Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Nile came from a musical family—his grandfather was a vaudeville pianist who played with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Eddie Cantor; his uncles played boogie-woogie. His listened to the music of Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Fats Domino, brought home by his older brothers. Nile himself began playing piano at age eight and took classical music lessons until he was a teenager, when he taught himself his first rock & roll song. He soon began to compose short songs and continued the habit into his college years, when during the summers he made trips into New York City to frequent hootenanny clubs like Folk City and the Gaslight.
Nile studied philosophy at the University at Buffalo where he received a BA in 1971, before heading for Greenwich Village. After graduation, Nile took an apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village; however, during his first winter in New York, he contracted pneumonia, which put him out of commission for about a year. He continued writing songs while recuperating, determined to make a name for himself as a latter-day troubadour. That he did throughout the ’70s, becoming a fixture in the Village folk and rock scenes and getting tabbed as the next big thing to come out of that long-thriving artistic community.
He began hanging out at clubs like CBGB's, where he would see bands like Patti Smith, Television, the Ramones and Talking Heads.
EARLY CAREER
Establishing residency at the Village club Kenny's Castaways on Bleecker St., Nile began drawing ever-growing crowds, which in turn led to his first record deal. In a glowing review in The New York Times, rock critic Robert Palmer wrote of Nile; "Every once in awhile the times seems to produce an artist who is at once an iconoclast and near-perfect expression of contemporary currents. He is one of the best singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in a long time."
Following a flurry of critical acclaim, he found himself courted by representatives from close to a dozen record companies; he chose Arista Records, and went into the studio with a band that included Jay Dee Daugherty from the Patti Smith Group. More rave reviews compared the singer to Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly, and called him "a one-man Clash." The excitement surrounding his self-titled debut album, Willie Nile, prompted Pete Townshend to request Willie's presence on the Who 's summer tour. Nile and his band were soon on the road with The Who, only a few months after Willie's first experience playing with a band. After two acclaimed albums, the self-titled 1980 debut and 1981's Golden Down, Nile fell prey to protracted legal problems which derailed his career for a number of years.
RE-EMERGENCE
Although he continued to write, Nile did not perform live or record again until a 1987 performance in Oslo, Norway, with Eric Andersen. A videotape of Nile’s performance in Norway prompted a Columbia talent scout to sign him to the label in 1988, but production on his album didn't start for two more years. Issued in 1991, His Columbia Records CD Places I Have Never Been contained the songs "Everybody Needs A Hammer" and "Heaven Help The Lonely." Places I Have Never Been featured appearances by backing musicians including Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, Roger McGuinn, and members of the Hooters and the Roches. His 1992 EP release, Hard Times in America, became a favorite among some listeners in Europe.
Nile has recorded and performed with many musicians, including Ringo Starr, Tori Amos, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Ian Hunter, and Barenaked Ladies. A live Central Park concert album, Willie Nile-Archive Alive, was released on Archive Recordings, and Nile was one of the vocalists on the ensemble album Largo, along with Joan Osborne, Cyndi Lauper, Levon Helm, The Chieftains, Taj Mahal and Carole King. Another project found Nile writing and performing most of the songs for the soundtrack to the Kevin McLaughlin film Pinch Me!
In the fall of 2003, Nile was invited to share the stage at three concerts with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, including the two final Giants Stadium shows.
“Nile’s defining quality is his charismatic spirit. It’s a passion and enthusiasm that is infectious and earned Nile the admiration of fans and peers alike.” From Shea to the clubs and concert halls of Europe, "his live performances are legendary.
Studio albums
* 1980 - Willie Nile
* 1981 - Golden Down
* 1991 - Places I Have Never Been
* 1999 - Beautiful Wreck of the World
* 2006 - Streets of New York
* 2009 - House Of A Thousand Guitars
* 2010 - The Innocent Ones
Live albums
* 1997 - Live in Central Park - Archive Alive!
* 2007 - Live at Turning Point
* 2008 - Live From the Streets of New York
Gathering together his resources over time, he put out his first self-released album, Beautiful Wreck of the World, in 1999. It was chosen as one of the Top Ten Albums of the Year by critics at Billboard Magazine, The Village Voice and Stereo Review. Lucinda Williams called "On the Road to Calvary," Nile's song for Jeff Buckley, "One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard." The album reached the finals of the Independent Music Awards for Best Rock Album of the Year.
