Music Review - Holly Williams

Okay, now technically I did a mini-music review of Holly Williams back in November. (Nov Review)after I'd heard some of her music on NPR. NPR Weekend Edition July 2009

I immediately got hooked on her "Three days in bed with a stranger." So the NPR interview got me over to YouTube to listen to some of her songs. I found so many that I liked that I put both her CDs: Here With Me and The Ones We Never Knew on my Christmas Wish List.

Santa M was very good to me this year and I received both CDs. I've been playing them continuously in my office to spare M the repetition. Although the first time we listened to The Ones We Never Knew M immediately liked it as well.

These two CDs, although Miss Williams writes most of the music herself or co-writes with people, are very different from one another. The Ones We Never Knew is more of a light rock, pop/folk type of album, whereas, Here With Me is more a "back to the basics," somewhat religious, roots of old country, type of album. You can actually hear the difference between the two CDs.

So here are a couple of my favorite songs from each CD. I actually have a number of favorite songs on each CD. First from The Ones We Never Knew is the following song: "Sometimes," I also really like "Everybody's Waiting For A Change," but couldn't find a video clip of that. You can view her original videos on YouTube or listen to them on her website (Holly Williams), but I couldn't post them here, so these videos are the next best thing.



Sometimes
Holly Williams

I wish I were a little girl in this life
No one could resist my little girl smile
I wish I were a baby in this love
I'd be cradled in your arms day and night

I wish I were an old man, a scholar
With the wisdom of a 1,000 men before me
I wish I were a funny dream that haunted
The people I love every time they were down

I wish I was a fine wine
I wish I were a good drug
Hey, and if I were Jesus, maybe I could heal all of us
Just like a good lover, which one do you prefer?
In a world full of vices, I wish I were a little bird
Sometimes

I wish I were the sunset in Verona
I'd make a beautiful picture every time I went to bed
Or maybe more the sunrise waking up to a sad man
And hey, if I were the blue skies, I'd never rain on him

I wish I was a fine wine
I wish I were a good drug
Hey, and if I were Jesus, maybe I could heal all of us
Just like a good lover, which one do you prefer?
In a world full of vices, I wish I were a little bird
Sometimes

I wish I were an angel in ‘52
In a blue Cadillac on the eve of the New Year
And there I would have saved him, the man who sang the blues
But maybe he is listening right now
Hopefully he's listening right now

~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, from Here With Me, this is "Without Jesus Here With Me."



Without Jesus Here With Me

I don't talk to him that much
I know I never pray enough
Oh but I don't know where I would be
Without Jesus here with me

I don't know why I'm still here
Or why I lived that Wednesday morn
They were raising hands and screaming holy
Jesus was right there with me

I gladly would have died that day to save the child who went away
But you can't trade a life like that, I guess it's part of the master plan
My sister fought, my daddy cried, my mama begged him for our lives
And I don't know where I would be
Without Jesus here with me

The preacher tried to make me learn
I memorized his favorite verse
But Hank's words they taught me everything
Thank God I saw the light for me

I gladly would have died that day to save the child who went away
But you can't trade a life like that, I guess it's part of the master plan
My sister fought my daddy cried my mama begged him for our lives
And I don't know where I would be
Without Jesus here with me

Before I knew his mercy, before I knew his grace
I was searching out the answers in a dark and hollow place
Before I felt his presence, before I saw his face I was lost
Oh I was lost

I still don't talk to him that much
I know I never pray enough
Oh but I don't where I would be without Jesus here with me