I want to thank you for your generosity, the love/
And the honesty that you gave me.

Natalie Merchant has a beautiful, unique voice. She may be best known as the lead singer of the 10000 maniacs, but this is her at her finest. This is a solo performance. Her unique singing style involves under-enunciating words. Usually I dislike that, but Merchant’s voice is so unique it doesn’t bother me in the least. It adds to the mystery.

“Kind and Generous” is lyrically simple: she is simply thanking someone for their generosity. We are not sure what type of relationship she has with this person; it could be any relationship. We come away from the song knowing that she is grateful for this kind and generous person who is extremely giving. She admires this person for who he/she is.

The song structure and instrumentation are relatively simple as well.  The highlight is the excellent bridge that takes the song to a new height (I want to thank you for your generosity, the love/ And the honesty that you gave me.) The guitar outro is a nice touch as well.

Kind and Generous Lyrics

La la la la
You’ve been so kind and generous
I don’t know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I’m in debt to you

For your selflessness my admiration
For everything you’ve done you know I’m bound
I’m bound to thank you for it
La la la la
Hey hey hey

You’ve been so kind and generous
I don’t know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I’m in debt to you
And I never could have come this far without you

For everything you’ve done, you know I’m bound
I’m bound to thank you for it
La la la la

Oh, I want to thank you for so many gifts you gave
The love, the tenderness, I want to thank you
I want to thank you for your generosity, the love
And the honesty that you gave me
I want to thank you show my gratitude
My love, and my respect for you, I want to thank you
Oh, I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you
I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you

Songwriters: Natalie Merchant

You’re everything I need/
You are so beautiful to me.

Joe Cocker is one of the best cover artists ever. There are a couple other artists in contention: Nina Simone, Roberta Flack, The Byrds, Tori Amos. The ability to take a good song and interpret it in a different way so as to sound like a completely different song is a great talent. Joe Cocker is one of the best. Here he covers Billy Preston’s “You are So Beautiful”, but really, this is the definitive version.

The accompanying piano in “You Are So Beautiful” is great. The arrangement is unique and elevates the song. It is hard to create a unique piano arrangement that is noticeable in popular music: most are pretty standard. This is different. Very elegant. Cocker’s vocal styling does the rest.

At different times during the song he sings loudly and softly and the vocals are borderline over-melodramatic (especially the last note) but Cocker cuts it off at just the right time. The message is simple: you are beautiful, and you are everything that I want and need. This is a classic love song.

Lyrics You Are So Beautiful
You are so beautiful
To me
You are so beautiful
To me
Can’t you see
You’re everything I hoped for
You’re everything I need
You are so beautiful
To me

You are so wonderful
To me
You are so wonderful
To me
Can’t you see
You’re everything I hoped for
You’re everything I need
You are so wonderful
To me

You are so beautiful
To me
You are so beautiful
To me
Can’t you see
You’re everything I hoped for
You’re everything I need
You are so beautiful
To me

Songwriters: Bruce Carleton Fisher / Billy Preston

Do I love you my oh my, oh baby/
River deep, mountain high.

The instrumentation, vocals and melody on “River Deep Mountain High” are fantastic. This is Tina Turner at her best by far. She sounds like a mad woman (in a good way). Her voice explodes out of the speakers.

The song gathers momentum frantically, along with her voice, and we can almost imagine her dancing along as she sings and tries to keep the microphone in front of her face. The orchestration is a good match for this tune as well.

The lyrics are so-so. Yes, she loves her man like a river is deep and a mountain is high, that is a good start for a song. If someone said to me “I love for you is deeper than a river and higher than a mountain”, I would be all for it. I would be a little confused if someone told me that she loved me like she loved her ragdoll. What does that mean? Don’t you play with dolls because you are too young to interact with others and so you don’t have many options except this inanimate object? Thanks, I love you too, I guess.

River Deep, Mountain High Lyrics
When I was a little girl, I had a rag doll
Only doll I’ve ever owned
Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll
But only now my love has grown

And it gets stronger in every way
And it gets deeper, let me say
And it gets higher day by day

Do I love you, my oh my? Oh baby
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby, baby, baby

When you were a young boy
Did you have a puppy?
That always followed you around
Well, I’m gonna be as faithful as that puppy
No, I’ll never let you down

‘Cause it grows stronger like a river flows
And it gets sweeter, baby and Heaven knows
And it gets sweeter, baby, as it grows

Do I love you, my oh my? Oh baby
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby, baby, baby

And it gets stronger in every way
And it gets deeper, let me say
And it gets higher day by day

Do I love you, my oh my? Oh baby
River deep, mountain high
If I lost you would I cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby, baby, baby

I love you, baby, just like Robin loves to sing
I love you, baby, like a flower loves the spring
And I love you, baby, like a school boy loves his pet

Songwriters: Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich / Phil Spector