Song Lyric Sunday: Sisters

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It’s Sunday all over again, and for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, as he tells us in his post Talented With Potential, Jim is inviting us to play a song from a band or artist that had potential, but never got their due. That suggests an historical component, but my choice is still playing, though they are more to be seen as live performers these days: it has been twelve years since their last record release and fourteen since the last of their three albums. They have been included in releases by others, though, as I’ll explain later.

My chosen act for today’s theme is one that I have played here before, but I think only with one of their songs. I’m playing you three by them today, including a reprise of the previous one: they are The Webb Sisters. This is the title track of their most recent album, Savages, which was released digitally in November 2010, and in CD format in May 2011:

I love that video, as it feels like everyone was having so much fun making it. And before I forget, here are the lyrics:

 

Well I nearly jumped out, right out of my skin
Before my sense pulled me back in
I nearly ran out of my heart and soul
I nearly hung my heart as a martyr

Told me told me told me told me…… yeah you
Sold me sold me hold me hold me…. yeah you
Don’t know me
Don’t own me at all

Diving into the ocean
Savages in the open
Fighting arms of devotion
Savages in the open

Well I really can’t stand being broken in
When the punishment has to be strong to the chin
I’ll never get back what was taken from me
Pain takes the edge off one more mouth to feed

Told me told me told me told me…… yeah you
Sold me sold me hold me hold me….yeah you
Don’t know me (don’t know me at all)
Don’t own me at all

Diving into the ocean
Savages in the open
Fighting arms of devotion
Savages in the open

Told me told me told me told me…… yeah you
Sold me sold me hold me hold me….yeah you
Don’t know me (don’t know me at all)
Don’t own me at all

Told me told me told me told me…… yeah you
Sold me sold me hold me hold me….yeah you
Don’t know me (don’t know me at all)
Don’t own me at all

You look like you’re smiling but
You could rip my head off I know

You don’t know
You don’t know
You don’t know

 

Songwriters: Hattie Webb, Charley Webb

Lyrics: songmeanings.com

 

Charley and Hattie Webb were born in Kent, England, to an entrepreneur-drumming father and a tennis coach mother. They have two brothers who are both drummers. According to Charley, music often blared from all over the house when they were growing up.  Hattie plays the harp and mandolin, and Charley the guitar, clarinet, and piano. When they were teenagers, the pair began to give recitals all over the country, and played at some charity functions and parties, during which they played twice for Princess Anne and once for Queen Elizabeth II. 

I think I’m safe in saying that The Webb Sisters haven’t enjoyed the chart success I feel they deserve, as the Official Charts Company website lists just one week at #92 for a single from 2006 and makes no mention of this album, though Wikipedia says that it reached #132 in the UK.  Savages took three years to record, as from 2008 to 2014 the sisters were backing singers for Leonard Cohen and toured with him extensively around the world: making their own record had to take second place! It is a lovely album, which won an award for its opening track, Baroque Thoughts, at the UK’s Annual Independent Music Awards. I’m not playing you that one today, much though I like it, as I’m going for my favourite track on the album, the one I’ve played a couple of times before as part of Tuesday Tunes sets:

As the clip showed, that was In Your Father’s Eyes. I went for an audio version – the original recording – as it really highlights the beauty of their sibling harmonies and the delicacy of their musicianship. There are a couple of live performance videos on YouTube but their sound quality isn’t too great. Ironic that I should say that, as one of them was recorded during a show I attended, and the sound was perfect on the night!

I said earlier that The Webb Sisters had appeared on records by others. One of those was Sting’s album If On A Winter’s Night, on which they sang harmony vocals for several tracks, and more recently they were on the CD and DVD versions of Leonard Cohen’s 2009 Live In London, and on a subsequent Live In Dublin version from 2014.

Leonard Cohen referred to them as ‘the sublime Webb Sisters,’ and they performed one of his songs in his concerts: it was also included on Savages, complete with Leonard’s intro. I’m playing that as my closing track for today, If It Be Your Will:

I think ‘sublime’ was a pretty good description! While they haven’t been making records together in recent years they have been far from idle. Hattie has released two solo albums, they were backing singers for Tom Petty on his final tour in 2017 (the header photo), and last year were invited to join David Gilmour for his Luck And Strange album – a UK #1 – and subsequently toured with him. The invitation came about as he had been impressed by their work with Leonard Cohen. They have since joined with David’s daughter Romany, who also appeared on the record and was part of the tour, and the other backing vocalist, Louise Marshall, to form their own Marshall Gilmour Webbs band, so maybe some new music might be forthcoming. I live in hope!

That’s it for today. As always I give my thanks to Jim for running the show, and hope to see you again for Tuesday Tunes. Until then, stay well and happy 😊

73 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: Sisters”

  1. Pingback: September Fields | Take It Easy

  9. Hi Clive, it seems like these sisters had somewhat success with connecting with David Gilmour and Leonard Cohen – but I do see the potential here and like your choice for today. Wow! truly gifted (and coming from a family with musical and athletic talent – no surprise) – also, you are so right about how sometimes an audio version of a video is better for hearing harmonies and beauty – especially if live recordings do not capture the audio enough. However I also find that the audio versions often remove visual distractions so we can really hear the music.

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    • Hi Yvette. I think their talents were recognised by those who knew their music. You’re right about the audio version. In this case, when I saw them it was just the two of them, so you lost some of the instrumentation. Their voices were as beautiful as ever, but you didn’t get the full effect of the recorded version.

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      • It was nice to learn about these talented sisters –
        oh and spekaing of the audio version vs a video of the artist live or a created video – well have you heard “end of the world” by Miley Cyrus?
        I heard it a few times on some commutes – and was really impressed with the song – and seriously Clive, I think it was the first song I liked from her since “Party in The USA” (which means I am not really a Miley fan)
        anyhow, really enjoyed the song – UNTIL I shared the video with someone. All of Miley’s seductive narcissistic poses totally distracted from the lines of the song?? And I heard it was a song written for her mum? Well what the heck happened in the video – oh yeah, some artists just need to get all dressed up and get featured lying down and rolling around – sigh

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      • To my mind they are far more talented than Miley Cyrus! And so is Miley’s little sister, Noah – she also writes great songs and has a lovely voice, and her clothes mostly stay on.

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  16. It’s pretty clear I’m going through something. An 🖤 emotional slog as it were. Music is saving me again. Clive, you’ve done it again with your songs selected. Thank you so kindly.

    All new to me and I loved it. Soothing like hot tea or fuzzy socks. “You want be good you want to be good so bad.” Story of my life. One day maybe I’ll get there.

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    • Thank you, John, I’m pleased you like them so much. Not sure if they released on vinyl, but good luck in your search. I don’t think they’ve stopped recording, as Hattie’s most recent album wasn’t all that long ago. But with touring, appearing on other people’s records, and having children I guess they haven’t found the time!

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    • From what I’ve heard it was a large detached country house, so may not have been all that anti-social!

      I was so bad they even gave up on the recorder with me. I hope your grandson gets on well with it: I love music and envy those with the talent for it.

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    • I’m pleased to have ticked those boxes for you, Jodi. I doubt that many will have heard of them apart from their times as backing singers for Leonard and Tom. I think they are very talented and the concert I went to was fantastic.

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