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".
My Little Girl
Willie Nile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but she's a star and every night she proves it
how in the world did I find my little girl
my little girls thinks she's so funny
she says she like me burt she loves my money
how in the world did I find my little girl
and she got colors I can't see
late at night she brings her blue kiss home to me
my little girl's like smokestack lightning
sunglases on man at night she's frighning
how in the world did I find my little girl
my little girl's a lipstick shaker
she makes a scene everywhere I tale her
how in the world did I find my little girl
and she gives everythig to me
and she got colors I can't see
late at night she brings her blue kiss home to me
and she gives everythig to me
and she got colors I can't see
late at night she brings her blue kiss home to me
my little girl don't make no movies
but she's a star and every night she proves it
how in the world did I find my little l
how in the world did I find my little
how in the world did I find my little girl
Willie Nile's "My Little Girl" is a catchy rock song that sings praises of the singer's lover. Despite her lack of a career in the entertainment industry, the singer compares her to a star that shines every night. He is bewildered by how he was able to find someone as amazing and enchanting as her. The girl is portrayed as both funny and alluring, as she teases the singer about his money, yet gives everything to him. She is why the author sees colors that he cannot otherwise see. In the evening, she consents to His desires and brings a kiss home to him. The singer describes his girl as being like smokestack lightning and wearing sunglasses that make her look frightening. Regardless, she remains a lipstick shaker and creates a stir everywhere they go. He cannot believe he was lucky enough to find someone as outstanding and amazing as her.
The lyrics to "My Little Girl" reflect Willie Nile's romantic side, and his admiration of his partner who brings a lot of color into his life. The lyrics communicate the singer's astonishment at the amazing woman who is so much a part of his life. The singer is ecstatic that she has morphed his life into something special and spontaneous. Late at night, even though blue can be a bleak color, she brings that kiss to him, throwing his life into color again.
Line by Line Meaning
my little girl don't make no movies
Even though my little girl isn't a movie star, I still see her as a star in my eyes.
but she's a star and every night she proves it
Every night, my little girl shows me that she's a shining star in this world.
how in the world did I find my little girl
I still can't believe I was lucky enough to find someone as amazing as my little girl.
my little girl thinks she's so funny
My little girl has a great sense of humor and loves to make me laugh.
she says she like me burt she loves my money
My little girl makes jokes about liking me, but in reality, she loves the financial stability and support I provide.
my little girl's like smokestack lightning
My little girl is full of energy and can be unpredictable like a bolt of lightning.
sunglasses on man at night she's frightening
When my little girl wears sunglasses at night, she can be intimidating and mysterious.
my little girl's a lipstick shaker
My little girl loves to wear bold lipstick shades and stand out in a crowd.
she makes a scene everywhere I take her
My little girl loves to be the center of attention and always manages to make a bold impression wherever we go.
and she gives everythig to me
Despite her vivacious personality, my little girl is always willing to give everything to me and our relationship.
and she got colors I can't see
My little girl has a unique and colorful perspective on life that I can't quite comprehend.
late at night she brings her blue kiss home to me
Sometimes, at the end of the day, my little girl brings a sense of calm and peace to our home with sweet and tender gestures, like a gentle kiss.
Writer(s): FRANK JOSEPH LEE, WILLIE NILE
Contributed by Camden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.