The Vine: August 27, 2010
Hi Sars,
I have a song question for you and the readers. I’m in Baltimore and spend most of my radio time listening to WTMD, which is a local university’s radio station. They play a lot of unsigned/not-yet-famous Baltimore musicians, as well as a lot of other emerging artists, and well-established artists, but no Top 40 music.
I heard a lovely song on my way to work last fall(?), which I haven’t heard replayed. It was a bluesy song with a female vocalist who had a really enchanting smoky voice, and the line I tried to remember to look the song up was “she don’t love you, she don’t even love herself,” which I think was part of the chorus. I don’t remember any other specific lines.
I tried looking at the playlist they posted online, but couldn’t find the song, and I’ve had no luck with a Google search for lyrics, since I only have the one line to go on.
If this rings any bells for you or the readers, I’d love to find this song again.
WTMD fan
*****
I’m looking for a paperback book — I think it was from the 1990s, probably middle-school level. It was about an American boy named Nick whose father gets a new job and moves the family to England.
At first he hates it — the faucet taps are separate for hot and cold, the towel rack gets hot and burns his father, he’s made fun of in school because his name is a slang word for stealing — but soon he learns to play conkers, he joins the rugby team, and begins to love living there. Does this ring a bell to anybody in TN World?
Nostalgic
Tags: Ask The Readers popcult
@WTMD: I don’t know the song, but have you tried calling/e-mailing the station?
I think I read that book. Didn’t they have hedgehogs? And it had some kind of title like “Hedgehogs In The Closet?”
Hah! Found it!
http://www.amazon.com/Hedgehogs-Closet-Joan-Carris/dp/0440402735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282927675&sr=1-1
@WTMD: I can’t help you with the song, I’m afraid, but I just checked out their playlist online, and what a great station! I like KEXP, my local, but the proportion of songs I’ve never heard of is a lot higher than WTMD. I’d call or email a DJ and see if anything rings a bell, if the Nation can’t figure it out.
Searching for those lyrics as two separate lines gets a result for a book on Google about blues music but the preview won’t show the page that has the song title.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=%22she+don%27t+love+you%22+%22she+don%27t+even+love+herself%2C%22&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
@WTMD: I found a hit for a very similar phrase via Google Books in “A Blues Life” by Henry Townsend and Bill Greensmith.
“Another verse that I sing says, ‘man don’t love that woman, / ’cause she don’t love you and nobody else, / how in the world can she love you / when she don’t even love herself.'”
For some reason, Google isn’t letting me actually see the page in the book or find out who said this (and thus sings the song). :/ It might be a man, though, and then I’d be way wrong.
eta: Henry Townshend said that, logically enough. Oh, well.
Amazon.com gives a clearer picture of that one page of the book about the blues; it reads like Townsend wrote that song, or at least those lyrics.
Here’s All Music’s list of songs composed by Townsend.
WTMD – Don’t know the song but I am from Baltimore too and listen to WTMD! It really is the best. Good luck!
@WTMD I’m from Baltimore originally, and while I don’t listen to WTMD, I think you might have heard Wye Oak–a duo (Andy Stack, who I think mostly plays) and Jenn Wasner (who sings). I don’t know which song it might have been (at last check, they have two albums), but it sounds like you’re describing their sound. Check them out!
Judging from the lyrics that turn up in the Google Books search, I’d guess the name of the song in question is “Don’t Love That Woman” so that may help narrow things down if you contact the station.
Jennifer, you’re right about the book! Thank you so much!
@WTMD: I don’t believe I’ve heard that song, either, but also wanted to say I’m glad there’s another WTMD fan out there! There really isn’t a better station in Baltimore *or* D.C.
Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I have emailed the station, so we’ll see if I get a reply or not.
I listened to Wye Oak on youtube, and I don’t think that’s the singer I heard, because I think the singer’s timbre was a little deeper. It may be that Townsend song, but it’s definitely a cover.