In 2006, Nile released Streets of New York, which some consider to be his best work to date, due to quality production and clever songwriting. Former Time magazine music critic and Academy Award winning screenwriter Jay Cocks writes of Streets of New York, "The tunes he writes and plays with such blowtorch vibrancy get the myth and magic and danger and sadness and love in this town--of this town--truer, and righter, than anything I've heard since Dion. This record is a head-twister and heart-wrencher. It's rock and roll at its best. It's New York at its best. And there's nothing better than that."[citation needed]
House Of A Thousand Guitars was released on April 14, 2009.
On September 30, 2009, at his show at Giants Stadium in E. Rutherford, NJ, Bruce Springsteen invited Nile on stage to play with the E Street Band.
In addition, on November 22, 2009 Bruce Springsteen again invited him onstage to play the second last song of Springsteen's final concert of his tour, which was in Willie's hometown of Buffalo at HSBC Arena. Nile joined Springsteen and the E Street Band for the cover of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher".
If I Ever See the Light
Willie Nile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It isn't shown, it's unknown
Just where I'm going to
Heartbeat tangled in deceit
I feel numb not a crump
Of hope left on my plate
O lord and it's getting late
But if I ever see the light
If I ever see the light
I'm gonna walk up to it
Put my fist right through it
Gonna grab with all my might
Cold sweet haunted with regret
Chills roll cross my soul
It ain't over yet
In deep how'm I gonna sleep
The ghost's dance got no chance
Cause when it gets this black
There's no turning back
But if I ever see the light
If I ever see the light
I'm gonna walk up to it
Put my fist right through it
Gonna grab with all my might
By the wall where shadows fall people stare
In the gutter lost souls mutter
"Is anyone there, does anybody care?
I mean it, I mean it, I mean it, I swear"
In Willie Nile's song "If I Ever See the Light," the singer seems lost and numb, staring at his feet while walking down a dark street. He feels tangled in deceit and haunted by regrets, with no hope left on his plate, and no chance of falling asleep. Despite all this, the chorus offers a glimmer of hope, with the singer promising that if he ever sees the light, he will walk up to it, put his fist right through it, and grab with all his might.
The lyrics paint a picture of someone struggling with depression, uncertainty, and loneliness, who is searching for a way out. The image of the lost souls muttering in the gutter, begging for someone to care, adds a poignant layer to the song. The chorus suggests that there is still fight left in the singer, that he is still holding on to a shred of hope and determination that he will overcome the darkness in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Dark street staring at my feet
Walking down a poorly lit street, I'm lost in thought and staring at my feet
It isn't shown, it's unknown
I have no idea where I'm going or what's waiting for me there
Just where I'm going to
I'm pondering aimlessly without any destination or purpose
Heartbeat tangled in deceit
My heart is heavy with lies and deception
I feel numb not a crump
I'm emotionally drained and have no hope left
Of hope left on my plate
I have no optimism for my future
O lord and it's getting late
I'm concerned that time is running out for me
But if I ever see the light
Despite my circumstances, I'm hopeful of a better future
If I ever see the light
Optimistic of a brighter future
I'm gonna walk up to it
When I see my opportunity, I will pursue it wholeheartedly
Put my fist right through it
I won't let anything stand in my way of success
Gonna grab with all my might
I'm committed to seizing the success I desire
Cold sweet haunted with regret
Remorse consumes me like a bitter, cold breeze
Chills roll cross my soul
The icy sensation of disappointment courses through my entire being
It ain't over yet
Although I'm met with setbacks, I'm not giving up
In deep how'm I gonna sleep
My thoughts have been tormenting me, and I can't find peace
The ghost's dance got no chance
The doubts and fears that once consumed me no longer have any control over me
Cause when it gets this black
When things seem hopeless and lost, I remain steadfast
There's no turning back
I'm persevering towards my goals without looking back
By the wall where shadows fall people stare
People judge me and doubt my ability to succeed
In the gutter lost souls mutter
People who are struggling speak negatively and disparage others
Is anyone there, does anybody care?
I'm questioning whether there's any support or hope for me
I mean it, I mean it, I mean it, I swear
I'm resolute about my desire for success
Contributed by Sebastian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.