Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, alongside figures such as Bruce Cockburn, Stan Rogers and David Wiffen. His early albums were produced by David Essig. The recording engineer for his 1977 album Hobo's Taunt was Daniel Lanois.
While commonly regarded as a major talent, Bennett did not become as famous as his contemporaries until 1996, when Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson formed Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, a supergroup named for Bennett's 1978 album, to record a tribute album of Bennett's songs. Bennett's first subsequent album of new material, Heartstrings, won a Juno Award for Best Folk Music Recording.
Bennett also performed frequently with singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, playing mandolin and harmonica.
[edit] Discography
* Tryin' to Start Out Clean (1975)
* Hobo's Taunt (1977)
* Blackie and the Rodeo King (1978)
* The Lucky Ones (1989)
* Take My Own Advice (1993)
* Collectibles (1996)
* Heartstrings (1998)
source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_P._Bennett
Faces
Willie P. Bennett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She only dreams of me when I'm gone
My heart rises to my mouth as she passes by me
And I can't make a sound
She gives me a mirror in a picture frame
And says don't be ashamed to blame your blues
On the man you see inside
I know she's right
And I can't fight the feelings
That the man inside's not ready for revealing
I've walked beside him on a stage
Watched him trying to make believe
He's read the pages of wisdom
Now everyone has a needle
Which they turn to in times of escape
Injecting their reality with a little fantasy
Makes it all easier to take
Some say that it sets them free
Me I've found that it seldom lets you see
That the path your foot falls upon
Doesn't make a sound
I know I'm right
and I can't fight the feelings
that the hearts of man aren't ready for revealing
I've walked beside them in the rain
Watched their distant and their mortal pain
And it's all the same
I know I'm right
and I can't hide the feelings
that the hearts of man aren't ready for revealing
I"ve walked beside them in the rain
Watched their distant and their mortal pain
And it's all the shame
She never thinks of me when I'm here
She only dreams of me when I'm gone
My heart rises to my mouth as she passes by me
And I can't make a sound
The lyrics of "Faces" by Willie P. Bennett reflect on the human tendency to hide one's true self and how the fear of revealing one's true beliefs, emotions, and thoughts leave people in a state of emotional isolation. Bennett begins with the confession of how the woman in his life wants nothing to do with him while he's present but dreams of him while he's gone. He is speechless as she passes by, his heart in his mouth, unable to express himself or his feelings for her. She then gives him a picture frame and mirror, implying that he should not be ashamed of blaming his sorrows on his reflection's man. However, this man hides his true and genuine feelings from the world, and he struggles to reveal it to himself too.
Bennett sheds light on how everyone has their way of escaping reality, whether legal or illegal, by using everyday objects as a metaphor. Injecting their reality with a little fantasy helps them to make it easier. However, he comes to the realization that this escape doesn't offer a clear path or solution to their problems, and instead, it keeps them in a state of delusion, leaving their real experiences unexplored or confronting the issue. He sees himself and others he's walked beside in the rain as struggling with mortal pain alone, unable to connect and express their vulnerabilities fully.
Line by Line Meaning
She never thinks of me when I'm here
When she is around me, she doesn't pay attention to me.
She only dreams of me when I'm gone
She only thinks of me when I'm not around.
My heart rises to my mouth as she passes by me
I get nervous and my heart beats very fast when she walks by me.
And I can't make a sound
I become speechless and can't express my feelings.
She gives me a mirror in a picture frame
She shows me a picture of myself in a frame.
And says don't be ashamed to blame your blues
She advises me not to feel bad about feeling sad or depressed.
On the man you see inside
She wants me to understand that my sadness comes from within.
He's trying desperately to hide
The man inside is struggling to conceal his emotions.
I know she's right
I understand and agree with what she's saying.
And I can't fight the feelings
Despite wanting to resist, I can't stop myself from feeling a certain way.
That the man inside's not ready for revealing
I'm not yet prepared to open up and express my true emotions.
I've walked beside him on a stage
I have performed alongside him in front of an audience.
Watched him trying to make believe
I have witnessed him attempting to pretend or act a certain way.
He's read the pages of wisdom
He has tried to gain knowledge from sources of wisdom.
Now everyone has a needle
Everyone has their own way of coping with difficult situations.
Which they turn to in times of escape
They use their coping mechanism to help them escape from problems.
Injecting their reality with a little fantasy
They use their coping mechanism to make their reality a little more bearable by adding some fantasy.
Makes it all easier to take
Their coping mechanism helps them deal with their problems more easily.
Some say that it sets them free
Some people believe that their coping mechanism frees them from their problems.
Me I've found that it seldom lets you see
In my experience, using a coping mechanism doesn't always help you see things more clearly.
That the path your foot falls upon
The path you take in life.
Doesn't make a sound
The path you take doesn't make a noise, or it doesn't seem like the right one.
I know I'm right
I am confident in my beliefs.
And I can't fight the feelings
I can't resist the emotions I am experiencing.
that the hearts of man aren't ready for revealing
People are not yet emotionally prepared to share their innermost feelings.
I've walked beside them in the rain
I have been there for others during difficult times.
Watched their distant and their mortal pain
I have seen their pain from a distance, and the struggle is very real.
And it's all the same
Despite different people having different experiences, pain and struggles are universal.
And it's all the shame
The pain and struggles can be shameful or embarrassing for some people.
Contributed by Tyler R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stephenpidliski8803
Absolutely one of my most loved Willie songs, but there are so many. Rest in peace Willie. The path your foot fell upon did make a sound!
@stephenpidliski8803
My favorite Willie song. You are so missed.
@59Gatorboy
Thanks, haven't heard this old Fav in a while.
@eugeniocampo5160
È stato il mio cantautore preferito degli anni 70 e 80. Purtrotto ci ha lascato troppo presto. Un vero peccato