It's TTT day. I can't get over my excitement to introduce you to some songs you might have missed, a little story behind them and of course, how they made my childhood fun. I am super excited to introduce you to some country music for this week.
I grew up to notice the round big disk of Don Williams in our house. I picked up one at some point and I read the story behind the paper that housed the disk. He produced so many wonderful songs which I can't even pick a favourite because each song is unique on its own and they gave me different feelings. He is the one that made me fall in love with country music and I enjoy his songs even to date.
I remembered how the radio station always play his songs in the afternoon. I can never forget because there were times I skipped school by forming sick just because I didn't do my assignment or we have been promised beating for whatever the whole class had done then. In the afternoon, with mum humming in the kitchen while I was lying down in the sitting room, they would play his song and for some weird reasons I would find myself crying. I don't know how but it must have been boredom because I was the only one at home with my mum and my brothers hadn't returned from school then.
Songs that forces emotions out of you can never be forgotten and as I grew older I came to appreciate the deep meaning of these songs especially when I was deliberate about listening to the songs and knowing the stories behind them. Let's delve right into the pick for the week...
The first song I would be rocking and recommending is:
Title of Song: "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good"
Artist: "Don Williams"
https://youtu.be/nWR78buhHbI
He still sang the song before he died at the age of 78... You can see from the excitement of people what this song means to them. You can see it below:
https://youtu.be/4lwmuUszt_A
This song was so good that it became everyone's prayer every single day. When it was released in 1981, I gathered it ranked top on the chart and for more than 20 weeks. Everyone can relate to this song because we have that thankfulness deep within us yet we feel so inadequate. We feel misunderstood and we are torn between our frailty and our deep sense of gratitude to God for what we still have.
It was Dave Hanner that recorded this song but we got to know it from Don Williams. Dave also released the song a year after Don Williams did. It was a feeling of emptiness that the author felt for being misunderstood but still, chose to be thankful instead. It was his earnest prayer for the Lord to plan a good day for him regardless of the way he was feeling. I love this song so much. This song holds a special place in my heart since I've listened to it since my childhood days. This is not just a classic but an evergreen song that would stay with us till the world is no more. This is my way of reintroducing this to the world for those who haven't even heard it. Songs like this must never die.
The part that struck me the most was this in his lyrics:
>"Lord, have you forgotten me
I've been prayin' to you faithfully
I'm not sayin' I'm a righteous man
But Lord, I hope you understand
I don't need fortune and I don't need fame
Send down the thunder Lord, send down the rain
But when you're planning just how it will be
Plan a good day for me"
It means regardless of his shortfalls, he acknowledged the supremacy of God and hoped in His mercy He would at least show him kindness, not because he deserved it but because it pleases Him.
My second recommendation for the week is:
Title of Song: "I Believe In You"
Artist: "Don Williams"
https://youtu.be/5QuIxSW_OMM
Another one:
https://youtu.be/Bjz6NqBP_LY
This one is a banger right here. If you think you enjoyed the first one then you need to listen to the deep lyrics of this second recommendation. His words would carve open the walls of your heart to believe in love again. This song speaks of a man who doesn’t believe in many things, except for one; the power of love...babies and everything the fruit of love can bring. Oh, I love it. They say love is magical, no wonder he said he believes in magic too hahaha.
Just see the part of the lyrics I love most:
>"I don't believe in superstars
Organic food and foreign cars
I don't believe the price of gold
The certainty of growing old
That right is right and left is wrong
That north and south can't get along
That east is east and west is west
And being first is always best
But I believe in love, I believe in babies
I believe in mom and dad, and I believe in you"
It reminds me of another popular song titled "Don't Know Much" by Linda Ronstadt feat. Aaron Neville. The artist claimed not to know as much things but one thing that is known is that "I know I love you and that's all I need to know" end of discussion hahahaha.
Don Williams was a lover man and when you listen to "Loving You Is Like Coming Home" and "It Must Be Love" you would also understand better.
The last recommendation for this week would be:
Title of Song: "Amanda"
Artist: "Don Williams"
https://youtu.be/0_Vw6UrEKq4
Ah! Finally, this is the song that made me cry whenever I listen on the radio in the afternoon. I am sure there was no day they didn't play this song in the afternoon around 1 pm here back then or maybe they targeted me specifically the times they knew I would skip school to have them play it hahahaha. Another classic tune by the lover man himself.
Even though Don Williams didn't write most of his songs he was known to deliver fully with his amazing and smooth voice which he had till the day he died. Amanda was also written by Bob McDill who initially gave the song to Waylon Jennings but he wasn't around and he dropped it with his receptionist. Funny enough, he didn't check with his receptionist and Bob eventually gave the song to Don Williams who sang it beautifully. Waylon finally accused Bob of not giving him such a classic tune which he told him to check with his receptionist. He promised to also sing his version of it and true to Waylon's words, he sang his own version.
Bob said the song was an apology to his wife named "Amanda" and that's why the chorus of the song reads:
>"Amanda light of my life
Fate should have made you a gentle man's wife
Amanda light of my life
Fate should have made you a gentle man's wife."
That's all for the week and I hope you enjoy these evergreen songs till another recommendations show up next week. Thanks, TTT.
All videos and lyrics are from the artist. I lay no claim to any of them.
Thank you for your time.
My pen doesn't bleed, it speaks, with speed and ease.
Still me,
My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.
Olawalium; (Love's chemical content, in human form). Take a dose today: doctor's order.
