Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
This week’s theme is “Best/Better/Good/Great.”
~~~~~~~~~~
One of the things I love most about SLS is not just sharing great songs that match the weekly prompt, but also finding new artists and music! Many thanks to Amy at ailovemusic.net for last week’s Midas Hutch and Freeze, and Bee Halton at thebeewrites for Wiyaala and We Are Going and Village Sex! I’m following both artists on Spotify now! Also kudos to Irene at My Slice of Mexico for posting an additional video to show a closer look at a couple doing the traditional folk dance and tying a ribbon with their feet! 🙂 🙂
Known primarily as an award-winning jazz and scat singer, Dianne Reeves spent twelve weeks on Billboard Magazine’s R&B charts with Better Days, a moving recounting of experiences shared with her grandmother and how their relationship became a source of inner strength for Reeves.
“Better Days came out of work I had been doing with another songwriter, Tony Lorrich, who coauthored it with me,” she explained. “My grandmother had passed away and so had his mother, so the song is about both of them. And people have even said to me that [‘Better Days’] reminded them of another special relative, maybe an uncle or an aunt.”
FUN FACTS:
- Dianne Reeves was born into a musical family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and her cousin is composer/sing-songwriter/producer George Duke.
- She was a member of her high school band, and while performing at a convention in Chicago was noticed by trumpeter Clark Terry, who invited her to sing with him.
- Dianne studied classical voice at the University of Colorado and has won five Grammy Awards during her career.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for FeliciaDenise.com.
~~~
Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Better Days
There were four generations of love on her face.
She was so wise, no surprise passed her eyes,
She’d seen it all.
All day I’d ask questions.
At night I’d ask more.
But whenever; she never, would ever, turn me away.
And why does what I want always take so long ?
Please tell me where does God live
And why won’t He talk to me ?
Will I ever find out ?
Why are we so poor, what is life about ?
I want to know the answers before I fall off to sleep.
Then she pulled up that old rockin’ chair once again.
But tonight she was slightly, remarkably
Different somehow
Grandma yawned as she stretched.
Then she started to speak.
What she told me, would mold me, and hold me
Together inside.
You will know someday.
But you have got to live in a patient way.
God put us here by fate
And by fate that means better days.
Ain’t no morning gonna come ’til the time is right.
Can’t get to better days lest you make it through the night.
You gotta make it through the night, yes you do.
Unless you make it through the night.
Oh, you will see those better days
But you gotta be patient.
(Be patient) oh baby, be patient.
Heaven sent angels down and gave Grandma her wings.
Now, she’s flying, and sliding, and gliding
In better days
I still get confused.
I stumble through the dark
Getting bumped and bruised.
When night gets in my way
I could still hear my Grandma say
I can hear her say,
I can hear her say.
Unless you make it through the night baby.
(Be patient) Oh, you will see those better days
But you gotta be patient.
Child, do you hear me, yeah.
Unless you make it, you got to make it
You got to make it
You got to make it through the night
Do you see me now, lady
Oh oh oh oh oh
She used to comb my hair
She used to tell me stories
My Grandma took me everywhere
Nesie's Place 
I used to love this song.It was in a time when songs told whole stories, with characters and imagery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Music has definitely changed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dianne Reeves has a pure and light voice that sounds so good. She’s new to me. The lyrics are precious ❤
LikeLike
Wow she’s great! and new to me too
Thanks for the intro Felicia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! Enjoy! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I did! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You always surprise me with a song I haven’t hear$ before. I love this one and the words are just so lovely and tugs on the heartstrings 🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed, Christine. It reminds me of my own grandmother. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, so sweetly written and sung 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never heard this song. She has a beautiful voice! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, she does and I thought I knew all about her, but had no idea she was classically trained until I wrote this post. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t amazing the things we learn from this challenge? Love it! 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dianne Reeves is new to me also and I agree with what you said Felicia that Song Lyric Sunday is about finding hew music. I enjoy reading all of the posts and learning about all the songs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never enjoyed a weekly prompt as much as SLS – guess that’s why I’m still here! 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad that you are, because I always enjoy reading your music posts and listening to the songs that you choose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice song, it was new to me, thank you! Also many thanks for the pingback, have a great week, Felicia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome and thanks for stopping by! 😊
LikeLike
This is new to me thank you 💜
LikeLiked by 2 people