Willie Nelson - "Always on My Mind"

The studio version of this song, a saccharine piano ballad, is unlistenable in the extreme.

Willie (wearing white tux and sitting at piano in middle of emptied out ballroom, sings with reverb drenched voice): If I made you feel second best...

Female Backup vocalist 1 (in black sequinned gown, lying on top of piano): You did, you did.

Willie: Girl, I?m sorry, I was blind.

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This live version, however, from a concert with Johnny Cash, is an entirely different ballgame (let?s say the studio version is game three of the 1919 World Series, whereas this version is game six of the 1993 World Series (apologies to those readers in Philly)).

Willie sings sensitive material in ?Always on My Mind?. The idea is that though he wasn?t always the best partner, though he didn?t love her ?quite as often as [he] should have,? maybe he didn?t treat her ?quite as good as [he] could have,? though he committed a series of other (quite serious) offenses, she was still ?always on [his] mind.?

That she was always on his mind seems to me dubious grounds for forgiveness, and any woman worth Willie?s attention would assuredly be astute enough to realize that. It?s an implausible make up song.

But here, in this live version, he?s not trying to make up, he?s accepted his defeat, he?s admonishing himself. When he sings ?I guess I never told you, that I?m so happy that you?re mine,? he means I?ve been so unhappy since you?ve no longer been mine.

This version, the chords played in aimless, ambling arpeggios, works as a lonely, introspective lament.

At the end, as the crowd cheers, hear Johnny Cash?s rumbling laugh of approval.

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Jennifer O'Connor - "Saved"

This is a clean and damp (rained on and quiet) guitar/cello ballad. Jennifer O?Connor sings a little bit like Edie Brickell (as does Mirah on her latest album). I think, therefore, that we?d be crazy not to conclude that Edie Brickell not only saw it all coming, but aside from being clairvoyant and omniscient, she?s probably a fast runner and extremely generous with charities. [Buy]