The Smooth Sting: Meaning of Boz Scaggs’ Lowdown

Boz Scaggs’ 1976 Grammy-winning smash hit “Lowdown,” a cornerstone of his career-defining album Silk Degrees, is the epitome of smooth, sophisticated cynicism set to an irresistible R&B groove. At its core, the song is a coolly delivered, cautionary narrative, likely from an older, wiser observer to a younger man (“boy,” “son”), warning him about the … Read more

Bonnie Raitt’s Feels Like Home: A Song of Sanctuary

Bonnie Raitt’s deeply moving performance of “Feels Like Home,” originally featured in Randy Newman’s 1995 conceptual project Faust, stands as one of the most poignant and universally embraced ballads about finding profound emotional sanctuary in another person. At its heart, the song is a vulnerable confession of past loneliness and a declaration of the overwhelming … Read more

Raitt’s Grace: Meaning of Just Like That

Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That,” the title track and emotional centerpiece of her acclaimed 2022 album Just Like That…, is a masterfully crafted narrative song that unfolds like a one-act play, culminating in a moment of unexpected, life-altering grace. Penned solely by Raitt, the song tells the poignant story of a woman grappling with the … Read more

Raitt’s Rumor Mill: Something to Talk About Meaning

Bonnie Raitt’s smash hit “Something to Talk About,” released in 1991 as the lead single from her wildly successful album Luck of the Draw, is a buoyant and bluesy anthem celebrating the delicious moment when idle gossip inadvertently sparks genuine romantic feelings, culminating in a playful decision to embrace the speculation and turn rumor into … Read more

Raitt’s Nick of Time: Aging, Fear & Sudden Love

Bonnie Raitt’s “Nick of Time,” the title track from her triumphant, Grammy-winning 1989 album, is far more than just a song; it’s a resonant anthem capturing the anxieties and unexpected joys of navigating middle age. Penned solely by Raitt, the song stands as a deeply personal and strikingly universal exploration of confronting mortality, societal pressures … Read more

Dylan’s Hurricane Meaning: Song of Injustice

Bob Dylan’s epic 1976 track “Hurricane,” co-written with Jacques Levy, is a furious, sprawling narrative broadside aimed directly at the American justice system. Clocking in at over eight minutes, it’s a passionate, detailed, and largely factual (though not without controversy) retelling of the events surrounding the wrongful conviction of middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter for … Read more