Bill Callahan - The Hard Road Lyrics

he's voice remembers me kevin ayers

So a friend of mine just mentioned Bill Callahan's name in passing and I had never heard of him. He didn't say anything about him, we were just talking about great musicians and lyricists, so I jotted the name down and here (or hear) I am. just from hearing this initial set, my life has just changed as it did the day I first heard Kris Kristofferson and Leonard Cohen. Hearing this in the wake of Niel Peart's death has me a bit emotional. Music is such a wonderful superpower.

That's awesome! My sister gave me Bill's/Smog's "A River Ain't Too Much To Love", and it was two years until I listened to it. Now, nearly seven years later, I can't stop listening to it. Keep paying it forward!

It reminds me of Lambchop. A lot.

Several times recently I've had my attention drawn to this rich velvet voice on the radio, had to stop whatever I was doing to wallow in the pleasure, then heard the name Bill Callahan mentioned. So I just had to look him up.
Fab with the cello backing too.

still one of the best tiny desk sessions

Bill Callahan, apenas lo estoy conociendo, me ha parecido que canta con una voz masculina muy agradable. Melva

Advert in the middle of the song? Ridiculous!

I
I love
I love the
I love the last
I love the last song
I love the last song on
I love the last song on this
I love the last song on this set.

Had he been writing during the golden age of great American singer songwriters, Callahan's name would have doubtless been mentioned in the same breath as Prine, Willie Nelson, Dylan, or even Neil Young (yeah he's Canadian), although Serge Gainsbourg (ok fine, French) is perhaps an even more apt comparison. Unfortunately singer-songwriter-storytellers expressing profound ontological reflections on the human condition are obsolete in an era where reflection is in the small glowing rectangle in your hand; music nowadays tends to be a selfie viewed through so many filter apps that the subject bears no resemblance to the real world. All that to say, thank god for Bob Boilen (whom I had the distinct pleasure of seeing discuss his book live with Sylvan Esso once) and the Tiny Desk Concert series, which allows endangered species such as Bill Callahan to thrive in their natural habitats. A Rococo Zephyr indeed.

Dane Ratliff don’t forget David Berman

Bill is that dude.

Get Bill Back on the Tiny Desk!

Is that Bobby Weaver from thepAperchAse on bass?

We need a new Bill tiny desk !!!

they deleted all too many birds from youtube. Most sadness day

I discovered him by accident via Burning Kingdom, an ultimate expression of loneliness and that feeling of why bother.

This is beautiful. Top quality dreamscapes

In case things go poorly
And I’ve not returned
Remember the good things I’ve done...

Heartbreaking

This guy came from the William Shatner school of singing.

nice performance but is this dude 14 or 43

in case things go poorly and i noT return...

Mágico... Uauhh

❤️ ✋

Beep beep

the production quality is hilariously bad compared to their newest videos (in 2018), but the music kills!

smash that dislike button!!

stunning

genius.

Absolutely fabulous as always, Bill is a genius!

Magical feels Bills

like how he doesnt respond to the 'desk job' jibber jabber

smash that like if u watchin this in 2018

i'm watchin this in 2030

I never realized how much Bill Callahan looks like Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers. They could be cousins!

Came here after being knocked out hearing Lapse for the first time on bFM. Gosh!

bill callaham is an amazing singer

currents

'least the sound is great. Never ceases to amaze me, Bill Callahan.

Absolutely nice !

Masterful...

Can anybody tell me what the first song this is? Cheers

jim cain

This is too good to be real, What a voice my friends, he is unreal 💥 I just love his music

Holy musical genius Batman!!!!!!! This band is awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ha, the watch beeping at 11.48. Bill's not happy.

those teeth tho...

I hope I never meet him.

Oh Smog <3

Incredible! Bill is smiling!

Been listening to this for years now, stuff of dreams.
Like Drake, the lyrics are timeless, could have been written a century ago, but still move you.
Poetry really.
The musicians are totally buzzing, in the moment, he's the pied piper man.

RUNNIN THRU THE 6 W MY WOES

This is the most beautiful live performance I have ever seen. Bill has gone from brilliant to even more brilliant.

I will listen to this set for the rest of my life, first came here in 2011. I love living!

mrsinn The same here

Glad I stumbled upon this page, totally made my day!

Still fantastic, to this day. My fave. Love you lots, Bill.

Oh, he's a side-mouth singer - I never knew that...

Lol yeah I didn't either!!!

this makes my heart happy

il conserve un visage juvénile, adolescent... comme un jeune homme de 20 ans... sa voix rivalise de profondeur et d'une pudique expressivité (vous pensez à L. Cohen?.. moi aussi)... il a toujours été très assuré car il a une juste appréciation de sa valeur artistique... flegmatique, doté d'un redoutable humour à froid, il fait les choses à sa façon, selon sa personnalité... c'est une belle âme, un homme que j'aime et respecte. Je le considère comme un pilier, un phare de la musique américaine...

