Saturday Song Salute

Today I salute the artist Amos Lee, for not only making a song which I consider to be flawless, but for surrounding it with so many other great songs that I had a difficult time choosing. Amos Lee (Ryan Massaro) is one of those rare gems who burst onto the music scene seemingly out of nowhere. One day he's an elementary school teacher and part-time bartender, the next he's signed to a major record label and opening for the likes of Norah Jones and Bob Dylan while touring the nation. Four albums later, this guy is souring with success, and rightly so.

The song I've chosen is El Camino, from the album Mission Bell (2011). It kicks off the album as track number one and then reappears at the end as a reprise duet with Willie Nelson. I didn't like that version nearly as much as Amos Lee's solo approach, I thought the guest singer's voice took away from it instead of adding something special (forgive me, Willie Nelson fans). Either way, El Camino is a finely woven mixture of gorgeous lyrics beautifully sung and perfect instrumentation. The soft acoustic guitar melody accompanied with the piano is a perfect marriage that carries you through while Amos sings about the before and after of becoming famous, and how being on the road has affected him. It's such a wonderful song and, of course, the only way to truly hear it is via headphones, so go get them and then give this song a listen:

El Camino

Well all my friends treated me so well
You know I'm headed out to that Mission Bell
Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean
Heading down the border road called the El Camino

Well I've been a prince and you know I've been a post
By a barb wire fence and a murder of crows
I believe in all I've loved and all I have seen
Heading down the border road called the El Camino
Heading down the border road called the El Camino

Yeah my hearts grown sick,
I've got a shepherds crook as a walking stick
And I'm heading on.
My hearts gone blue and I've done wrong by you
I don't know what to do
But I'm moving on, said I'm moving on

One and one is two, two and two is four
I'm walking back and forth
On your cracked tiled kitchen floor
With the orange juice and the sun that shines
It really breaks my heart leaving you behind,
It really breaks my heart leaving you behind

And all my ships have sailed away
The price of this politic,
That there's plenty of time to pray
And plenty of time to waste away.

Well to all my friends, that I've loved the most
You know I'm heading out to that other coast
I'm going to wash my soul, and I'm gonna get it clean
Heading down the border road, called the El Camino,
Heading down the border road, called the El Camino.