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".
The Man Who Used to Be
Willie Nile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody feels the pain yes everyone with me
I′m me man who used to be
I'm the man who used to be
I′m turning every page but I can't find the book
This getting myself over you is harder than it looks
I'm the man who used Io be
I used to be someone you could lean on
| used to be someone you could dream on
If you′ve ever laughed il you've ever cried
If you′ve ever shed a tear we" I can't sympathize
I′m the man who used to be
I'm the man who used to be
I′m the man who used to be loved by you
So if you see her please tell her that I care
Cause if by chance she thinks of then I might reappear
I'm the man who used to be
I'm the man who used to be
I′m the man who used to be
I′m the man who used to be
I'm the man who used to be loved by you
In "The Man Who Used to Be" by Willie Nile, the lyrics reflect on the singer's past identity and how it has changed since a significant relationship ended. The opening lines, "Everybody knows everybody sees, everybody feels the pain yes everyone with me," convey a sense of universal experience and the shared emotions of heartbreak. The repetition of "I'm the man who used to be" emphasizes the singer's longing for their past self.
The lyrics express the difficulty the singer faces in moving on from the relationship, comparing it to searching for a book they cannot find. The line "This getting myself over you is harder than it looks" reveals the ongoing struggle to overcome the pain and move forward. It suggests that the process of healing is more challenging than expected and may require more time and effort.
The song then delves into the singer's former role as someone dependable and reliable. They used to be someone others could lean on and dream about. However, the pain they are currently experiencing prevents them from relating to others' laughter, tears, or sympathy. This highlights how deeply the relationship's end has affected the singer, causing a disconnect from their previous self.
The closing lines of the song express a plea to relay a message to the person who the singer still cares for. If they happen to think of the singer, there is a possibility of rekindling the connection. The repetition of "I'm the man who used to be loved by you" emphasizes the loss and longing for the love that has been lost.
Overall, "The Man Who Used to Be" reflects on the struggle of accepting a changed identity, the difficulty of moving on from a past love, and the desire for rekindling a lost connection. The lyrics convey a raw and vulnerable state of the singer's emotions, offering insight into the complexities of heartbreak and personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody knows everybody sees
Everyone is aware and observant of what is happening around them.
Everybody feels the pain yes everyone with me
Every person experiences the same pain and I share this pain with them.
I'm me man who used to be
I am the person I used to be, but I have changed.
I'm the man who used to be
I am no longer the same person I once was.
I'm turning every page but I can't find the book
I am searching and trying to move on, but I can't find a way to completely forget about you.
This getting myself over you is harder than it looks
Trying to let go and move on from you is more difficult than it appears.
I used to be someone you could lean on
I used to be a person you could rely on and find support from.
I used to be someone you could dream on
I used to inspire and give you hope for the future.
If you've ever laughed if you've ever cried
If you have experienced moments of joy or sorrow.
If you've ever shed a tear well I can't sympathize
If you have ever cried, I can't fully understand or relate to your emotions anymore.
I'm the man who used to be
I am the person I used to be, but I have changed.
I'm the man who used to be
I am no longer the same person I once was.
I'm the man who used to be loved by you
I used to be the person you loved and cared for.
So if you see her please tell her that I care
If you happen to encounter her, let her know that I still have feelings for her.
Cause if by chance she thinks of then I might reappear
If she happens to think of me, there is a possibility that I might come back into her life.
I'm the man who used to be
I am the person I used to be, but I have changed.
I'm the man who used to be
I am no longer the same person I once was.
I'm the man who used to be
I am the person I used to be, but I have changed.
I'm the man who used to be
I am no longer the same person I once was.
I'm the man who used to be loved by you
I used to be the person you loved and cared for.
Writer(s): Frank Joseph Lee, Robert A Noonan
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.