Righteously (song)

Last updated
"Righteously"
Righteously single cover.jpg
Single by Lucinda Williams
from the album World Without Tears
Released2003
Genre
Length4:36
Label Lost Highway
Songwriter(s) Lucinda Williams
Producer(s)
Lucinda Williams singles chronology
"Get Right With God"
(2001)
"Righteously"
(2003)
"Are You Alright?"
(2007)

"Righteously" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 2003 as the first single from her seventh album, World Without Tears (2003).

Contents

The song earned Williams a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 2004. [1]

Content

A review of the song from AllMusic stated: "The muck and mire of 'Righteously', with its open six-string squall, is pure rock. It's an exhortation to a lover that he need not prove his manhood by being aloof, but to 'be the man you ought to tenderly/Stand up for me,' Doug Pettibone's overdriven, crunching guitar solo quotes both Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix near the end of the tune." [2] Robert Hilburn, in his review of World Without Tears for the Los Angeles Times , stated "The tempo picks up on 'Righteously', but the lyrics still speak of the search for some shelter in a stormy relationship. The fiery electric guitar underscores the desperation of the lyrics." [3]

Reception

Country music website The Boot ranked the song No. 7 on their list of the best Lucinda Williams songs, writing "In a sense, 'Righteously' is a sophisticated update of 'Passionate Kisses'. The slow-burning, searing blues riffs convey the main character's stance that she deserves desire and respect (Be the man you ought to tenderly/Stand up for me), and that her man simply needs to love her, not impress her (You don't have to prove/Your manhood to me constantly." [4] Music website Return of Rock ranked it No. 10 on their list of Williams best songs." [5]

Track listing

CD single - US [6]
CD single - Europe [7]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryWorkRecipientResultRef.
2003 Americana Award Song of the Year"Righteously" Lucinda Williams Nominated [8]
Grammy Award Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated [1]

Charts

Chart (2003)Peak
position
US Billboard Adult Top 40 [9] 36
US Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay [9] 8

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucinda Williams</span> American musician, singer and songwriter

Lucinda Gayl Williams is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, to widespread critical acclaim. Regarded as "an Americana classic", the album also features "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album Come On Come On, which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World, four years later in 1992. Sweet Old World was met with further critical acclaim, and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent music critics. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list, later writing that the album, as well as Lucinda Williams, were "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant".

<i>Car Wheels on a Gravel Road</i> 1998 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on June 30, 1998, by Mercury Records. The album was recorded and co-produced by Williams in Nashville, Tennessee and Canoga Park, California, and features guest appearances by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris.

<i>World Without Tears</i> 2003 studio album by Lucinda Williams

World Without Tears is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on April 8, 2003, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200, selling 54,000 copies in its first week. By 2008, it had sold 415,000 copies in the U.S.

<i>Live at the Fillmore</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2005 live album by Lucinda Williams

Live at the Fillmore is a live album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, her eighth album overall, released on May 10, 2005, by Lost Highway Records.

<i>Lucinda Williams</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released in 1988, by Rough Trade Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Right With God</span> 2001 single by Lucinda Williams

"Get Right With God" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 2001 as the second single from her sixth album, Essence (2001).

<i>West</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2007 studio album by Lucinda Williams

West is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on February 13, 2007, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200, selling about 57,000 copies that week. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 250,000 copies in the United States by October 2008.

<i>Little Honey</i> 2008 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Little Honey is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on October 14, 2008, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 copies that week, thereby becoming her first Top 10 album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passionate Kisses</span> 1989 single by Lucinda Williams

"Passionate Kisses" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1989 as the fourth single from her third album, Lucinda Williams (1988).

<i>Blessed</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2011 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Blessed is the 10th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on March 1, 2011, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucinda Williams discography</span> Singer, songwriter, and musician

The discography of Lucinda Williams, an American singer, songwriter, and musician, consists of 15 studio albums, one live album, two video albums, and 25 singles, on Folkways Records, Smithsonian Folkways, Rough Trade Records, Chameleon, Mercury Records, Lost Highway Records, New West Records, Highway 20 Records, and Thirty Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Let Go (Randy Weeks song)</span>

"Can't Let Go" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Randy Weeks, made famous by Lucinda Williams in 1998–1999. Williams released "Can't Let Go" as a single from her album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, and the song entered the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart in December 1998, peaking at number 14 in March 1999, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. Williams earned a Grammy nomination for the song in the category Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Weeks released his own version of the song in 2000, on his album Madeline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essence (Lucinda Williams song)</span> 2001 single by Lucinda Williams

"Essence" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 2001 as the first single from her sixth album, Essence (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Are You Alright?</span> 2007 single by Lucinda Williams

"Are You Alright?" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 2007 as the first single from her eighth album, West (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Love (Lucinda Williams song)</span> 2008 single by Lucinda Williams

"Real Love" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 2008 as the first single from her ninth album, Little Honey (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right in Time</span> 1998 single by Lucinda Williams

"Right in Time" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1998 as the first single from her fifth album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Wanted to See You So Bad</span> 1989 single by Lucinda Williams

"I Just Wanted to See You So Bad" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1989 as the third single from her third album, Lucinda Williams (1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changed the Locks</span> 1988 single by Lucinda Williams

"Changed the Locks" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1989 as the first single from her third album, Lucinda Williams (1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Blocks Away</span> 1992 single by Lucinda Williams

"Six Blocks Away" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1992 as the first single from her fourth album, Sweet Old World (1992).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something About What Happens When We Talk</span> 1993 single by Lucinda Williams

"Something About What Happens When We Talk" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1993 as the fourth single from her fourth album, Sweet Old World (1992).

References

  1. 1 2 "Artist: Lucinda Williams". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  2. Jurek, Thom. "World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams". AllMusic . Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  3. Hilburn, Robert (April 6, 2003). "Williams is on an exploration for 'World Without Tears'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  4. Zaleski, Annie (January 26, 2022). "Top 10 Lucinda Williams Songs". The Boot. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  5. "Lucinda Williams Songs Ranked". Return of Rock. 20 May 2021. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  6. Discogs. "Lucinda Williams – Righteously - US single". Discogs . Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. Discogs. "Lucinda Williams – Righteously - Europe single". Discogs . Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. Americana Awards - 2003 Archived 2021-10-16 at the Wayback Machine americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Lucinda Williams - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 10 February 2018.