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The success of Norah Jones still leaves us literally speechless: her debut album Come Away With Me, with over twenty million copies sold worldwide and eight Grammy Awards (the musical equivalent of the Oscars) won during the 2003 ceremony, comfortably ranks among the milestones of contemporary music. Yet, no offense to the admirers of the very young singer-songwriter born in New York 28 years ago, such public acclaim shows more sociological than musical aspects. Aside from the usual Madonna, Shania Twain, and Britney Spears, the only female artist of certain caliber to surpass Norah is Alanis Morissette. The message seems clear: compared to the disposable feminist anthems of the 1995 Morissette, in the recent success of Norah Jones we can identify, without excessive stretching, a widespread desire for relaxing music.
The sweetened jazz of Norah, just like the rose-water swing offered by Canadian Michael Bublé, is the perfect response for an audience made up of increasingly older buyers. Perhaps skeptical of commercial operations like those set up by Bublé or the many Jones' imitators, but nonetheless willing to buy a good album like Come Away With Me certainly is. The subsequent Feels Like Home of 2004, with "only" ten million records sold, allowed Jones to meet the expectations of her record label which, we can be sure, must have considered it almost a flop.
However, it's with Not Too Late, set to release in a few days, that Norah plays her best cards after spending the last two years acting the rock star, lending her voice to the albums of Foo Fighters, Ryan Adams, and appearing in the experimental Peeping Tom by former Faith No More member Mike Patton. The heart of Not Too Late revolves around the first single Thinking Of You preceded and followed, in the provisional setlist of the CD, by two gems such as Not My Friend and Broken: the first supported by an intense performance by Jones and the second enriched by a lively string arrangement. The remaining tracks of the album, although seeming all too similar to what Norah previously produced, do not disappoint expectations. After listening to Not Too Late, one can understand, at least in part, why this petite girl of Indian descent - her father is the famous musician Ravi Shankar - has achieved such success.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Wish I Could (04:18)
We met in a place I used to go,
Now I just walk by it for show,
Can't bear to go in without you know,
Wish I could,
Wish I could.
But Annie is standing in the door,
With a look on her face I can't just ignore,
She tells me that her heart is sore,
And pulls me in,
She pulls me in.
She says "love in the time of war is not fair",
"He was my man but they didn't care",
"Sent him far away from here",
"No goodbye",
"No goodbye".
I don't tell her that I once loved you too,
Or about all the things we used to do,
I kiss her hair and think of you,
Walking down ,
The road you found.
We met in a place I used to go,
Now I only walk by it slow,
Can't bear to go in without you know,
Wish I could,
Wish I could,
Wish I could,
Wish I could.
02 Sinkin' Soon (04:38)
We're an oyster cracker on the stew,
And the honey in the tea,
We're the sugar cubes, one lump or two,
In the black coffee,
The golden crust on an apple pie,
That shines in the sun at noon,
We're a wheel of cheese high in the sky,
But we're gonna be sinkin' soon.
In a boat that's built of sticks and hay,
We drifted from the shore,
With a captain who's too proud to say,
That he dropped the oar,
Now a tiny hole has sprung a leak,
In this cheap pontoon,
Now the hull has started growing weak,
And we're gonna be sinkin' soon.
We're gonna be
Sinkin' soon,
We're gonna be
Sinkin' soon,
Everybody hold your breath 'cause,
We're gonna be sinkin' soon
We're gonna be
Sinkin' soon,
We're gonna be
Sinkin' soon,
Everybody hold your breath 'cause,
Down and down we go.
Like the oyster cracker on the stew,
The honey in the tea
The sugar cubes, one lump or two?
No thank you none for me.
We're the golden crust on an apple pie,
That shines in the sun at noon,
Like the wheel of cheese high in the sky
Well ... we're gonna be sinkin' soon.
03 The Sun Doesn't Like You (02:59)
The sun doesn't like you, you always get burned,
Stay in the shade and watch the world turn.
