Will Oldham - "The Same That Love Made Me Laugh"

Bill Withers' dejected soul treat, "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" from his 1974 album "+'Justments," sort of feels like any other 70's kiss-off R&B song. He touches on the poignancy he held with "Ain't No Sunshine" in 1971, but also veers a little to close to Hallmark movie pep of "Lean on Me" for the song to really mean a lot. Diana Ross's 1977 version works even less, as Ross tries to sex the song up a bit more than neccessary. Normally during that period, Ross could sex up anything she needed (and was actively encouraged), but here the song just comes off slight.

Then comes this guy:



Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy) covered the song in 1999 for a Dutch TV station called VPRO. He strips every single pretense earlier versions held away, and leaves a song gives you a pretty good idea of what having your heart ripped-the-fuck-apart if you're jerk enough to have avoided that most your life. It's his facial tics, and his deadpan delivery that, as a fellow named Bubbachups said, over at motel de moka (where he also included a lovely set of songs to accompany your listening experience), this "was not just a man with a guitar, playing a song. He was actually living this song, experiencing every word of it."

It's good. Listen to it. Will Oldham will tear you down.


[Appologiez for the delay on the debut CATURDAY IS 4 COVERZ was delayed due to required overtime at my place of employment, and my ordinary Caturday morning routines were delayed by that, errands and motherfucking blizzards.]