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Lucy Kaplansky — I Had Something
Album: The Red Thread
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 474









Released: 2004
Length: 4:12
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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I had something
It fell from me
Something strong
Like a pounding drum
Like ringing bells
When I was young
I had something
And it was gone

I had something
Made me walk all night
Made me run from home
Made me fight
I had something
Made me feel alone
Like an orphan
Waiting for a home

Every footstep that I take
Completes the circle my life makes
Every living thing has ties that bind
What I lost returns with love and time

I heard something
It called to me
And it told me
I was saved
Not by God
And not by words
Not by any living thing

It was the voice that I once knew
Of my daughter or my son
Not yet born
And not yet known
Another orphan waiting for a home

Every footstep that I take
Completes the circle my life makes
Every living thing has ties that bind
What I lost returns with love and time
Every living thing has ties that bind
What I lost returns with love and time
Comments (59)add comment
7 --> 9.
Seven, what was I thinking?
Posted 4 years ago by mrtuba9    [ Reply ]
from the strong singers I've met it's experience and soul, maybe some positive jojo as well, Lucy's got it and then some
Posted 9 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
oh so happy to hear this fantastic under-known singer whom i first heard harmonizing with john gorka.  this is the first time i have heard her played on RP. resonant, feminine, that part of a sailboat that first splits the water (whatever that is called). she is the anti-tori amos.  now i hear she is singing also  with eliza gilkyson and again john g.  but what i hope to hear of her on RP is from cry cry cry, where she was with richard shindell and dar williams, especiallly on cold missouri waters.

i always wondered even in my bluegrass days — what special powers does it take to really be able to harmonize?  clearly there are some. Dont know if you can learn it or must be born gifted that way
Posted 10 years ago by averybadcat    [ Reply ]
Great segue from Crowded House, Into Temptation
Posted 10 years ago by RandomousJam    [ Reply ]
Seriously ........ Dull
Posted 10 years ago by Shotoverplain    [ Reply ]
 MsJudi wrote:
Shades of Patty Griffin.

 
I understand what you mean.  I like Lucy's work a lot, but Patty brings an energy that inevitably drives her songs to a whole different level of intensity.
Posted 10 years ago by xkolibuul    [ Reply ]
Beautiful, lovely segue from Crowded House; Into Temptation
Posted 11 years ago by Diamond_Dog    [ Reply ]
Shades of Patty Griffin.
Posted 11 years ago by MsJudi    [ Reply ]
I saw her live in Austin, TX several years ago...a spontaneous event that blew me away.  LOVE her.
Posted 12 years ago by bluecshells    [ Reply ]
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Nice to see she's moved on from the whole Bill Clinton scandal.
 
I'm glad you "got help". Nice song.  {#Cheers}
Posted 12 years ago by ScottN    [ Reply ]
That's neat! 

  bella494 wrote:
Love her voice. I met her on a YMCA  camping trip across the US when we were 15. She played and sang like an angel even then.
 


Posted 12 years ago by Far    [ Reply ]
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Nice to see she's moved on from the whole Bill Clinton scandal.
 

It took me a moment - LOL


Posted 12 years ago by bill-1956    [ Reply ]
Love her voice. I met her on a YMCA  camping trip across the US when we were 15. She played and sang like an angel even then.
Posted 13 years ago by bella494    [ Reply ]
Knopfler on guitar?
Posted 13 years ago by SinisterDexter    [ Reply ]
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Nice to see she's moved on from the whole Bill Clinton scandal.
 
I'd like to "favourite" this comment.
Posted 13 years ago by apd    [ Reply ]
Nice to see she's moved on from the whole Bill Clinton scandal.
Posted 13 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
SERIOUSLY, if you like/love this, listen to the cd "Red Horse" by "Red Horse", a collective of Lucy Kaplansky, Eliza Gilkyson and John Gorka. Trust me, you'll love it!!
Posted 14 years ago by Sjaaks    [ Reply ]
 horstman wrote:


"Heaven" is a song by the American New Wave band Talking Heads from their 1979 album Fear of Music. It explores the idea of achievement and purpose by way of identifying heaven as the perfect victory over human goals, and, subsequently, by showing this heaven as a place where the perfectly best thing happens over and over at the exact same time in the exactly perfect way ("Oh, heaven, heaven is a place... a place where nothing ever happens".) In this way, it mocks achievement as an absurd, or even futile, struggle.

