Everyone talks about the voice and sound, but how about the lyrics?
Sturgill Simpson expressed a little bit of discontent at people overlooking the stories he writes for his songs in an interview with Rick Rubin earlier this year, so let’s look at one of my favorites of his, “Water In A Well.”
From his first album, High Top Mountain, in 2013, it’s a beautifully told story about lost love, using great metaphors and analogies to drive home the issues that caused the break up as well as the pain that resulted.
“They say that looks can be deceiving
and there’s been rumors going round
One look at me’s the same thing as believing
everything you’ve heard without hearing a sound
So if my eyes remind you of water in a well
It’s because your heart is the stone
I know sometimes it can seem like my mind
belongs to a child that’s grown
But somewhere between you and me I’ve lost my way
and I’ve been trying to get home
Trying like hell but it’s too soon to tell
If our love has all dried up like water in a well.”
He said that a new record is pretty much written, so I’m really looking forward to hearing what came out of his head after being cooped up for a year…
Knowing him, the possibilities are literally endless.
