Alison Krauss is best known for her work as a bluegrass artist, both solo and with Union Station. Her voice and skills as a fiddle player have made her one of the most in-demand artists in the genre for decades. However, her love of music doesn’t stop at the genre she grew up playing. In fact, when asked to name a perfect song, she pointed to a 1983 single by Stevie Wonder.
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Last month, Krauss sat down with Rick Beato to talk about her life, career, bluegrass, and music as a whole. During their conversation, she revealed that she believes “Front Line” by Wonder is a perfect song.
[RELATED: 3 Albums You Didn’t Know Alison Krauss Produced]
Alison Krauss on the Perfection of the 1983 Stevie Wonder Single
During the conversation, Rick Beato asked Alison Krauss to name a perfect song. She was able to give an answer without much thought. “One of my favorites ever is ‘Front Line’ by Stevie Wonder,” she said. “That is the most incredible combination of tricking somebody into a groove and telling the most heartbreaking story,” she explained.
“When it turns off, you’re processing what just happened to you. That is so profound. And the way he presented it, so angry. It’s just the greatest of great,” Krauss said.
Wonder Told the Story of a Vietnam Veteran with “Front Line”
Stevie Wonder wrote “Front Line” and released it as a single from his 1983 compilation album, Stevie Wonder’s Original Musiquarium I. The song peaked at No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart, but failed to chart anywhere else. Interestingly, his next single was the international No. 1 hit, “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”
Alison Krauss hit the nail on the head when she said “Front Line” tricks the listener. It sounds like an upbeat song with an infectious groove. The lyrics, however, are heartbreaking. The lyrics are from the perspective of a Vietnam War veteran who joined the army at 16 and lost a leg in the war.
The song touches on lasting injuries, PTSD, and Agent Orange. Additionally, the lyrics look at the way those who don’t understand the narrator’s struggles react to him. The chorus encapsulates the condition in which many veterans found themselves when they came home from Vietnam: They had me standing on the front line. / They had me standing on the front line. / They had me standing on the front line. / But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin’ ahead.
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