[ Closed ] Asking Around For You (Page 1 of 2)

Wait until you see him perform it live!

It's interesting. The first time my girlfriend and I heard this song (live at the Tangier in Akron a few months back), we interpreted it as a song emphasizing the enormity and completeness of love, and how one never wants to lose it, but wants to carry it with them to the "next place."

The song hit us so hard that we immediately knew it was going to be (one of) our wedding songs. Now, having gotten Y&M and listened to the song, oh, 50 or so times, it just occured to me that Joe might be singing about a lost loved one, as Jane wrote about in a previous post. Which, of course, got me to thinking about its appropriateness for a wedding.

For about a minute.

The beauty of the song (and the blues; and music in general) is that it doesn't matter. Whatever YOU take from any song is what's most important. So thanks to Himmelstein for writing, and Joe for singing and playing, one of the most soulful, emotional and beautiful songs I've heard in a long while.

All I can say is "Awesome song"! This is definitely one of my favorites of Joe's growing catalog, which is saying a lot.
I heard this live before the album was released and it was the highlight of the show for me.

I agree with everyone.  I didn't think you could top "I Don't Live Anywhere" or "When She Dances."  But once again Joe continues to deliver.  The song was more subtle live, he played it on a Gibson semi-hollow and it was just beautiful.  A great way to close the show.  Awesome!

WordGuy, the absolute greatest thing about music is you may interpret it to mean whatever you want. I like your take on "Asking Around For You". It certainly could be that just as much as it could anything else.

I think you should keep it as your song. Make yours. Definitely.

I also absolutely LOVE this song!!! Joe's voice takes on a new dimension in this song and one can hear a Ray Charles influence behind the vocals. wordguy-Songs should mean whatever you want them to mean to you, you are the listener, so it's up to you. IMO

hi wordguy-Interesting  you would mention Leon Russell, I've been a fan for over 30 years and heard him last night! I'm wondering if you mean Leon's style of singing, as opposed to the sound of his voice? How could one even describe Leon's voice, gravel-like? Can't think of the right adjectives...Last night I was watching the show House, which I think was a rerun, but I didn't see the beginning of the season. The closing song was a Leon song "Stranger In A Strangeland". I saw Leon in March with Dave Mason and on another Dr. House show, they played Dave Mason, so they probably have a baby boomer making some of the music decisions on the show.  Where I'm going with all this is, I had told a couple street teamers that I thought "Asking Around For You" was a great song to play on "House" and also another doctor show I watch "Grey's Anatomy". To me, it's a spirtual song that stirs up many emotions and feelings including faith, hope, love and believing, so that's why I thought it was a good fit. Sometimes circumstances present an awakening of these feelings.

Here are the lyrics to "Asking Around for You":

If I get to heaven
The first thing I'll do
Before I met my maker
I'm gonna ask around for you

All of heaven's got to know
The beauty of the truth
I'll tap an angel on the shoulder
And I'll be asking around for you

I'm sure you've found a place up there
Where we could all sit & talk a while
Play some cards & drink black coffee
How I'd love to see you smile

If I get to heaven, now
Oh, I'm prayin now-- it'll,
It'll be the first thing I do
I'll tap an angel on the shoulder
And I'll be asking around for you

I'm sure you've found a place up there
Where we could all sit & talk a while
Play some cards & drink black coffee
How I'd love to see you smile

If I get to heaven now, oh I'm prayin' now
It'll, it'll be the first thing I do
I'll tap an angel on the shoulder
And I'll be asking around for you

I'll tap an angel on the shoulder
and I'll be coming home to you

This song--both its words and music--is a beautiful & very meaningful work of art, in my opinion.  So meaningful, in fact, that it's actually hard for me to listen to, especially with Father's Day coming up.  That aside, the gentle but awesome playing and the soulfulness with which it's sung makes it utterly primo.  I first heard this song on that European interview, but the sound quality was such that it didn't really hit me; it sure did the following month, though, when I heard it live-- and it has everytime since then!