She was born into a musical family - her father was Tex Dickerson, and her brother is songwriter Ron Dickerson. Her son Chris Scruggs is a country musician playing in Marty Stuart's band. It kind of makes you think of a redneck J. S. Bach and family.
But she was more than a singer, or even a singer-songwriter. She became country's first female producer in the 1980s. She scored a Grammy for a duet with Ralph Stanley. While she didn't write this 1984 hit, she did produce it.
When I saw you today I just turned away,
Don't wanna see you, don't wanna see you so soon.
'Cause I've tried to pretend, that we were never more than friends.
An' I've been tryin' to keep from cryin', and I've been:
Walkin' on pins and needles,
Ever since you left me, darlin'.
I feel the jagged edge of a broken heart.
Walkin' on pins and needles,
Never gonna hold you, darlin'.
I feel the jagged edge of a broken heart.
So now I'm on my own learnin' how to live alone.
And every night's another shade of blue.
Even now, I see your eyes smilin' as you told your lies.
It's no use tryin', I can't stop cryin': I'm bound to without you.
Walkin' on pins and needles,
Ever since you left me, darlin'.
I feel the jagged edge of a broken heart.
Now I'm afraid to walk in places,
Seein' those familiar faces.
Knowin' you could be there with them:
So afraid that you'd see that I've been,
Walkin' on pins and needles, (Walkin' on pins and needles.)
Ever since you left me, darlin'. (Ever since you left me.)
I feel the jagged edge of a broken heart.
Oh, walkin' on pins and needles, (Walkin' on pins and needles.)
Never gonna hold you, darlin'. (Never gonna hold you.)
I feel the jagged edge of a broken heart.
3 comments:
She is wonderful, thank you for the discovery.
That was me, probably. I fell in love with her voice during her early 1980's heyday and was devastated when she faded away after the album this came from - - Where Is a Woman To Go? Jagged Edge only managed to make it to #20 in the singles charts that year, as The Judds were at the height of their popularity then with their Why Not Me? album and single. Jagged Edge is wonderful, from the opening 12-string chords to the amazing harmonies of the outro.
Gail faded away after this album, never really reaching the superstardom that I felt she should have - - I'd have thought she was a shoe-in for Best Female Vocalist if she'd continued making records like this one.
Another great song of hers is Grandma's Song.
Leland Sklar, legendary Los Angeles session bassist, who did the bass and co-produced Jagged Edge with Gail Davies, has a wonderful YouTube channel where he discusses various songs he's worked on, Today he revisited Jagged Edge, you can see it here. He's a rabid leftist in his politics, so if you subscribe to his YouTube channel or follow him on FB be prepared to put up with that.
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