joan armatrading “whatever’s for us, for Us”
from: “whatever’s for us,” 1972
“Speaking of love
You ask how much you should give
Expect and receive
Take what you could, give what you must coz
Whatever’s for us, for us
Mmmmmm
Whatever’s for us, for us
Speaking of pride
You ask but why, what for
And what it should be
Do what you will, say what you must coz
Whatever’s for us, for us
Speaking of life
You ask how, how right you are
To be feared or loved
He’d not alive and not to trust coz
Whatever’s for us, for us
Mmmmmm
Whatever’s for us, for us”
Where and when a song begins, proceeds and ends is a matter of much speculation. But in the brevity department, “Whatever’s For Us, For Us” in words and melody deftly leaves a profound mark. Ms. Armatrading was underappreciated as a guitarist. Cleverly engineered, the instrumentation and vocals are all hers. Sparse and lonely, the dynamics between fate and human effort are juggled. Her singing has an air of calm resignation sculpting the topic from the inside out.
