Another Lonely Day

Ben Harper is an amazing musician. He's one of the few artists that can cover a wide variety of genres on one album and somehow make it all sound unified. His lap steel/Weissenborn playing is exceptional and he's a great performer. Even though he'll sit with his lap steel for the majority of the show, you can really feel his energy and end up mesmerized by his playing. At least I do...
I was turned onto Ben Harper a number of years ago by a close friend, and have been a big fan ever since. I think what strikes me most about his songs is the honesty of his performance. It really comes through in the recording. That and the fact that his influences shine through in his music, and they are influences that I share an appreciation for (blues, folk, 70s rock, etc). His own music has influenced mine in a big way - especially the quiter acoustic songs. The riffs he comes up with and his honest soulful singing is something I always try to strive for when writing and recording my own stuff. I seem to always be asking myself 'What would Ben do here?' when working on an acoustic piece.

Another Lonely Day is a quiet, intimate acoustic track from Harper's 1995 (imo best) album 'Fight for Your Mind'. The first time I really heard the song was with good headphones on. I highly recommend it. It sounds like he's right there in the room with you. That main acoustic riff is what really got me, then when he starts singing, well, I was hooked. Looking at the lyrics, Another Lonely Day is basically a break up song. He sings about a relationship that didn't work out at the time, but 'further along' just may.

I didn't want to do a carbon-copy cover of this song (not that I could!), but at the same time wanted to relay the intimacy and honesty of it.

My Cover of Ben Harper's Another Lonely Day:



download > Another Lonely Day

"Id rather walk alone
Than chase you around
Id rather fall myself
Than let you drag me down"
~Ben Harper, 'Another Lonely Day'