Some of the greatest poetry of the last 60 years has been written as song lyrics and Tuesday is the day I focus on those lyrics and the artists who write them.

Joan Armatrading has been writing and recording songs for over 50 years. While she has developed a devoted following over those years, she never found the popular success of many of her contemporaries. She is a black woman from England writing contemplative singer/songwriter material. Her albums are pop and rock instead of soul or R&B, so she has never fit into the neat little package that the corporate music industry demands. Unfortunately, this means that most people have never heard many (or any) of her songs. That is unfortunate because she is one of the greatest songwriters of the last 50 years.

I have selected her songs “Willow” (1977), “Drop the Pilot” (1983), “Blessed” (2003), and “Already There” (2021) to best showcase her lyrics across the decades.

“Willow”

I may not be your best
You know good ones
Don’t come by the score
If you’ve got something missing
I’ll help you look
You can be sure
And if you want to be alone
Or someone to share a laugh
Whatever you want me to
All you got to do is ask

Thunder
Don’t go under the sheets
Lightning
Under a tree
In the rain and snow
I’ll be your fire inside
Come running to me
When things get out of hand
Running to me
When it’s more than you can stand
I said I’m strong
Straight
Willing
To be a
Shelter
In a storm
Your willow oh willow
When the sun is out

A fight with your best girl
Prettiest thing you ever saw
You know I’ll listen
Try to get a message to her
And if it’s money you want
Or trouble halved
What ever you want me to
All you got to do is ask
I said I’m strong
Straight
Willing
To be a
Shelter in a storm
Your willow oh willow
When the sun is out

Drop the Pilot

I’m right on target, my aim is straight
So you’re in love, I say what of it?
Things can change, there’s always changes
I wanna try some rearranging, I say

Drop the pilot, try my balloon
Drop the monkey, smell my perfume
Drop the mahout, I’m the easy rider
Don’t use your army to fight a losing battle
Animal, mineral, physical, spiritual
I’m the one you need, I’m the one you need

You’re kissing cousins, there’s no smoke, no flame
If you lose that pilot I can fly your plane
If you want solid ground, come on and try me
Oh I can take you so high that you’re never gonna wanna come down, I say

Drop the pilot, try my balloon
Drop the monkey, smell my perfume
Drop the mahout, I’m the easy rider
Don’t use your army to fight a losing battle
Animal, mineral, physical, spiritual
I’m the one you need, I’m the one you need

Blessed

Life is hard
Work is dirty
Friends plead poverty
Fame and fortune
Keeps it’s own time
So don’t wait up

But if you can feel the sun
If you can feel the rain
Life can’t be bad
If you’ve got food to eat
And all your dreams to dream
Life can’t be bad
If you can walk away
And fight another day
Life can’t be that bad

For all the things that I can do
How could I complain
I’ve got no broken wings
I’ve got a heart that sings
And I feel blessed

Already There

You just told me you loved me
For the very first time
And it feels like I’m flying
And the sky is all mine
I’m floating on air
Let me tell you my secret
I’ve never said it before
While you were falling in love
I was already there

I was already there
Already there and so in love with you
I was already there

I was already there
But I was biding my time
From that very first touch
I wanted you more than I needed to breath
The feeling I got
Was more than I knew to expect

The excitement of you was intoxicating
Yeah you took your time to notice me
But I noticed you
And you took my heart
I was already there

I was already there
Already there and so in love with you
I was already there

I was already there
Already there and so in love with you
I was already there

When you came to me crying
From your recent heartache
I would die just a little
But I knew not to fade
In your lonely existence
I could feel your heart change
You were falling in love
But I was already there

I was already there
Already there and so in love with you
I was already there

Do you know you’re amazing?
Do you know you’re amazing?

As I bathe in your eyes
Like a ship in the sea
Traveling millions of miles
I float effortlessly into your arms
And in your arms
In your arms, you lifted me

I was already there
Already there and so in love with you
I was already there

• Lyrical Tuesday