Better find a new place to lay on the ground,
Can't stay where you are or you're gonna be found.
And time won't pass you by,
And I won't tell you lies.
So tonight ... we can build a fire,
In the open field past the razor wire.
Sneak by the dogs when they go to sleep,
Bring part of yourself that you'll let me keep.
'cause time won't pass us by,
And I won't tell you lies,
Someday I will ask you why ... but not now.
And time won't pass us by,
And you won't tell me lies,
Someday we all have to die ... but not now.
08 My Dear Country (03:25)
'Twas Halloween and the ghosts were out,
And everywhere they'd go, they shout,
And though I covered my eyes I knew,
They'd go away.
But fear's the only thing I saw,
And three days later 'twas clear to all,
That nothing is as scary as election day.
But the day after is darker,
And darker and darker it goes,
Who knows, maybe the plans will change,
Who knows, maybe he's not deranged.
The news men know what they know, but they,
Know even less than what they say,
And I don't know who I can trust,
For they come what may.
'cause we believed in our candidate,
But even more it's the one we hate,
I needed someone I could shake,
On election day.
But the day after is darker,
And deeper and deeper we go,
Who knows, maybe it's all a dream,
Who knows if I'll wake up and scream.
I love the things that you've given me,
I cherish you my dear country,
But sometimes I don't understand,
The way we play.
I love the things that you've given me,
And most of all that I am free,
To have a song that I can sing,
On election day.
09 Wake Me Up (02:46)
Wake me up when it's over,
Wake me up when it's done,
When he's gone away and taken everything,
Wake me up.
Wake me up when the skies are clearing,
When the water is still,
'cause I will not watch the ships sail away so,
Please say you will.
If it were any other day,
This wouldn't get the best of me.
But today I'm not so strong,
So lay me down with a sad song,
And when it stops then you know I've been,
Gone too long.
But don't shake me awake,
Don't bend me or I will break,
Come find me somewhere between my dreams,
With the sun on my face.
I will still feel it later on,
But for now I'd rather be asleep.
10 Be My Somebody (03:36)
I'm too foggy today,
To know what you're sayin',
Your lips are moving so fast,
And i just keep praying,
For them to slow down,
So i can make some sense,
Of the words that are pouring out,
Of your crooked spout.
Last night was a record to be broken,
It broke all over the kitchen floor,
Oh no don't you go,
I'm coming back with a rag,
To wipe away the haze from the days,
We've forgotten all about.
So be my somebody tonight,
Be the one who'll hold me tight,
Honey, please, please,
Cuz i've been so all alone,
And no one will pick up the phone,
So honey, please stay.
I held your head up, do you remember?
When you wanted to make a blanket outta me,
Oh i can't lie ... i been keeping score,
And it's your turn to wring me out,
And lay me down to dry.
So be my somebody tonight,
Be the one who'll hold me tight,
Honey, please, please,
Cuz i've been so all alone,
And no one will pick up the phone,
So honey, please stay,
Honey, please stay,
Honey, please stay.
12 Rosie's Lullaby (03:56)
She walked by the ocean,
And waited for a star,
To carry her away.
Feelin' so small,
At the bottom of the world,
Lookin' up to God.
She tries to take deep breaths,
To smell the salty sea,
As it moves over her feet.
The water pulls so strong,
And no-one is around,
And the moon is looking down.
Sayin',
Rosie - come with me,
Close your eyes - and dream.
The big ships are rollin',
And lightin' up the night,
And she calls out, but they just her pass by.
The waves are crashin',
But not making a sound,
Just mouthing along.
Sayin',
Rosie - come with me,
Close your eyes and dream,
Close your eyes and dream,
Close your eyes and dream.
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By Lesto BANG
A buttery album dripping with syrup from all sides, under the guise of jazz-pop.
She seemed the great New Promise of new American Folksinging and instead... very low-profile arrangements all damnably identical.