C'est l'un des plus beaux commentaires que j'ai jamais lu! Vous avez une belle sensibilité face à la compréhension de Callahan et sa musique!

Next year's Noble prize.

Let's be honest, some of this has something good. Mostly, his lyrics are grade 4 simple, & he mostly speaks instead of singing.

In the words of the great Charles Bukowski: “Genius might be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way.” The lyrics to Bill's songs might sound very simple but each one of them has some incredible profundity behind it.

Aaaaaah, if only all of us could speak like Bill....and then mostly the world would be great...mostly.

Marten Dekker Similar to your use of grammar and punctuation.

Of course, that was my first impression when I heard him too. Then I listened again and it hit me. This guy taps into something deep and wonderful. Maybe you just don't get it; that's OK, but your loss man.

been listening to Smog since Read Apple Falls. I bought it when I was 18 cuz I liked the cover art, had never even heard of the band. That was eleven years ago. I have all the Smog albums now. I love you Bill.

I saw him on that tour in a tiny ass club in New Orleans. So good.

I remember seeing him at union chapel in London maybe in 1997.

I think I have the same guitar :D

Henrik Tornberg what kind of guitar it is?

Francesco Laganà If it is the same guitar that I have then it might be a Gibson Les paul Studio in worn brown. I cant really be too sure from the video tho.

hard to write something without sounding really cliche but I'm a big fan of this guy

same here.

never agreed with a comment more

He uses the same singing expressions that Joanna Newsom uses. My heart...

didn't they date eachother?

nope they did indeed. they even played together onstage. check out their gorgeous rendition of ‘sycamore’ live.

Fucking hell, man. Your gorgeous baritone, beautiful lyrics, wonderfully sensitive accompaninament here. Superstar stuff :o)

Fenomenale: che voce, che testi e che musica!

No songwriter has ever been more proficient in reading my mind.

I Love how it looks painful for him to sing. Like he's really singing from his heart

Sadism right there!!

The Richard Burton of the male singing voice.

BRILLIANT comment

the reincarnation of Nick Drake? So good people still dare to make this kind of music

wow. you are right! I didn't think about it until I read your comment.

Woah holy shit, same thing here

Or this guy.. https://youtu.be/K212gMoonuw

Uh...what? He's twice as old as Nick Drake...

Broken Wave you must be thinking of the wrong person

I love Bill -- so soft and so powerful, very heavy music.

Wonderful, thanks for sharing NPR, not to be ungrateful but why is this in 360p?

+John Rowley This video is from 2009. This was the standard resolution at that time.

this is the best 16 mins you can have chilling in a bath, soak the brain

Bill's music changed my life. Thank God for him, Bonnie Prince Billy and Mark Kozelek.

All immense. Add Jason Molina , Elliott Smith , Sam Beam , Craig Finn .............

I would add Damien Jurado to this fine list. And Vic Chesnutt. Jason Molina.

and David Berman.

@ImaginaryFriend Oh yes, easily my favourite, may he rest in peace!

ImaginaryFriend how sad. Just received Actual Air

what a great voice - it looks like he's hardly trying.

.... relaxing sound - makes good feelings

wonderful.

very nice sound here!

utterly sublime

Goosebumps. I love Bill Callahan and this TDC performance is pure gold. 

Why not come to the UK for a tour, we would love to see you!

Damn . What a voice . what a dude . Can I drink a beer with you Bill .

Such solid music.  Thanks Bill and band.

Alright, so which intern dropped the wide angle lens?

:) :) :) hahahahahahahha

I think they dropped all the lenses

Stephen Thompson's favorite moment at 11:46

@***** I bet it was someone off to the side. I don't think it was a band member.

Annette peacock

cheers bill you bellend great music

Thanks for this journey, Bill

Beer, thank you.

The sound these 5 make together is so one of a kind Awesome. ....check out their concert "la route. ....(something in French)..." brilliant

"la route du rock", august 2009. I was there !

also, if you liked this live performance at NPR, don't sulk your pleasure and go for the one The National did a few years later, pure magic !

what tuning does Bill use for the last song?

+pancaken1nja standard tuning for the last. The other two are in open D

the voice!

A day my DOB was 30,after it became 31.Who are applauding you?

inspired and beautiful

love this man!

In my opinion, Bill has the greatest voice that's ever been recorded, ever.

Close. Eddie Vedder is first, but Bill, Bill is a very close second.

Matt Elliott is close.

No question

@A Hendrix "When I think about what all the youngsters are listening to these days I seriously shudder" I hope you've grown up some since posting this ridiculous statement. What are "youngsters"? Where are they? What do they, as a collective, listen to? There are grown adults that listen to bottom barrel music, just as much as children discovering what they do and don't like. Get over yourself.

Singing voice. John Hurt (rest his soul) as a narrator?

wonderful great singer Bill Callahan what a voice wow

love bill love

electronic drums too loud ... :'-(

biteuljiouce what Electronic drums???

My hero.

'Jim Cain' from the album Sometimes I wish I were an eagle