but my tears, but my tears
Willie Nelson’s 70th birthday party at the Beacon Theatre on April 9, 2003. Due to his health, Ray was able to do only one take, and this was it.
categories: music
tags: Beacon, death, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson
posted by asstral at 02:27 pm
compared to what, indeed…
slays me… thanks for the reminder of this..
Just noticed this comment under the YouTube vid:
Willie is crying because he knew Ray was dying. This was filmed about 6 months before Ray Charles died. Willie was one of the few people Ray told that he was dying. “When my life is over - remember when we were together”
That performance made me cry.
I read another comment on this video saying “and let Ray finish it up, as only Ray (one-take) could.” That seems to imply that he usually does things in one take - wonder if the commenter was misinformed, or if I’m reading that wrong or what, not that it matters.
In any case, welcome. I’ve never been a big fan of Russell’s voice or of that song, but that one hits home. Charles’ opening piano riff sounds familiar, but I can’t place it - maybe it just reminds me of something else, a little Rach-y feel to it.
And I always love Willie’s voice, if not always his material.
Apparently I like to make people cry.
Is this a new power, or one you’ve always had? Now that you’ve mastered goltrai, will you move on to the other two?
A beautiful song, made all the more poignant by the artists and the circumstances ~
This song contains one of my favorite lyric-and-music “moments” of all time. You know that certain point in a handful of songs (ok, maybe two handfuls) where the sound/lyric/meaning/emotion is so perfectly conveyed it makes you wince at how good it feels?
The crystal clear cascade down the piano keys and then…
“I love you in a place where there’s no space and time”
.
.
Thanks for posting this -
Well my making people cry abilities have definitely changed form throughout the years - however the power has always been there. As a child i would make playmates cry because I would pull their hair or inflict pain in another form. I would also make my mom cry because I was annoying. I would make my sister cry because that’s how she got sympathy for being less cool then me. As I grew older, I continued to make people cry, this time it was through the power of my sapcerity and youtubial abilities. And also a little bullying here and there.
“I’ve been wasting my days, Good and reckless and true, I have danced in the dark at the edge of the water, Swinging my hips at the black and the blue, When you die will you be surrounded by friends? Will they pray for a heaven out loud, a hope that somehow they will see you again?”~Alternate Routes
Ordinary (Myspace)
http://www.myspace.com/alternateroutes
I love this wonderful song. It is Leon Russell’s song - he wrote it - and the piano riff is a signature part of this song! And I like Willie Nelson. But those two simply pale when the great Ray Charles starts to sing here - actually as soon as his fingers hit the keyboard! Of course, I’m sure you had to be there to appreciate the whole scenario. But this performance by Ray Charles is incredible. End of story. Nothing to compare.
I miss Ray. I miss him like an old friend. Thanks for posting this.
This reminds me of Ray’s funeral. They televised it Live, out here in SoCal and I did watch. It’s all kind of distant now, but I don’t remember Willie being as sad as he did in this video. It was more of a celebration of Ray’s life, rather than a funeral. Lots of music, lots of speeches. The service was traditionally Gospel. I also remember thinking it odd that every person who sent flowers was personally thanked (by name), on Television, (EVERYONE!) The whole funeral was hours long. I now wish that I had recorded it for the music.
I have watched this video many many many times and it never fails to move me. Thanks for sharing it with others who “get it”. I’ve seen Leon twice live in the past few years and imo he is pretty incredible.
Thanks for the video. It didn’t make me cry, it made me smile.