In 1986 she worked with then husband Peter Case on his debut album, following this a year later with her own debut, Happy Come Home, produced by Anton Fier. In 1990 she released Swing the Statue. She also often appeared onstage and on record with the band Giant Sand.
In 1993, Williams' life took a dramatic turn when she learned that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis. In 1994, a variety of artists, including Pearl Jam, Lou Reed, Soul Asylum, Lucinda Williams and others, joined together to record some of Williams' songs for a tribute/benefit project called Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams. This led to the creation of the Sweet Relief Fund, a charity that aids professional musicians (of any stature) in need of health care. That year, Williams also released a new album herself, entitled Loose.
Also that year, Williams appeared on Strong Hand of Love, a fund-raising tribute album to songwriter Mark Heard, who had died in 1992. That December she participated in a Christmas concert with Jane Siberry, Holly Cole, Mary Margaret O'Hara and Rebecca Jenkins, broadcast over CBC Radio in Canada and National Public Radio in the United States and subsequently released on CD as Count Your Blessings.
In 1995, Williams released her first live album, This Moment in Toronto With the Loose Band. Williams ended the 1990s with 1998's Musings of a Creekdipper and followed it with Water to Drink in 2000.
Her gift at breathing new life into standards, most often limited to her live concerts, was finally committed to record in 2002 on Sings Some Ol' Songs where she covers classics such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "My Funny Valentine" and "Moon River".
She continues to tour regularly with her former husband Mark Olson, formerly of the band The Jayhawks, under the name of the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers; they have produced seven records, mostly of Olson's intricate compositions.
Wikipedia
Until the Real Thing Comes Along
Victoria Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd slave for you
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
I'd gladly move
The earth for you
And its worth for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along.
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you darling
Come what may
My heart is yours
What more can I say?
I'd lie for you
I'd sigh for you
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you baby
Come what may
My heart is yours
What more can I say?
I'd lie for you
I'd cry for you
I'd lay my body down and die tor you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
In Victoria Williams's song Until The Real Thing Comes Along, the lyrics describe the lengths to which the singer would go for the person they love. The singer is willing to wait, slave, and beg for their lover, if that means they can be together until the "real thing" - whatever that may be - comes along. They then go on to express their willingness to do even more for their lover, such as moving the earth and tearing down the stars, and finally stating that they would even lay down their own life. Through these lyrics, the singer is trying to convey the depth of their love, and how nothing will stand in the way of their desire to be with their beloved.
The tone of the lyrics is one of devotion and dedication. The singer is so enamored with their lover that they are willing to go to extreme lengths for them. They are trying to convey the intensity of their emotions, but also the fact that they know their love may not be enough in the long run. The repetition of the phrase "If that isn't love, it will have to do/Until the real thing comes along" reinforces this idea - the singer is aware that their love may not be enough, but they are still willing to try.
Overall, this song is a poignant reflection on the nature of love and the lengths to which we will go for the people we care about. It speaks to the idea of unconditional love, and the fact that sometimes, we have to make do with what we have until something better comes along.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd wait for you
I am willing to be patient and wait for you.
I'd slave for you
I'm willing to do anything and everything for you.
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
I'm even willing to put aside social status and pride to be with you.
If that isn't love, it will have to do
If my sacrifices and devotion aren't enough to prove my love, I don't know what else to do.
I'd gladly move the earth for you
I am willing to go to great lengths, even move mountains, to show you how much I care.
To prove my love, dear, and its worth for you
I want to show you how valuable and precious my love is for you.
With all the words, dear, at my command
Despite having the ability to say anything, I can't seem to make you understand how much I truly love you.
I just can't make you understand
Despite my efforts, you don't seem to grasp the depth of my affection.
I'll always love you darling, come what may
No matter what happens, my love for you will never waver.
My heart is yours, what more can I say?
I have given you my heart and soul, what else is there to say?
I'd lie for you, I'd sigh for you
I am willing to deceive or express deep emotion just to make you happy.
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you
I am willing to go to impossible lengths to prove my love.
I'd cry for you, I'd lay my body down and die for you
I am willing to suffer great emotional and physical pain, even death, for you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: ALBERTA NICHOLS, L.E. FREEMAN, MANN HOLINER, SAMMY CAHN, SAUL CHAPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind