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Rating: "For Everyman", third work by Browne released in '73, opens with "Take It Easy", brought to fame by the Eagles. The track, with a rather cheerful tone, as can be easily inferred already from the title, immediately outlines the characteristics of the album's sound: a solid folk rock structure, with the acoustic guitar (later also the piano) supporting everything, and the precious embellishments of the slide by the inseparable David Lindley.
Without interruption, it moves to "Our Lady Of The Well", with a drier and acoustic sound, featuring a melancholic and strongly evocative text. This is one of the tracks on the album that touches me the most, with beautiful images skilfully placed on chord changes with descending bass lines quite frequent in Browne. In this piece, I believe I recognize one of the features that, in my opinion, make Browne's work more personal and make it easier to identify with his stories: the ability to make the ordinary events of everyone's life seem epic, romantic, worthy of being sung in a great song and to evoke great emotions. In the same vein "I Thought I Was A Child", with the recurring themes of regret for something lost, missed opportunities, and feelings not fully followed.
In "These Days", the desire to look forward despite past disappointments emerges. The piece is characterized by truly masterful work by the usual David Lindley on the slide, with a chilling final solo.
The conclusion is entrusted to "Sing My Songs To Me", a splendid piece about the imaginative power of music, which after a funky-flavored break flows into the long title track, a classic universal elegy by Browne about disillusionment, closed by an instrumental coda with, once again, Lindley leading the dance.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Take It Easy (03:51)
Well I'm a-running down the road trying to loosen my load
I've got seven women on my mind
Four that want to own me, two that want to stone me
One says she's a friend of mine
Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don't even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy
Well I'm a-standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona
With such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me
Come on baby, don't say maybe
I've got to know if your sweet love is gonna save me
We may lose and we may win
But we will never be here again
Open up I'm climbin' in to take it easy
Well I'm a-running down the road trying to loosen my load
Got a world of trouble on my mind
Lookin' for a lover who won't blow my cover
She's just a little hard to find
Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Come on baby, don't say maybe
I've got to know if your sweet love is gonna save me
You know we got it easy
We oughta take it easy
10 For Everyman (06:11)
Everybody I talk to is ready to leave
With the light of the morning
They've seen the end coming down long enough to believe
That they've heard their last warning
Standing alone
Each has his own ticket in his hand
And as the evening descends
I sit thinking 'bout Everyman
Seems like I've always been looking for some other place
To get it together
Where with a few of my friends I could give up the race
And maybe find something better
But all my fine dreams
Well though out schemes to gain the motherland
Have all eventually come down to waiting for Everyman
Waiting here for Everyman--
Make it on your own if you think you can
If you see somewhere to go I understand
Waiting here for Everyman--
Don't ask me if he'll show -- baby I don't know
Make it on your own if you think you can
Somewhere later on you'll have to take a stand
Then you're going to need a hand
Everybody's just waiting to hear from the one
Who can give them the answers
And lead them back to that place in the warmth of the sun
Where sweet childhood still dances
Who'll come along
And hold out that strong and gentle father's hand?
Long ago I heard someone say something 'bout Everyman
Waiting here for Everyman--
Make it on your own if you think you can
If you see somewhere to go I understand
I'm not trying to tell you that I've seen the plan
Turn and walk away if you think I am--
But don't think too badly of one who's left holding sand
He's just another dreamer, dreaming 'bout Everyman
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