Maybe Bowie quoted it as well, who knows.

{#Chillpill}


 
David Byrne has said that Heaven was the name of a gay bar somewhere where they weren't afraid of trouble; nothing ever happens. It's hard to imagine that nothing at all could be so exciting...

Chris Frantz has said that sometimes, for a touring rock star, Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.

=============

All this has nothing to do with the fact that Hippiechick was rudely treated here. No call for that.
 
And yes I'm amused that she thought it was a Bowie quote... she hates the Talking Heads!

Posted 14 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]
Wouldn't mind if she bathed me right now!!!!
Posted 14 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
 hippiechick wrote:

It's a quote from a David Bowie song. It means that heaven is a place of peace. I don't believe in a literal heaven, or god. So suck that!

 

"Heaven" is a song by the American New Wave band Talking Heads from their 1979 album Fear of Music. It explores the idea of achievement and purpose by way of identifying heaven as the perfect victory over human goals, and, subsequently, by showing this heaven as a place where the perfectly best thing happens over and over at the exact same time in the exactly perfect way ("Oh, heaven, heaven is a place... a place where nothing ever happens".) In this way, it mocks achievement as an absurd, or even futile, struggle.

Maybe Bowie quoted it as well, who knows.

{#Chillpill}


Posted 14 years ago by horstman    [ Reply ]
 spanks wrote:
 hippiechick wrote:
Nice!

 

you suck hippy chick, if nothing happens in heaven then why did the lord only want to return there?
 
It's a quote from a David Bowie song. It means that heaven is a place of peace. I don't believe in a literal heaven, or god. So suck that!

Posted 14 years ago by hippiechick    [ Reply ]
Until I looked up, I thought it was Natalie Merchant (who I just can't stomach).  Sorry Lucy.

Posted 14 years ago by dedawson    [ Reply ]
Really enjoy Lucy's style. She's put out some good music over the years. It's too bad she doesn't get the air time she deserves. Check out her song...One Good Reason.
Posted 15 years ago by gatorade    [ Reply ]
a hint of blue grass?

Posted 15 years ago by Bazooka    [ Reply ]
 hippiechick wrote:
Nice!

 





you suck hippy chick, if nothing happens in heaven then why did the lord only want to return there?
Posted 15 years ago by spanks    [ Reply ]
Nice!

Posted 15 years ago by hippiechick    [ Reply ]
 inindian wrote:
Better and a little like Nicky Mehta of The Wailin' Jennys solo
 
indeed, i thought it was them for a moment.

Posted 15 years ago by TheFriendlyCat    [ Reply ]
 lmic wrote:
Thanks. I thought this was Dar Williams.
 
Their stuff is very similar. Lucy's voice is a tiny bit deeper & more soulful, IMO.

I have some of her older stuff (specifically, "Ten Year Night", which has "For Once In Your Life", which is an AMAZING song, I think), but hadn't heard this song before. I liked it quite a bit.

Posted 16 years ago by Danimal174    [ Reply ]
This made me stop what I'm doing to see who it was.  VERY nice, quite delectable!
Posted 16 years ago by Pyro    [ Reply ]
 modernomad wrote:


i believe the red thread refers to her daughter that she adopted from China. at least that's what i remember when i saw her perform live a few years back when this album came out.
 
