Lucinda Rediscovered

Heard Mary Chapin Carpenter’s version of Passionate Kisses the other day while out and about. Never been much of a MCC fan, but it made me realize how much I miss Lucinda Williams (she wrote the song and won a grammy for it). So came home and got some of her stuff cranking on iTunes while I engaged in some household drudgery.

I played the shit out of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road during the tumultuous year that was 2001. That record helped get me through, let’s see, breakup with apathetic loft-dwelling photographer boyfriend, torrid affair and dramatic breakup with evil Bordeaux brat, 9/11, anthrax (the scare I mean—didn’t actually contract the illness), death of disabled half-sibling and meeting future spouse at funeral.

Loved Essence, too (have to dig that one up—somehow it didn’t get onto iTunes). I have mixed feelings about her more recent stuff (not sure how I feel about her foray into rap) but there are always at least a few great songs on every new record. I guess her work had more to say to me when I was a single girl on an emotional roller coaster, when loss and longing pretty much defined my state of mind. These days, it seems, I’m either fairly content or kind of pissed off. Maybe I should right write an alt-country song about that…

I was talking to an intelligent-seeming library mom at storytime a couple months ago and I told her she looked a little like Lucinda Williams. She had never heard of her. I mean really, who hasn’t heard of Lucinda Williams? I was completely stunned. One more example of why I’m convinced I’m in the wrong town.