Tell Me Something Lovely

Written by Judy Spiva Allison, Huntsville Music Scene Douglas Smoot Productions, photography and graphic design

“Look me in the eye, tell me something lovely Cause I have had my pill, and I have had my fill The truth can blur the lines, it’s somewhere in the middle Something in between, what’s tugging at your sleeve

Was it so obvious, I clearly was too serious - for you And what gets the worst of us perverse the trust And left it one word out of reach”

Song: Tell Me Something Lovely

Written by: Gus Hergert and Clay O’Dell Artist: Grassring Album: Cease & Desist Lyrics used by permission

This song just really jumped out at me from local favorite, The Grassring’s 2022 album, Cease & Desist. I was drawn to the staccato of the piano’s short repetitive message in the intro and other sections throughout the song. The piano is saying it won’t go away, it’s right there, waiting for a listen. The song itself begs for a word, a story maybe, a voice returning a truth, it’s eager for a message.

Lyrics like these have a way of making me pause and think, and the music is like a big ole calm ocean taking me out for a reprieve from the noise. Our Huntsville songwriters have these messages for you! Do you have a favorite? Is music your love language? Do lyrics intrigue you? Or do you prefer instrumental tunes?

Several years ago, I began curating a playlist on Spotify to shine the spotlight on songwriters and bands from Huntsville. Around here, you’re either a rocket scientist or a musician or you live with one or the other; so, you shouldn’t be surprised to know that our playlist includes just under 1000 songs, and that is just a SAMPLING of the recent music made here.

If you love listening to and supporting local original music and bands, you won’t want to miss a new concert series called ORIGINALLY HUNTSVILLE, held on the second Thursday each month at Stovehouse’s Electric Belle. Chris Hendley of The Hendley Group is the engine behind that series, prompted by the passion of Bill Fowler and his new band, The Crash in his desire to get original bands some stage time. There’s also PorchFest FivePoints coming up on May 6, 2023 with 30 plus musicians/bands to enjoy in a casual front yard party on Pratt! Huntsville has some wonderful venues to support, so check out our playlist, find your new favorite local band and find out more about it all at Huntsville Music Scene’s Facebook and Instagram!

Hope to see you at a show! n