willie porter, “Sister”
from:falling forward, 1999
“If you want to leave
Ain’t no way I’m ever gonna stop you now
Tears don’t come cheap
And there’s not a single dry eye in the house
Sister, please
You were by my side
All through the cold winds’ blow
Now I bring you wildflowers
You only stand and scream for me to go
Sister, please
There’s a slow, steady rain coming down
Tugging like your monkey on my sleeve
You draw your shades
To keep the light from reaching through
If your lifeline breaks
You will drown so many more than you
It’s true, sister, please
Now there’s a slow, steady pain in my heart
Tugging like your monkey on my sleeve
Trying to love a junkie
Is such a lonely place to be”
If you are up for visiting Willy Porter's masterful music, my favorite song of his is likely "Sister." Akin to a panoramic solo kayak ride over gentle waves, "Sister's" core is Porter's fingerstyle guitarist gymnastic work supporting impactful vocals that lyrically buoy a loved one struggling with addiction.
(It is hard to choose "a true favorite" song of his though, as there are so many other stunning guitar pieces lying underneath his career's worth of meaningful, lyrically-significant, clever songs of humanity and the passage through life's turnstyles. Songs of how we all impact one another, always looking for the positive threads of light even through murky waters.)
-Monica Mansfield-
Welcome to The Bop Shop Monica! Honored to have you share your musical favorities with us all.