3 Songwriters Who Sound Like They’re Whispering You a Secret

Some artists just sound like they are telling you something special. When they play their guitar and sing, it’s like they’re looking right at you, staring into your soul, and sharing their deepest, darkest thoughts.

That’s just what we wanted to highlight below. We wanted to dive into the careers of three artists who seem almost mystical. Indeed, these are three songwriters who sound like they’re whispering you a secret.

Elliott Smith

Whenever you hear Elliott Smith, it sounds like he’s on a bar stool next to you, five whiskeys deep. He’s surrounded by bar napkins with scribbled lyrics on them. His hair is tossed around his head; it’s greasy. His voice is sweet, soft, but slurring. Then somehow, a recording studio drops down from the sky, and he just starts singing into the microphone, and it’s beautiful. That must be how his albums came together, right? Obviously.

Paul Simon

Whether he was singing folk songs with his childhood friend Art Garfunkel or performing rock music solo, Paul Simon always just seemed like he was your best friend up there on stage. He’s the guy who grew up next door to you, the one you can count on. The person you can depend on. He tells you how it is, what he thinks. He’s also willing to share what’s going on in his life. He doesn’t hold back. As you get to know him, you realize he’s wiser than you first thought. In some ways, it seems, he knows the secrets to life itself. Yes, that’s what his music sounds like.

Joni Mitchell

When Joni Mitchell begins to play, she becomes the song. She is the flickering melodies, the constant rhythms. Her hands are the notes, her tongue the ellipsis. The breath in her work is the kind of stuff that revives even the most worn-out soul. You can easily imagine her rushing through the door. It’s fall—almost winter—outside. She’s still wearing her coat. She sits down with an acoustic that had been leaning against a stool. She starts to sing, and suddenly you realize there is blood in your veins. That’s her secret.

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