What a day: The Highwomen

What a day, what a month… I have good days and bad days. I’m up and then down. Not saying I’m bipolar, but these days, it’s hard to find an even keel…

I’ve gotta say I’ve been blue the last couple of days. Yesterday, I think I slept most of the day. As a result, I got up early today, before 8 AM, which is early these days. I puttered around the apartment, read a bit, wrote a bit. Wasn’t in the mood to watch TV, so I tried organizing some more. Of course, that, too, got old and led to going onto Facebook and watching videos for a while. Interestingly, that led me to think about tonight’s post and wondering what song I would share and write about and it was probably going to be depressing because that was my state of mind…

I went onto the NPR website to look for music and saw an article on virtual concerts. I scrolled through and found Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. I didn’t really know Amanda Shires, but I know Jason Isbell and like his music, so I clicked on the link to their Youtube concert and fell in love… with Amanda Shires. The first song they played was “Swimmer” from her Carrying Lightning album. I was ready to share that tonight because it was somewhat wistful and fit my mood, in the moment.

While I was looking for a video of the song to play, I asked Alexa to play Amanda Shires, for ambiance. Her music was playing in the background while I was scrolling through the various videos of “Swimmer” and then a song came on and I recognized the tune! But it wasn’t associated with Amanda Shires. I recognized it from Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash! I had included that song in my dad’s memorial video! But this wasn’t that song. It was something new. I asked Alexa for the name of the song and was told it was Highwomen by Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Maren Morris. It was from their album of the same name. Yola Carter is a guest performer on the song. I found it on Youtube and I was blown away. I looked up the lyrics. I found out one of the co-writers of this song was Jimmy Webb, who also wrote the lyrics to “The Highwaymen” to which this song is a response.

And what a response. The first verse of the song broke my heart and it went from there. I had to read more on the group. They initially created the group as an homage to the men who comprised the Highwaymen, but it also was in response to the lack of representation of women artists on country radio. Others have written on that here and here and here.

Maybe that’s why I’ve never been a big fan of country music… But I definitely want to hear more from these ladies. I’ve included the lyrics below.

[Verse 1: Brandi Carlile]
I was a Highwoman
And a mother from my youth
For my children, I did what I had to do
My family left Honduras when they killed the Sandinistas
We followed a coyote through the dust of Mexico
Every one of them except for me survived
And I am still alive

[Verse 2: Amanda Shires]
I was a healer
I was gifted as a girl
I laid hands upon the world
Someone saw me sleeping naked in the noon sun
I heard "witchcraft" in the whispers and I knew my time had come
The bastards hung me at the Salem gallows hill
But I am living still

[Verse 3: Yola]
I was a freedom rider
When we thought the South had won
Virginia in the spring of '61
I sat down on the Greyhound that was bound for Mississippi
My mother asked me if that ride was worth my life
And when the shots rang out, I never heard the sound
But I am still around

[Chorus]
And I'll take that ride again
And again, and again, and again, and again

[Verse 4: Natalie Hemby]
I was a preacher
My heart broke for all the world
But teaching was unrighteous for a girl
In the summer, I was baptized in the mighty Colorado
In the winter, I heard the hounds and I knew I had been found
And in my Savior's name, I laid my weapons down
But I am still around

[Verse 5: All]
We are The Highwomen
Singing stories still untold
We carry the sons you can only hold
We are the daughters of the silent generations
You send our hearts to die alone in foreign nations
And they return to us as tiny drops of rain
But we will still remain

[Chorus]
And we'll come back again
And again, and again, and again, and again
We'll come back again
And again, and again, and again, and again

Written By: Jimmy Webb, Amanda Shires & Brandi Carlile

VocalsYola, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris & 2 more

Violin:Amanda Shires Percussion: Phil Hanseroth Keyboards: Peter Levin Electric Guitar: Tim Hanseroth & Jason Isbell Drums: Chris Powell Bass:Phil Hanseroth Acoustic Guitar: Brandi Carlile Backing Vocals:Sheryl Crow

Release Date: August 13, 2019

Interpolates Highwayman by The Highwaymen