I'm always fascinated by cover tunes. I always seek out covers of my favorites. I love hearing someone adapt a great song, and run it through their own filter. If it's done right, it can make you appreciate the original song in a way that you maybe never did before. Both lyrically and musically. But I think it's easier said than done. Certain people have an ability to do it well. Tom Rush is one of those people. I'm hepped up on two outstanding examples where he covers Joni Mitchell songs: The Circle Game, and Urge For Goin.' The former has been in my rotation for some time now. I'll never tire of that one. The latter was thankfully brought to my attention recently. Luckily some people listen for me.
Joni's original version was the one I knew; it featured that clear angelic voice and plucked guitar (double-tracked, I believe), as most of her early work did. Tom Rush's voice is nothing stellar - his reading shines in its simple, evocative musical arrangement. Acoustic and electric guitar, bass, and an occasional and subtle vibraphone. And this spare instrumentation serves up an amazing poetic work. Both versions were recorded ca. 1968, and both are very much of the era. Think Tim Buckley, Fred Neil, people like that. These songs throw me back.
I have to believe she wrote it in November, and it taps into everything romantic about the cold seasonal change. You can feel the North wind. It kind of embodies that first time, usually in late Fall, when you step out into the backyard in late at night and stand there, just breathing, and its cold. Canadian cold, where she comes from. But its about much more than that.
Anyone can have their own melancholy mental musings about seasons and change (and loss), but only the gifted ones can turn them into elegant poetry that hits squarely in the heart. And then compose an accompaniment that squeezes it. Joni is a bonafide phenomenon. Tom Rush gets her.
Spend a buck on Amazon or iTunes and give it a shot (there are two Rush versions, actually). If you already have it, play it now. It's November. It's going down into the 20s here tonight. I have some breathing to do in the backyard.
~ ~ ~
I woke up today and found the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky and gobbled summer down
So when the leaves were trembling
Frozen trees were standing in a naked row
I get the urge for going but I never seem to go
And I get the urge for going
when the meadow grass is turning brown
and summertime is falling down
and winter's moving in.
I had a love in summertime with summer-colored skin
and not another one in town my darling's heart could win
But when the sky turned traitor cold
And bully winds did rub their faces in the snow
She got the urge for going and I had to let her go
And she got the urge for going
when the meadow grass was turning brown
Summertime was falling down
and winter's moving in
The warriors of winter gave a cold triumphant shout
Now all that dies is staying and all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight
Flappin' and a racin' on before the snow
They got the urge for going
They've got the wings to go
They get the urge for going
when the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down
and winter's moving in
I'll ply the fire with kindling
and pull the blankets to my chin
I'll lock the vagrant winter out
and bolt my wandering in
I'd like to call back summertime
and ask her just to stay another month or so
But she got the urge for going
I guess she'll have to go
And she got the urge for going
when the meadow grass was turning brown
summertime is falling down and winter's moving in
And she got the urge for going
when the meadow grass was turning brown
All my empires are fallen down and winter's moving in
