Favorite Bruce Robison Songs

[Brody]

List your favorite Bruce Robison song(s), or favorite cover versions of one of his songs by another artist, and the reason why you like it.

I've got an extra copy of his new album, The New World, to give away and I'll choose a winner from those who posted on Wednesday.

[Occasional Hope]

I've never really listened to Bruce as a singer, but I like quite a few of his cuts by others. My top five are:

1. Travellin' Soldier - a wonderful song; I have two versions of this, the well known one by the Dixie Chicks, and one by Ty England. The Chcks' version is better, but I heard the other one first, so retain some fondness for it. I like the tune and way the story is structured.
2. Wrapped - I have no less than three versions of this, by George Strait, Catherine Britt and Pinmonkey, and I love them all.
3. Angry All The Time, which I have a version of by Tim McGraw.
4. Lonely Too, covered by Lee Ann Womack.
5. What Would Willie Do, covered by Gary Allan.

[Clemson Brad]

Bruce is one of, if not my favorite singer/songwriter. (Along with Eric Church and Bobby Pinson)

Here are my favorite songs by him...

1. When It Rains - Such a beautifully, well written song. The melody fits the words perfectly. I love this song because its about two people who don't really love each other at all...but more use each other because they are in the right place, at the right time. This song builds an image of these two lost souls traveling the country together. My favorite image in the song is with the line of "And I play my guitar, and the people would throw us some change" Great final scene where she just adruptly drops him off.

2. My Brother and Me - I have a Brother, so this song always means alot to me. Also, more a song for just having wonderful family. After talking about his Grandfather he never met, Bruce writes "I don't know what kind of man he be, but he'd liked my Brother and Me" I have a Grandfather I never met, and I truly believe that he'd like my brother and me.

3. Tonight - This song always makes me think about High School Friday Nights. When your seventeen, and got your first car...and driving around with all your friends, and being so nervous talking to girls. This is also the first time you really drink beer and smoke, as the song describes. But I cant tell you how many nights I've had where I've felt "Anything could happen tonight" This is still my favorite song to listen to at night time.

4. Larosse - This has very recently become one of my favorite songs. Just perfect Bruce Robison story telling. Many people feel different about this song. Some feel as the man selling the horse is lieing about everything is saying. I always saw it as the man is telling the complete truth about everything. I feel as everytime he looks at the horse, he just has too many painful memories about his daughter. He seems like he is a man who has lost everything, and that Larosse just makes him too sad.

5. Drivin' All Night Long - Simple Song..About a man drivin' all night long to see a Woman he needs to apologize too. Love the image of him talking about the truck driver who passes him, how he is just like him...trying to get home to the one he loves

6. Echo - Another new favorite of mine...we truly do all have echos in our past...which is what this song symbolizes


By other artists...

Charlie Robinson - Right Man for the Job - The robison boys wrote this together, and I love this dang song. Its just so different and cool.

Charlie Robison - Tonight - Honestly, I love Charlie's version of the song. Its much more different then Bruces unbelieveably enough. If you get a chance, you MUST hear Charlie's live version of the song on the live CD. He paints the whole scene..I got chills the first time I heard it.

Lesson in Goodbye - Michael Peterson - This CD was never released in the USA, but this song was on the album "Modern man" I always wanted to hear a Bruce Version of the song.

Tim McGraw - Old Town new - Such a simple song...but sounds so fresh like no one has ever written a song of this topic before. Have never heard a Bruce version, but I sure would love too.

Songs I would LOVE to hear other Artists cut...

"When It Rains" - Joe Nichols - I think Joe could really take this song and make it special, and believable with his voice.

"Anymore Good Lovin" - Co-Written by Jack Ingram - GEORGE STRAIT. If this song ain't george strait, I dont know what is...

[Chris N]

1. Can't Get There from Here
2. Angry All the Time
3. What Would Willie Do
4. Travelin' Soldier
5. Tonight

[Rainbow]

"Lonely Too" and "Poor Man’s Son".

[rran]

Bruce has provided the soundtrack for many a night around the house and property. I usually listen to his stuff when I'm mowing and thanks to Bruce and Charlie it's no longer an option for me to mow in the A.M. (too many beers consumed makes it difficult to remain productive for the rest of the day). My exposure to new singers and songwriters have gone downhill over the last five years, but I have to say that he is one of my favorites that I go out of my way to find new material from. That being said.... (trying to keep it short)

1. My Brother and Me
2. Lifeline.... love the mandolin and the line"she used to curl up like the steam from a train, i can still see her but she's gone just the same". The best line ever in a song in my opinion.
3. What would Willie do.... for obvious reasons
4. Rayne, Louisiana

[Stormy]

Right now my very favorite Bruce Robison song is "My Brother and Me."

[TenPoundHammer]

Defintely "Travelin' Soldier", which is somewhere near the top when it comes to my favorite country songs. "Wrapped" was all right, and I hated the fact that "Angry All the Time" used "have came and went" instead of "have come and gone". I ain't got no problem with incorrect grammar, but "have came and went" just sounds awkward.

Then again, those are the only three Bruce Robison songs I know, so...

[Brody]

And the winner (chosen at random) is...Occasional Hope!

[Occasional Hope]

By coincidence, there's an interview with Bruce in the latest edition of a print magazine I get here in the UK, and he picks his own favourite covers of his songs - the Dixie Chicks' Travelin' Soldier and Tim McGraw's Angry All the Time. He also said Ray Charles once nearly recorded one of his songs, but wouldn't say which one.

[Occasional Hope]

I'd just like to thank Brody for the CD, which arrived today. I'm about to start listening to it.

[Occasional Hope]

And now I can say what I thought. It's a very good record, which I think will grow more on me the more i listen to it. My favourite song after one serious listen-through is Bad Girl Blues, followed by Echo and Larosse. I think I'd like to hear a cover of Bad Girl Blues by a female singer. the only song I dodn't much care for was Hanging On Hopeless, whoch is the only one Bruce didn't write; I wonder why he included it, because I didn't find it a very interesting song, and it didn't really fit his vocal range.

But overall this is a good introduction for me to Bruce Robison as an artist rather than a writer of songs for others, and I'll be investigating his other work. So thank you again, Brody.

[Clemson Brad]

And now I can say what I thought. It's a very good record, which I think will grow more on me the more i listen to it. My favourite song after one serious listen-through is Bad Girl Blues, followed by Echo and Larosse. I think I'd like to hear a cover of Bad Girl Blues by a female singer. the only song I dodn't much care for was Hanging On Hopeless, whoch is the only one Bruce didn't write; I wonder why he included it, because I didn't find it a very interesting song, and it didn't really fit his vocal range.

But overall this is a good introduction for me to Bruce Robison as an artist rather than a writer of songs for others, and I'll be investigating his other work. So thank you again, Brody.

COMPLETELY AGREE! "Hanging on Hopeless" is the ONLY dud on the album, and to me, really drags the album down for me.