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".
That's the Reason
Willie Nile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the reason that I'll be true
That's the reason that I love you
That's the reason
Well, I wake in the morning the sun's on the rise
I don't have a worry or care
The touch of your fingers, the look in your eyes
Well that's the reason, I love you
That's the reason that I'll be true
That's the reason that I love you
That's the reason
Well, early in the morning my working day is done
I get you and we go for a drive
I hang out the window, hold you in my arms
Baby, you make me feel so alive
Well that's the reason, I love you
That's the reason that I'll be true
That's the reason that I love you
That's the reason, yeah yeah yeah yeah
Well that's the reason, I love you
That's the reason that I'll be true
That's the reason that I love you
That's the reason, yeah
In this sweet love song, Willie Nile expresses his unbridled affection for his partner by attributing his adoration to specific experiences and moments they share together. The chorus repeats the phrase "that's the reason" to emphasize the driving force behind his love and commitment. Nile begins the first verse by describing how waking up to the sun and the touch of his partner brings him peace and joy. He then moves on to the next verse, where he talks about how, after a long day's work, driving around with his lover makes him feel alive.
Overall, the lyrics convey Nile's deep love and appreciation for his partner and the joy that comes from spending time with them. The driving beat and Nile's passionate vocals contribute to the upbeat and positive vibe of the song, making it ideal for a feel-good love song that celebrates life's simple pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
Well that's the reason, I love you
My love for you is the reason for everything
That's the reason that I'll be true
I will remain faithful to you because of my love
That's the reason that I love you
I love you for all the wonderful things you bring into my life
That's the reason
My love for you is the reason for everything
Well, I wake in the morning the sun's on the rise
When I wake up, I am filled with joy and anticipation for the day ahead
I don't have a worry or care
My love for you drives away all my fears and anxieties
The touch of your fingers, the look in your eyes
Your touch and gaze fill me with warmth and love
The curls in your long brown hair
Every little detail about you represents the perfection that you are to me
Well, early in the morning my working day is done
After a long day of work, I find solace and comfort in being with you
I get you and we go for a drive
Our adventures together help me forget about all my worries and troubles
I hang out the window, hold you in my arms
In your embrace, I am safe and secure, and I never want to let go
Baby, you make me feel so alive
You give me a sense of purpose and energy that I never knew I had
That's the reason, yeah yeah yeah yeah
My love for you is the reason for everything
Contributed by Christopher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RyhanZFX
The ending of the film with this song is perfect and it just fit with the theme of the movie, love this masterpiece, thanks for uploading!
WuchinaTwinAdventures
Agree as well. Crazy ass magical one of a kind movie.
Pizza Pie
Raiyhan Ali Fahmil Fikar , I agree 100%. What a movie!
Robert Black
This song is a good old-fashioned rock and roll gem; a gorgeous blend of sound and sense with not a note wasted, busting out of the speakers with such sweet exuberance that the hairs on my arms stand on end. Willie Nile was a king-sized talent. "That's the Reason" is aces with me.
Pizza Pie
Robert Black , that's right.
HAFanForever
Although I don't love or actually like Private Lessons much because of the subject matter of a woman having a sexual relationship with a teen boy, one of the things that did impress me was the soundtrack. I enjoyed many of the songs (especially "You're in My Heart" and "Tonight's the Night") and felt that they played at the best times during the movie, particularly for romantic moments between Philly and Nicole. While I don't like the overall scenario, I still like Philly and Nicole as characters, mainly because of their senses of morality and how they are shown actually fall in love with each other based on mutual kindness and respectability. The music helps highlight their romantic feelings towards one another, with "You're in My Heart" being one of my favorites as it plays during the second love scene and the final seconds of the movie. And so when the movie is done, you have this cool song playing over the credits to give it good closure and to reflect that, even though it's over and Nicole has departed, Philly is still in love with her. ❤️
Yeah, if I have to pick something good about Private Lessons, it would be the soundtrack, no question asked. 😉
Robson andre Andre
tema de isto é hollywood o sucesso
Роман Иванов
I have mp3
CLASSIC MUSIC
I have original CD и LP!!! :-p