Wirecutter (you do read him every day, right? I thought so.) posts a complete concert of Allison Krauss and Union Station, which includes this song. Listening, it made me think on the weakness of Music Criticism, the dissection of songs. It made me think on the saying "All you need are three chords and the truth." This song is not sophisticated, musically speaking. But it speaks directly to the heart, with the volume turned up to eleven.
Allison Krauss and Union Station need no introduction; if you've never heard of them just listen to this. And listen to how how when the band first starts to play the song the crowd starts to cheer, and then settles down to "quiet as a church mouse". And at the end the applause goes on, and on, and on. That's Allison Krauss and Union Station. Oh, and this bit from her Wikipedia bio kind of sums up the phenomenon that is Allison Krauss:
As of 2019, she has won 27 Grammy Awards from 42 nominations,[3] ranking her fourth behind Beyoncé, Quincy Jones and classical conductor Georg Solti for most Grammy Award wins overall.[4] Krauss was the singer and female artist with the most awards in Grammy history[5] until Beyoncé won her 28th Grammy in 2021.[6] When Krauss won her first Grammy in 1991, she was the second-youngest winner at that time.
Three chords and the truth. A Truth worthy of not just a love letter, but a love letter to my sweetheart.
When You Say Nothing At All (songwriters: Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz):
It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of our hands say you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at allAll day long I can hear people talking aloud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What's being said between your heart and mine
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of our hands say you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of our hands say you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the band, especially Ron Block (guitar) and Jerry Douglass (perhaps the world's greatest dobro player).
Thanks, Wirecutter. And double thanks to my sweetheart.
14 comments:
You're quite welcome.
As I mentioned in the comments in my post, I saw her and Union Station at a County Fair, believe it or not, and after the show, they came down and visited with the crowd. Alison Krauss is just as friendly and charming as she is talented.
Thanks for the mention!
What odds on Robert Plant making a move on that?
My husband has been a fan of hers for many years. She's one of the few female singers I enjoy listening to.
You all be safe and God bless.
I probably first heard them in O Brother Where Art Thou and have enjoyed since.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Best wishes always to you both!
Harrruuuuupffff!!!
You both dress as cudgels, blackhearts and jacknasties!!! I've a mind to report you both to the local constabulary!
Isn't it strange. How some women can stop your heart with a song and a note?
Stranger still... you do not come across as a man that stumbles, BP, or needs someone to catch him. Have a great Sunday you guys.
Arrr Matey, scoundrels, blackhearts and V for Vendetta is what we need around here.
May you be blessed with many more years together.
I would listen to Allison Krauss if she were singing the ingredients on a toothpaste tube.
And she'd probably win another Grammy for it.
And deserve it.
If she's singing, every other female singer alive should shut up and listen. They might learn something.
Just so all know my opinion = AK is a God-sent angel here on earth. Her voice exact as I expect when I arrive to heaven assuming I am really. I'd cut off a right arm for the chance to date and marry her dang sure.
Allison Krauss, along with a very few female singers are what I imagine the angels in heaven sound like when they sing.
To have voice as an instrument of sublime music. Amazing.
I've had a running joke about this song for years. Essentially it's that Allison is using coded language to tell her significant other to STFU. I'll sing the song to Mrs. Goober, and it always gets a smile
"Darling you say it best, when you just STFU"
I like it. It makes me happy. I have no doubt that Ms. Kraus had no intention of it coming across like that, but it's still funny.
She tried her best (perhaps at this point it was her agents whatever leeches to pull out of a show), booked in advance before she really hit it big for a show in a backwood coalfield town of the kinds of fans that helped make her...
Did the bare minimum for the show when that could not happen, and left a bad taste in my mouth.
Sorry, im kinda mixed on my opinion.
I have to echo Mike V's comment. She has the voice of an angel. This is the topper of the songs for my wife. The second, completely different, is Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love".
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