"Don't Do Anything": Sadness Mixed with Grace

One of the most surprising cds that I have enjoyed this year has been Sam Phillip's "Don't Do Anything". I have haphazardly followed Sam's career from when she was CCM artist Leslie Phillips over 20 years ago. She walked away from the CCM scene when she met and married T-Bone Burnett. She changed her name to Sam after releasing her farewell to CCM with 1987's "The Turning". Sam has a direct honesty with her songs and my impression is that she left the CCM business behind due the the dishonest nature of the business.

She released a few great albums with T-Bone Burnett's production and a few that I barely listened to. Her music is not really my style of music but I enjoy the "art" of her efforts and kept waiting for her to hit it big. That never really happened unless you count her stint as a mute German terrorist in the "Die Hard With a Vengeance" movie.

A few years ago T-Bone Burnett broke off his marriage to Sam Phillips and doing so to a wife with a knife-wielding terrorist past might lead one to expect something a bit different than what you find on "Don't Do Anything". Obviously the divorce had a profound impact on Sam from the first words on the first song, "I thought if he understood/ He wouldn't treat me this way" and songs like, "Another Song."

"Everything used to make me smile
Then you went away
Did you ever really
love me?"

As she continues to contemplate whether she was ever really loved at all she announces:

"And the soul won't float with holes
but before you go down,
you write
another song"

Slowly this song makes a dramatic and beautiful segue into the title song and Sam replies accompanied by the sound of violins and fuzzy guitars,

"I love you when you don't do anything
When you are useless
I love you more
When you don't do anything
When you don't move
When you don't try
When you don't' say anything..."

It is quite "another song" and in her bitterness she portions out grace. These two songs are best heard together. It is simply magical. I have no experience with situations like Sam has experienced. However I like her words of unconditional love and those are words worth repeating when you think that love is simply about what what someone can do for you.

In fact, isn't this type of love the love God has forus?

"When you are useless
I love you more
When you don't do anything."

Isn't it the type of love we should have for those around us in this world? This definitely is a sing-a-long song worth keeping close and singing aloud or to yourself in contemplation.

Listen to "You Don't Do Anything" and watch the jukebox if that interests you.



All is not lost for Sam as "Strange things are happening" on the tune "Sister Rosetta Goes Up Before Us' and Sam sings,

"The sight of my heart has left me again/ But I hear music up above."

This is smart witty pop music with a lyrical edge and a tint of sadness and grace. Certainly one can claim that Sam Philips is an honest singer.

You can view a Tiny-Desk Concert of Sam Phillips at NPR. She sings and play four songs off "Don't Do Anything" and is accompanied by the strangest violin you will ever see. It is something called a Stroh Violin.

And speaking of T-Bone Burnett, here is a tune from his last CD "The True-False Identity".