His voice as tight as a fist,
Opening at the end of a bar;
Not on the beat, over it, playing with it,
Splitting it like a jazz man, like Miles Davis;
Turning on the right phrase and the right song;
Which is where he lives,
Where he lets go,
Where he reveals himself.
His songs are his home and he lets you in.
But you know that to sing like that
You’ve gotta have lost a couple of fights;
To know tenderness and romance
You've gotta have had your heart broken.