I've been blogging about what I consider to be the 'best' song lyrics for over ten years now, and I admit it shows my biases. I've already admitted I don't have enough country songwriters in my entries, and I certainly don't have enough female or minority representation on it either.
I'm going to help rectify that, at least a little bit, by highlighting Alicia Keys. While their are many other famous black female artists that came before her, like Aretha Franklin or Tina Turner, they and many others are more famous as performers.
Keys is known as much for her songwriting as her singing. She's either solo wrote or helped to write lots of songs made famous not only by her, but by many other artists. And to top it off, she's prolific at playing instruments as well, notably the piano.
For my example, let's go with a big hit song she solo wrote and performed, If I Ain't Got You. In this case, the words don't do justice to the incredible vocal range in her performance:
Some people search for a fountain
Promises forever young
Some people need three dozen roses
And that's the only way to prove you love them
Hand me the world on a silver platter
And what good would it be
With no one to share
With no one who truly cares for me
Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you
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