for yourself and a higher power
And you might play rough and win or lose
You may fight hard and either come out victorious or defeated
Either way, love, you'll get the blues
Regardless of the outcome, you will feel sad and regretful
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind