Live with Me (song)
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"Live with Me" is a song by Massive Attack (lyrics written by Phil Jackson whom also wrote the original blues music)which was included in their 2006 compilation album Collected and was also released as a single. The song is notable for the critical acclaim it garnered due to its haunting lyrics, soulful vocals and emotional string section.
One review stated "Some extremely evocative and rich vocals come courtesy of soul legend Terry Callier, who builds Live With Me to a mesmerising climax against a backdrop of lush, expansive strings and a rolling, hypnotic bassline. It's clear the band have lost none of their distinctive edge". [1]
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[edit] Vocals
Vocals were supplied by the acclaimed soul singer Terry Callier, who was 60 at the time the song was recorded. Callier is an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois, who has won a UN peace award for his humanitarian work promoting peace through his songs.
[edit] Lyrics
The lyrics talk of a great hurt which has been caused and an inability to right a wrong. The lyrics are soulful and melancholic.
"Nothing's right, if you ain't here
I give all that I have just to keep you near
I wrote you a letter darlin', trying to make it clear
How much you just don't believe that I'm sincere.
Thinking about you baby, I want you near me "
Listeners differ on the meaning behind the lyrics, although one interpretation given was the following: "A man growing older, realizing his own mortality, trying to get over his fear of commitment. He's mistreated his girl because he's been unhappy with his own life. She has given up on him, now he regrets the decisions he's made and wants her back but it looks like he's too late." The truth is that Phil Jackson the song writer had a horrific experience with his wife who was lost into a very deep dark place from which there was no return. His heart was broken by this and the lyrics came from a letter that he wrote her to try and bring her back from the place she was in. [2]
[edit] Reviews
MusicOmh described the song as not only a welcome return for the band but a hark back to their glory days circa Blue Lines and Protection; it is an aching, haunting love song - but not one that you'll ever find on any BMG valentine's compilation, thankfully - that beautifully evokes the pain and longing of failed romance. A typically melodramatic orchestral backing is accompanied by those familiar dusky beats, but it's Callier's gloriously emotive vocal that lifts this track far above and beyond average. He succeeds in being both fragile and powerful in a way that previous Massive Attack vocalists Shara Nelson and Tracey Thorn also achieved.[3]
ContractMusic said that "Live with Me has a certain dark and sexy groove going on. Partly it's the trade-mark lush, sensual synthetic bass sounds that do it, but mostly it's the authentic soul vocals of Terry Callier that lift this single out of ordinariness and up into the realms of unforgettable musical moments"[4]
Web reviews of the song have included the following: "Terry Callier has a fantastic Motown voice - I hope he's featured on at least another track on the new album.
The Bristol sound is alive and kicking - it's the huge string sections and emotion that has always been the domination. We're an emotional bunch. "[5]
Virgin media described the song as follows: "Some extremely evocative and rich vocals come courtesy of soul legend Terry Callier, who builds Live With Me to a mesmerising climax against a backdrop of lush, expansive strings and a rolling, hypnotic bassline. It's clear the band have lost none of their distinctive edge - let's just hope we're not in for another three year wait for more fresh material."[6]
[edit] Video
The video features a young woman drinking heavily, to the point of excess. The video was directed by Jonathan Glazer.[1]
One review of the video described it as follows: "It’s uncomfortable viewing, but I found it really haunting. It features a young (mid twenties) professional-looking woman drinking herself into oblivion on her own in her flat. I can’t really put my finger on what it is about it that I find so arresting, but I thought it was an incredibly powerful four minute film."[7]
