Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXLI--Maura O'Connell: Feet of a Dancer

This week's tune was discovered on a folk compilation I came across during my troubadour phase in the mid to late nineties.  If I'd had but world enough and time, I'm sure a lot more such songs would be featured here on Friday Night Jukebox....

Maura O'Connell was born in Ennis, Ireland in 1958, and started out working in her family's fish shop before beginning to make music.  At the ripe old age of twenty-two she spent six weeks touring America as a backup vocalist for Irish band De Dannan, gained acclaim by performing on their next album, and then began her solo career.  O'Connell's work has been heavily influenced by American Country and Bluegrass, and while she's never had a lot of commercial success (a little more so in her native Ireland), she's done well enough to make a living from her singing.  For her career, O'Connell has released eleven studio albums, one compilation, and has appeared either as a guest vocalist or a backup singer on at least twenty-two other LPs (including emaycee faves Nanci Griffith, John Prine, and Rosanne Cash).  In 2013, she announced her retirement from her solo career.

"Feet of a Dancer" was released in 1988 on her album Just in Time.   The song was not released as a single and the album did not chart.

While not quite as sparse as old-timey Woody Guthrie nothing but a voice and a guitar folk, "Feet of a Dancer" features a lot of what makes folk, well, folk.  There's some nice touches of steel guitar, a little acoustic guitar here and there, some well placed mandolin playing, and, in what may be an FNJ first (or not--the number of songs featured is getting quite high), wonderful bongo playing to keep the song moving rhythmically.  But what carries the song--as happens quite often with a folk tune--is O'Connell's vocals, which are just north of heavenly.  Her voice shines with all the hope the song  proffers--essentially it's a parent telling a child that life is hard, hoping for the best for you, but regardless, we're always going to be here.  If there's one trait folks is known for is songs that speak to our better angels...and this one has halos floating all around it.

Lyric Sheet:  "I hope you find someone who cares/I hope you find all the right directions, everywhere/Everywhere...

Enjoy:

You Have a Choice:  Pass a Voting Rights Bill, or Welcome Fascism to America

Peace,

emaycee