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.
Wrap My Head Around That
Lucinda Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
Said you wanna be with me
You looked right in to my eyes
And said I'm not like the other guys
You looked right in to my eyes
I know what I think I saw and
What I thought I seen
And what was coming
And what was going
And everything in between
And what I thought I heard you say
And what you really said
And what I thought you thought I thought
Was actually in your head
And what you meant to tell me
And what I meant to say
And what I said you said I said
What went the other way
I know what you did to me
And I know what we did
And who did what to who
And who the hell're you trying to kid
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You looked right in to my eyes
And said I'm not like the other guys
You looked right in to my eyes
Said I'm not like the other guys
I know more you think I know
More than you think about
And know and think you know and think
You got it all figured out
I know I'm missing something
Somethings missing here and there
All over and over around
And up and everywhere
And you're just all up in it
Look out your zipper's gonna break
And I popped your little party favor
And you just take the cake
I can't believe I believed you
When I found out where you're at
And findin' out why you're too much
If I can wrap my head around that
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
I know what I think I saw and
What I thought I seen
And what was coming
And what was going
And everything in between
And what I thought I heard you say
And what you really said
And what I thought you thought I thought
Was actually in your head
And what you meant to tell me
And what I meant to say
And what I said you said I said
What went the other way
I know what you did to me
And I know what we did
And who did what to who
And who the hell're you trying to kid
I know more you think I know
More than you think about
And know and think you know and think
You got it all figured out
I know I'm missing something
Somethings missing here and there
All over and over around
And up and everywhere
And you're just all up in it
Look out your zipper's gonna break
And I popped your little party favor
And you just take the cake
I can't believe I believed you
When I found out where you're at
And findin' out why you're too much
If I can wrap my head around that
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
You said you wanna be with me
You told me you love me
You told me you love me
You told me you love me
You told me you love me
Lucinda Williams's song "Wrap My Head Around That" is a powerful ballad about a woman realizing that the man she has been with is not who he said he was. The lyrics are about the singer's clarity of thought and understanding after being lied to. The song has a slow, methodical beat, which adds to the weight of its message.
The lyrics speak to the singer's experience of discovering what was happening in her relationship, from her perspective. She shares that she knows what she thinks she saw and the reality of what was happening in the relationship. The song is clear in its message that the singer is not willing to ignore the truth and will not be deceived by the person she is speaking about. The phrase "if I can wrap my head around that" speaks to the singer's incredulity at the situation and her inability to believe that the person she thought she knew was capable of such deception.
In conclusion, "Wrap My Head Around That" is a powerful song about the realities of relationships and the importance of seeing things as they really are. The singer refuses to be duped and shows that she is strong and can handle whatever the truth might be.
Line by Line Meaning
You told me you love me
You said that you had strong feelings of affection towards me.
Said you wanna be with me
You told me that you wanted to be in a romantic relationship with me.
You looked right in to my eyes
You made direct eye contact with me.
And said I'm not like the other guys
You claimed that you were different from other men.
I know what I think I saw and
I have a certain perception of what I saw,
What I thought I seen
Even though what I saw may not have been completely accurate,
And what was coming
I have an understanding of what was impending.
And what was going
I am aware of what was happening or in motion.
And everything in between
I have knowledge of all the details between these events.
And what I thought I heard you say
I have a certain interpretation of the words you spoke.
And what you really said
Even though I thought I understood your words, I now believe I may have been mistaken.
And what I thought you thought I thought
I believed I understood what you believed I was thinking.
Was actually in your head
However, in reality, your thoughts were different from what I perceived them to be.
And what you meant to tell me
I believe I understand what you intended to communicate to me.
And what I meant to say
I intended to express a certain message,
And what I said you said I said
However, I now realize that what I thought you said was actually something that I said myself.
What went the other way
The conversation or situation took a different turn than what was originally intended.
And who did what to who
I understand the actions taken by different individuals and the impact they had on each other.
And who the hell're you trying to kid
I don't believe that you are being completely truthful with me.
I know more you think I know
My level of understanding exceeds what you believe I am aware of.
More than you think about
I am aware of more details than you might have considered.
And know and think you know and think
I am conscious of what I definitely know and what I speculate about.
You got it all figured out
You think you know everything and have it all under control.
I know I'm missing something
I believe there is something that I am not aware of.
Somethings missing here and there
There seem to be some gaps or uncertainties in the situation.
All over and over around
These gaps seem to be present in various aspects and stages of the events.
And up and everywhere
These uncertainties seem to be spread throughout the situation in different ways.
And you're just all up in it
You are deeply involved in the situation.
Look out your zipper's gonna break
Be careful, you are close to reaching the breaking point.
And I popped your little party favor
I have uncovered a secret that you were trying to keep hidden.
And you just take the cake
Your behavior or actions are particularly outrageous or surprising.
I can't believe I believed you
I am disappointed in myself for having trusted you.
When I found out where you're at
When I discovered the truth about your situation or actions,
And findin' out why you're too much
And learning about the extent of your negative impact,
If I can wrap my head around that
If I can comprehend the magnitude of your actions, or the reasons behind them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind