Rhinestoned says it all. No other word, real or invented for the occasion, sums up as well where Pam Tillis stands now.
She is, after all, a superstar as well as a survivor. A child of Music City royalty and a former rebel, she was determined to find her own way as a singer and songwriter — and she succeeded. A CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, she has written songs for some of the top singers in and beyond Nashville, including more than a few of her own hits.
She knows what it's like to break the platinum barrier, to top the singles charts time and again, to bask in an ovation at her induction as a member of the Opry or play in the intimate hush of the Bluebird Café. She has bathed in the lights of Broadway, posed for glamour magazine spreads, sung ballads in Bay Area bistros, batted wicked one-liners back to Tom Bergeron on Hollywood Squares, even made cameos in movies.
But no matter where she wandered, Pam Tillis never lost her connection to country music — even when country began to lose touch with itself. Trends came and went, and though she rolled easily with the tides and drew something from every new twist, she was aware that changes come with a cost, even as the business side of country flourished.
Her response was to insist on writing and cutting songs that spoke from the soul, rather than the boardrooms and focus groups of the country music industry. The results have been records that emanate an almost painful beauty, as did her 2002 release, the critically acclaimed It's All Relative (a tribute to her father, the great Mel Tillis).
"What I'm doing is country — but not necessarily the kind that you hear on the airwaves these days," Tillis explains, one drizzly afternoon over coffee, not far from Music Row. "Now, I admire a lot of this music; after all, I've sung rock, pop, R&B, and jazz, so I'm hardly a purist. But what I'm hearing now sounds often more like pop than country to me. And I just seriously felt called by that old different drummer to something a little bit more like the country I remember from my formative years, the country music of my youth." It's also something Tillis' fans and friends clamor for as she encounters them out on the road.
With It's All Relative, which she affectionately calls "the Dad album," Tillis produced one of the most memorable discs to have come out of Nashville in years, largely because of her refusal to conform to expectations. Combing through her father's catalog, she chose songs that had an especially timeless quality, with built-in resistance to the whims of the market. It was a bold statement; more than that, it set the stage for the even more assertive statement that Rhinestoned would make.
"Pam had reached a point where doing a record every year or two wasn't as important as taking the time to make something that had more meaning," says Matt Spicher, who co-produced Rhinestoned with Tillis and Gary Nicholson. "So she decided to embrace the momentum she had established with the Dad record."
"That was the first record I ever made where I wasn't concerned about having to come up with three singles," Pam points out.
"The labels understood that from the beginning," Matt says.
"They said they did," she clarifies.
And that's one reason why Rhinestoned marks the first album to be released on Stellar Cat, Pam's own imprint. With total creative control, she let her heart lead the way toward material that she could perform honestly and emotionally. "This is an A&R-free zone," she says, smiling. "But it is, first of all, real country. It's a bookend to the Dad album, except it has all new songs. It's like a bridge between the present and the past."
How past is this particular past? "If you look at my record collection circa 1974," Pam answers, "you'd see Emmylou, Gram Parsons, Waylon Jennings, Don Williams, Linda Ronstadt, and Neil Young. Flying Burrito Brothers — hippie country I call it — that was some of the best music that ever came out of this town. Maybe it wasn't happening on country radio at the time but it sold record and built careers. It was the vibrant scene on the fringes of country, which was very cool — just as it is today."
The Rhinestoned sessions started in 2004. Pam and Matt whittled 20 songs down to ten, which they cut and set aside, like bottles of wine allowed to mature. A few months later they repeated the process. And then, after reflecting for a while on what she had accomplished, Pam decided something wasn't right. She talked about it with her trusted friend and writing partner Gary Nicholson and reached a critical decision.
"It needed to be more country " she sums up. "I played what we had for Gary, brought him into the picture, and suddenly it felt like we weren't wandering in the woods anymore. Then when I found the song "Band in the Window," suddenly I could see and hear the whole project in my mind right down to the t-shirts, Tillis laughs.
With that, the final round of recording began. All of it, aside from backing vocals, was cut the old-fashioned way: live, just the way those bands still play in the windows along Lower Broadway. Many of Pam's performances were actually guide vocals, laid down in real time with the instrumental tracks but too strong in the end to throw away. Overdubs and fixes were kept to a bare minimum.
The rollicking reverence she brings to "Band in the Window," the affection that radiates between her and John Anderson on "Life Sure Has Changed Us Around," the goofball humor of "Crazy By Myself," the insight of her recitation on "Bettin' Money on Love": All of the up-tempo moments on Rhinestoned emit a sense of freedom that's impossible for Pam to suppress or for any listener to miss.
Even the ballads and deeper performances — the languorous sway of "Something Burning Out," the wounded wisdom of "Train Without a Whistle," the almost whispered yearning of "Someone Somewhere Tonight," and the recklessness of "Down by the Water" — carry a quality that's become sadly unfamiliar in much of today's music.
It's that feeling of delight that comes from singing exactly what you were meant to sing at that moment. It's almost like a kind of ecstasy, which goes a long way when delivered by the incomparable Pam Tillis, without compromise or apology.
You might call it joy, but there's a better word than that for this state of creative exhilaration.
We'd call it Rhinestoned.
Please
Pam Tillis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's 15 minutes late
Jimmy's still playing in the bath
Cold macaroni on his plate
I still haven't done my hair
I hate doing my hair
It never comes out right
I must have changed my clothes
Ended up in this little black dress
Had to mend the hemline
Now I can't find my shoes
I can never find my shoes
Man I hate this
Am I nervous
Am I scared
Is it worth it
Should I even care
What a time to have these second thoughts
Man I like this guy
I really like him alot
(He's) everything that I was waiting for
And all that I've been praying for
Let be him be the dad, the friend, the man
Let him cherish me for who I am
Let him be the right one
Made it through dinner
Had a little too much wine
Probably talked too much
Went on and on about that little boy of mine
But he smiled
Yeah he really smiled
I can't believe he smiled
What a perfect night this has been
Should I say goodbye
Should I let him in
Calm down girl, it's just a kiss
I know, I know but it's been so long since I felt like this
(He's) everything that I've been waiting for
And all that I've been praying for
Oh let him be the dad, the friend, the man
Let him cherish me for who I am
Let him be the right one
Let him be the right one
(He's) Everything that I've been waiting for
And all that I've been praying for
Let him be the right one
Let him be the right one
The lyrics to Pam Tillis's song "Please" describe the thoughts and emotions of a woman getting ready for a date with a man she really likes. The first verse sets the scene with the babysitter running late, and the woman feeling anxious as she tries to get ready. She expresses her frustration with her hair and clothes, as well as her nerves about the date. The chorus conveys her deep desire for this man to be "the one" who will love her for who she is and fill the roles of a father figure, friend, and partner.
In the second verse, the woman reflects on the evening, feeling hopeful that it has gone well so far. She admits to possibly talking too much about her son, but is elated that her date smiled at her. She continues to grapple with her internal conflict about taking things further with him, acknowledging that it's been a while since she's felt such a connection. The final chorus is a plea to fate or a higher power to let this man be the one she's been longing for.
Line by Line Meaning
Babysitter said 7
The babysitter was informed to come at 7 pm to take care of the singer's child.
She's 15 minutes late
The babysitter hasn't arrived yet after being 15 minutes late.
Jimmy's still playing in the bath
The singer's child Jimmy is still enjoying his time in the bathtub.
Cold macaroni on his plate
The artist's child has left his macaroni on his plate, which is now cold.
I still haven't done my hair
The artist hasn't styled her hair yet.
I hate doing my hair
Styling hair is not something the singer enjoys doing.
It never comes out right
The hair styling never goes as the singer expected or intended.
I must have changed my clothes
The artist has changed her outfit multiple times.
A half a dozen times
The artist has changed her outfit at least six times.
Ended up in this little black dress
After trying on multiple outfits, the artist opted for a little black dress.
Had to mend the hemline
The singer had to fix the hemline of her dress before wearing it.
Now I can't find my shoes
The artist has lost her shoes and can't find them.
I can never find my shoes
The singer regularly has difficulty locating her shoes.
Man I hate this
The singer regrets putting herself through the stress of getting ready for the date.
Am I nervous
The singer is uncertain if she is feeling nervous.
Am I scared
The artist is uncertain if she is feeling scared.
Is it worth it
The artist is questioning if the date is worth the effort.
Should I even care
The singer is perplexed whether she should even care about the date.
What a time to have these second thoughts
The singer is experiencing doubts about the date at a less-than-ideal moment.
Man I like this guy
The artist is thrilled about the guy she is going on a date with.
I really like him alot
The artist has strong positive feelings towards the guy she is dating.
(He's) everything that I was waiting for
The guy the artist is dating embodies what she was searching for in a partner.
And all that I've been praying for
The singer has been hoping for someone like the guy she is dating.
Let be him be the dad, the friend, the man
The artist wants the guy to not only be her romantic partner but also a great dad, friend, and overall partner.
Let him cherish me for who I am
The singer desires the guy to accept and love her for who she is.
Let him be the right one
The singer hopes the guy she is dating is the correct person for her.
Made it through dinner
The singer and the guy have completed their meal together.
Had a little too much wine
The artist drank more wine than she intended to.
Probably talked too much
The artist thinks that she may have talked too much during dinner.
Went on and on about that little boy of mine
The singer discussed her child continuously during dinner.
But he smiled
The guy reacted positively to the singer's chat.
Yeah he really smiled
The artist perceived that the guy genuinely smiled at her and her stories.
I can't believe he smiled
The artist was surprised the guy reacted so positively to her stories.
What a perfect night this has been
The artist feels that the night has been a perfect date.
Should I say goodbye
The singer is considering whether to tell the guy goodbye for the evening.
Should I let him in
The artist is uncertain whether to allow the guy into her life.
Calm down girl, it's just a kiss
The singer is telling herself to not worry too much about a kiss.
I know, I know but it's been so long since I felt like this
The singer is acknowledging that her last positive feeling towards someone was some time ago.
Let him be the right one
The singer hopes the guy she is dating is the correct person for her.
Let him be the right one
The artist hopes the guy she is dating is the correct person for her.
(He's) Everything that I've been waiting for
The guy the artist is dating embodies what she was searching for in a partner.
And all that I've been praying for
The singer has been hoping for someone like the guy she is dating.
Let him be the right one
The singer hopes the guy she is dating is the correct person for her.
Let him be the right one
The artist hopes the guy she is dating is the correct person for her.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DULANEY, HOBBS, STEELE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind