Don Williams and Walter Becker passed away this week.

I don't know if I'm odd for a writer, but I have a hard time listening to lyrics in music. That's probably something to do with being an instrumentalist. I started out playing various instruments as a kid, and the music, the sound, has always been more immediate for me than the words in the song. I have to work for the lyrics.

Except for musicians like Don Williams and Walter Becker/Steely Dan. Not that I've got Steely Dan lyrics memorized. But when Don delivered a song, between that voice and his persona, he delivered the lyric as beautifully as can be imagined. Lyle Lovett in this article points this out, as well.

The writer of that article points out that Don wasn't exactly loved in Nashville at the time for it. Simple, clean, let the song shine. Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings had similar experiences at the time. Don was just quieter about it. It's interesting to think about people like Lyle and Guy Clark and the other Texas singer/songwriters that came after Don. As always, there's a link and a story there, a continuity that's not always obvious, but would definitely make a good listening project for diving into everyone's albums and following along.

Walter Becker and Steely Dan. Ah, there's a love/hate relationship. The hate was because *every* song was overplayed. FM radio loved Steely Dan, at least things like Deacon Blues. They were inevitable and ubiquitous.

But I came back to the albums. I'm a jazz player, first last and always. So Steely Dan went into my Pandora rotation, and the album cuts stick with me more and more as I listen to them. The real joy is that I can listen to the songs in that intuitive way I need for background, working music. And then I can turn around and focus on the words, and get a chuckle when I need to. There's always that wry smile waiting in the wings.

Ok, I posted Deacon Blues from Steely Dan, here's one from Don Williams, Lord, I hope this day is good.

Oh, I almost forgot. I was thinking about something else, similar to what I posted the other day about being able to listen to Layla and Pearl Jam's Black as songs in conversation with one another. Don Williams and John Lennon also have songs that are in conversation with each other.

John Lennon recorded God for the Plastic Ono Band album. It's famous for lines like "I don't believe in Jesus", among others. But notice the structure.

And then realize that Don Williams sings I believe in love is, pretty much, the same setup, the same call and response. He just doesn't belabor the point, and he's more direct about pointing out the difference between 'congregating' and God, for example.