For a long time, Jackson Browne played it coy about the specific person who inspired his 1980 song “That Girl Could Sing”. Considering that he had romantic relationships with a few different female performers, it wasn’t necessarily obvious.
Videos by American Songwriter
Browne later revealed the identity of the singer in question after that person passed away. “That Girl Could Sing” remains a loving tribute to her spirit and influence.
A Special Singer
Valerie Carter managed to carve out a career in music that was just off the edge of stardom. When you look at the list of collaborators with whom she worked in one capacity or another, you can start to understand what she brought to the table. James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, and Don Henley are just a few of the artists who utilized her talents on multiple projects.
Carter also put together her own solo career, which featured many of those artists returning the favor and appearing in some fashion. Her collaborations with Jackson Browne are among her most notable. That included co-writing the gorgeous ballad “Love Needs A Heart” from Running On Empty with Browne, as well as singing backup on a few of his albums.
The two also spent a bit of time as a couple in the 70s. While the relationship was somewhat short-lived, it clearly left its mark on Browne. Although he didn’t admit it till many years later, he wrote “That Girl Could Sing”, one of the highlights from his 1980 album Hold Out, about her.
After Carter’s death in 2017 at age 64, Jackson Browne ended the mystery and explained in some of his live performances that she was indeed the inspiration for the song. “That Girl Could Sing” paints a picture of a free spirit who left behind life lessons and heartbreak when she moved along.
Exploring the Lyrics of “That Girl Could Sing”
Jackson Browne starts off “That Girl Could Sing” with gratitude. “She was a friend to me when I needed one,” he sings. “Wasn’t for her I don’t know what I’d done / She gave me back something that was missing in me.”
But he also admits that she remained free of any kind of control. “She coulda turned out to be almost anyone,” he explains. “With the possible exception / Of who I wanted her to be.” After that intro, the verses venture into a more intense musical place, which mirrors the emotions between the two. “Reaching into the heart of the darkness,” Browne sings of their efforts. “For the tenderness within.”
He also admits that they were a pair of wounded souls when they united. “Hanging onto the laughter / That each of us hid our unhappiness in” is how he describes their plight. In the second verse, Browne continues to sing her praises, but she remains elusive. “You could hold her tight,” he remembers. “With all your might / But she’d slip through your arms like the wind.”
Browne realizes as the song progresses that he might have erred in trying to contain her essence: “Running in circles behind her / And thinking in terms of the blame.” But he eventually realizes that she did him a kindness with her abrupt departure when things got tough. “She wasn’t much good at saying goodbye,” he shrugs. “But that girl could sing.”
The song comes off as tough rock from a musical sense, as that was the vibe that Jackson Browne was trying to capture on the Hold Out album. But in many ways, “That Girl Could Sing” stands as one of his tenderest odes, one that couldn’t have existed without the impact Valerie Carter made on his life.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.