Today is the one-th of the month, and as usual Jim is inviting us to play a song written or performed by someone who was born in this new month, i.e. November, as he tells us in his post. You should read that, as it is full of information about musical dates in this month! As I always do for these I consulted the trusty website I have found, ihopeidiebeforeigetold.com, and it gave me a huge number from whom I could choose. In the end I boiled the options down to two: the two GPs. I decided on the one who is still with us so I’m sorry, Gram Parsons, but I’m going with Gretchen Peters, who was born on 14 November 1957, and is therefore coming up to her 69th birthday.

Gretchen is a longtime favourite of mine, and if you don’t know her but will recognise my musical tastes it should come as no surprise to know that she is a singer-songwriter, one who has a fabulous catalogue of music. As well as her own records she has written many songs that have been covered by others, perhaps most notably Independence Day, which was successful for Martina McBride. The song won Gretchen the USCMA’s award for Song Of The Year in 1995, and I thought about playing either version of it, but am instead choosing three of Gretchen’s other songs, which I am hoping will be less familiar and will therefore give you a better introduction to her music.

I’m starting with a song which became the title track of a live album she released and which she kindly autographed for me when I saw her play on the tour that supported it. I can’t find a version from that tour, other than audio-only clips, but this is a pretty good stand-in for that. It comes with an introduction by the lady herself:

That was Woman On The Wheel, and here are its lyrics from genius.com.

This was a song on her seventh album, Hello Cruel World, which was released in January 2012 and reached #70 in the UK, whilst also making #1 in the UK Country Albums chart. As far as I can tell those were its only chart placings anywhere – nothing in her native US, apparently. When I saw her play she remarked that her records often did better here, and thanked us for our support. The live album it also featured on was Woman on the Wheel: Live from the Hello Cruel World Tour 2012, which came out as a limited edition book/CD/DVD in May 2013, and that is what she signed for me – it is beautifully packaged and made for a great souvenir of a wonderful concert.

Another track from the Hello Cruel World album was released as a single, and it has a specially made video. So I thought I’d play that too:

That was The Matador, and here are its lyrics, from you know where.

This extract from Gretchen’s website explains what was in her mind when she wrote the song:

“I threw a rose to the matador

Not sure who I was cheering for

My aim was true, my heart was full

I loved the fighter and the bull

Federico García Lorca describes the Spanish concept of duende as a kind of dark spirit, a creative power which seizes an artist and brings forth the deepest, most elemental creation. The artist does not surrender to the duende, but battles it, “on the rim of the well”. The power of the duende is such that it takes control not only of the performer but also the audience. We’ve all felt it when the hairs on our neck are raised by a singer in thrall to a song, when we inexplicably cry at the turn of a phrase. Duende brings the artist “face to face with death.” But what about his audience, and the woman who loves him?”

I looked up ‘duende’ and got this definition:

1. (mass noun) a quality of passion and inspiration

2. (in the folklore of Spain, Portugal, Latin America, and the Philippines) a supernatural being or spirit resembling a pixie or imp.

 

I think that fits the song well. It is a beautiful piece, so typical of her writing and performance, and is one of my favourites of hers.

For my final song I’m going right back to Gretchen’s debut album, The Secret Of Life. This is the beautiful When You Are Old:

and here are its lyrics, from genius.com as usual.

When You Are Old was written in 1991, when Gretchen was 34, and it displays a remarkable maturity. By then she had earned herself a reputation as a songwriter, having written for a number of well-known artists. I mentioned Martina McBride earlier, but she also has credits for the likes of Neil Diamond, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, and Shania Twain, as well as some collaborations with Bryan Adams.

The Secret Of Life was released in June 1996, and has peaked at #3 in the UK Country Albums chart, though I think that may have been more recently. She had spent many years learning her craft by then, and I think that is reflected in her ability to perform her songs. This is simply beautiful. You may have recognised its title from elsewhere: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. Gretchen openly admits that she composed her song with his original poem of the same title in mind. The white-haired gentleman in the final photograph is that poet, W. B. Yeats.

That’s all from me today, and I hope you have enjoyed what is probably an introduction for you to the lovely music of Gretchen Peters. My thanks as always to Jim for keeping the whole show running so smoothly – where would we be without him!

See you again for some Tuesday Tunes? Hope so 🤗