That's absolutely correct. My wife and flew to southern China to adopt our daughter in April 2004. In Chinese folkore, a red thread links us to all the important people in our lives. Red is the most favourite and auspicious colour in the world's most-populous contry.
Posted 16 years ago by ThePoose    [ Reply ]
Nice mellow set for morning productivity{#Bounce}
Posted 16 years ago by purplespider    [ Reply ]
drews wrote:
She looks *good*
*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*
Posted 16 years ago by rtrudeau    [ Reply ]
Talking of folk, I'm amazed there's no history of Eric Taylor songs here at RP, hopefully rectified soon. Eric Taylor plays blues-infected Texan folk and should be much more famous than he is owing to his great skills on the acoustic, and after spending time alongside Lightnin Hopkins and Nanci Griffith xkolibuul wrote:
I'm amazed the folk haters at RP haven't crawled out from under their log on this gorgeous acoustic song. I see Chris Smither is coming up next, maybe they're holding out for him.
Posted 16 years ago by drews    [ Reply ]
She looks *good*
Posted 16 years ago by drews    [ Reply ]
Thanks. I thought this was Dar Williams. mgoldman wrote:
If you like this check out the band she was in with Dar Williams; Cry, Cry, Cry. See: (click here)
Posted 16 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
what a gal! thanx bill!
Posted 16 years ago by Mari    [ Reply ]
very nice...long live acoustic!
Posted 17 years ago by merkabah    [ Reply ]
Nice to hear Lucy on RP!
Posted 17 years ago by TobiMc3    [ Reply ]
I'm amazed the folk haters at RP haven't crawled out from under their log on this gorgeous acoustic song. I see Chris Smither is coming up next, maybe they're holding out for him.
Posted 17 years ago by xkolibuul    [ Reply ]
Not to mention with Richard Shindell too, who's been getting some well deserved play here on RP lately. mgoldman wrote:
If you like this check out the band she was in with Dar Williams; Cry, Cry, Cry. See: (click here)
Posted 17 years ago by xkolibuul    [ Reply ]
This is a really lovely song. Anyone know who's singing backup? Richard Shindell maybe?
Posted 17 years ago by Antigone    [ Reply ]
Guitar reminds me of Allison Krause and Union Station. (That's a good thing, IMO.)
Posted 17 years ago by Imkirok    [ Reply ]
Yay! I love Lucy!
Posted 17 years ago by Alexandra    [ Reply ]
serendipity_blue wrote:
She sounds like Natalie Merchant. A bit, at least.
Better and a little like Nicky Mehta of The Wailin' Jennys solo
Posted 17 years ago by inindian    [ Reply ]
Thea wrote:
very pretty melody. lovely voice. I too thought of Natalie Merchant . . .
Ack, I like this voice. At least she sings in tune!
Posted 17 years ago by Lensles    [ Reply ]
Impossibly beautiful personal song. Thanks.
Posted 17 years ago by onerb    [ Reply ]
hippiechick wrote:
Does the red thread refer to Kaballah? Great folk-style artist.
From press release for "The Red Thread": ...as Lucy writes in the album liner notes, there is an ancient belief in China that when a child is born, an invisible red thread reaches out from the child's spirit to all of the important people who will be a part of the child's life. In songs like "I Had Something," "The Red Thread," "Land of the Living," and most notably "This is Home," Lucy tells the story of the many threads that connect her to people, time and place - including family and fellow New Yorkers.
Posted 17 years ago by ty    [ Reply ]
hippiechick wrote:
Does the red thread refer to Kaballah? Great folk-style artist.
i believe the red thread refers to her daughter that she adopted from China. at least that's what i remember when i saw her perform live a few years back when this album came out.
Posted 18 years ago by modernomad    [ Reply ]
very pretty melody. lovely voice. I too thought of Natalie Merchant at a couple moments throughout the song (but not enough to make me stop and do a double-take.)
Posted 18 years ago by Thea    [ Reply ]
Nice!
Posted 18 years ago by Leslie    [ Reply ]
Does the red thread refer to Kaballah? Great folk-style artist.
Posted 18 years ago by hippiechick    [ Reply ]
serendipity_blue wrote:
She sounds like Natalie Merchant. A bit, at least.
Yeah, but without that irritating vibrato.
Posted 18 years ago by liser    [ Reply ]
This album keeps being recommended to me by Amazon. Glad to hear some samples.
Posted 18 years ago by Geecheeboy    [ Reply ]
Natalie Merchant? Not at all. Sounds like a most excellent Lucy Kaplansky to me.
Posted 18 years ago by Art_Carnage    [ Reply ]
If you like this check out the band she was in with Dar Williams; Cry, Cry, Cry. See: (click here)
Posted 18 years ago by mgoldman    [ Reply ]
serendipity_blue wrote:
She sounds like Natalie Merchant. A bit, at least.
Really? Maybe, but I can understand what Kaplansky is saying.
Posted 19 years ago by Four-Five    [ Reply ]
She sounds like Natalie Merchant. A bit, at least.
Posted 19 years ago by serendipity_blue    [ Reply ]