Eilen Jewell – You Wanna Give Me A Lift

I always like hearing good country music and I like older music a lot…this is a fantastic cover. Eilen Jewell covers the song while keeping the original feel but injecting some great guitar shine in this. It has an undercurrent of rockabilly mixed with country. I can’t stress enough how she can shed one style and walk into another. 

Eilen Jewell combines Americana, country, folk, blues, and rockabilly in her music. Her influences included Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, and Billie Holiday. She released her debut album in 2006 called Boundary County. Her second album, Letters from Sinners & Strangers (2007), brought her wider recognition. She has made an incredible 13 albums since 2006. 

This song was off her 2010 album Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn. The album has 12 Lynn songs and Jewell hits the mark with the album. Now lets switch gears here…Jewell made a blues album in 2017 called Down Hearted Blues. What a change, she has a great ability to slip into one style and the next. I’ll have one from this album at the bottom of the post. 

Loretta Lynn and her sister Peggy Sue Wells wrote this song. She recorded it in 1969 at the Brandley’s Barn studio in Mount Juliet Tennessee. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Country Charts and #4 on the Canadian Country Charts in 1970. As my readers know, I adore this woman and she was one of the most important songwriters of the 20th century. 

Eileen Jewel on Loretta Lynn: At first it was really just her voice when I heard Honky Tonk Girl for the first time in a cafe in Boston. I just froze when I heard that., I just thought that’s the voice for me, that’s the essence of classic country. Then, the more I got to listen to her stuff, the more I noticed that she wrote so fearlessly. She just kept rocking the boat and was a genius, sassy songwriter.

 

This song is on her blues album Down Hearted Blues. 

You Wanna Give Me A Lift

Well, I’m game for just about anything
But the game you’ve named I ain’t gonna play
You say you take a little drink and we’ll go for a ride on a star
You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far

That happy pill you’re takin’ you say is a little weak
And you wanna give me one so you say I won’t go to sleep
Well your hands’re a gettin’ friendly but I know exactly where they are
You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far

You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far
I’m a little bit warm but that don’t mean I’m on fire
You wanna take me for a ride in the back seat of your car
You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far

You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far
I’m a little bit warm but that don’t mean I’m on fire
You wanna take me for a ride in the back seat of your car
You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far

You wanna give me a lift but this ol’ gal ain’t a goin’ that far…

 

…

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

30 thoughts on “Eilen Jewell – You Wanna Give Me A Lift”

  2. Pingback: Eilen Jewell – You Wanna Give Me A Lift – MobsterTiger

  5. Eilen Jewell looks familiar to me, and I could have sworn I included one of her songs in a previous post, but a search of my blog came up empty. Anyway, I like both songs you featured here with a slight preference for the blues song. I think I’m going to write down her name. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. I could stay in this groove all day and probably will. ‘Voodoo’ is killer. That guitar sells it. Isaak vibe. The Loretta cut is so good. Never heard the original. Artists like Eilen keep the torch burning bright. I really hope she cashes in. She has my ear.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I was shocked CB that she could damn well step into another genre and sound great. It’s like having Babe Ruth as a utility player…everywhere he plays he is great. I’ve become a fan.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. When you mentioned her…I thought ok…she is a country singer…but damn…much more than that. Alvin is a good example.

        Like

      3. The old “Guilty before investigation”. I’ve done that often and then was introduced to some great surprises.
        Listening to Alvin’s ‘West Of the West’ album right now What an eclectic smorg of music goodness.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. I have to take a listen to that… the last one I listened to was one of the albums he made with is brother…which was fantastic.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Pingback: The Sunday Six – Christian's Music Musings

  12. Max, I can’t believe I thought the first time I heard her was Green River on Spotify. I should have remembered her here. Maybe her doing an album of Loretta covers threw me? Christian, thanks for the reminder! She’s good!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to Lisa or Li Cancel reply