Monday September 14, 2020 “Keep on Smilin” Wet Willie
Happy optimistic southern rock.
For seven years, from 1971 until 1978, Wet Willie produced an enviable array of albums filled with good-time music, rollicking high-energy blues-rock, and white Southern soul, and for their trouble they racked up just this one Top Ten hit, today’s "Keep On Smilin”.
First signed to Capricorn Records, Wet Willie was on the same label as the Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker Band but never really achieved their success even as “Keep on Smilin '' was recorded on that label.
The tune, from Willie’s third studio album which was titled after it, is credited to the entire band. But according to Jimmy Hall, frontman and co-founder of Wet Willie, legendary producer Tom Dowd (The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Clapton) provided the crucial advice on the recording, in particular its structure, that helped push it to iconic status.
The current climate seems to make it connect even more strongly, after all, we can’t do much about our situations, but keep on smiling.
Stay safe and well...and definitely keep on smiling
Well you say you got the blues
You got holes in both of your shoes, yeah
You're feeling alone and confused
You got to keep on smilin', just keep on smilin'
Yeah, you're, you're 'bout to go insane
'Cause your woman's playing games
And she says that you're to blame
You try to keep on smilin', just keep on smilin'
Keep on smilin' through the rain
Laughin' at the pain
Just flowin' with the changes
Till the sun comes out again
Keep on smilin' through the rain
Laughin' at the pain
Just flowin' with the changes
And singin' this refrain
Singing in a honky tonk cafe
Nobody's hearin' what you play, yeah
They're too busy drinkin' anyway
You gotta keep on smilin', brother, keep on smilin'
Say you, you found a piece of land
Gonna change from city boy to country man, yeah
Try to build your life with your hands
And just keep on smilin', keep on smilin'
Keep on smilin' through the rain
Laughin' at the pain
Just flowin' with the changes
Keep on singin' this refrain
You're just hangin out in a local bar
And you're wonderin' who the hell you are
Are you a farmer? Are you a star?
Smile on through the rain
Laugh all through the pain
Flow on with the changes
Till the sun comes out again
Keep on smilin', smilin', smilin', smilin'
Laughin', laughin', said laughin', laughin'
Keep on flowin', flowin', flowin', flowin', yeah
Smilin', smilin', smilin', smilin'
