Providence

(source)

Finally! Providence is one of my most favored Ani Difranco songs. I finally found this song on youtube. In fact it was just posted two days ago by Youtube user claybutler. I haven't heard Ani play this at a concert since 1999. Well, Ani partied like it was 1999 by recording this song on her 1999 album To the Teeth.



And she recorded Providence with none other than...



Mr. Purple. Yep! Mr. I'm gonna party like it's 1999, himself. Prince sings back up vocals on the track and I must say Ani and Prince make a powerful combination. The track is quite moving and the lyrics conjure profound imagery and emotion.

In the Youtube video below, Ani mentions that her best friend has apparently be requesting that she sing this song live as well. Yeah, it's about time Ani!

Anyhoot...
Decide for yourself what you think of this song.


Ani DiFranco in Santa Cruz Rio on 10-13-09 singing Providence

Providence by Ani Difranco © 1999 ani difranco / righteous babe music

who knew
at this party that
i would walk in and i'd see you
i guess now
we could just get drunk
yeah, and that could be our excuse
you could slip
and outta nowhere
i could be there to catch your fall
and we could laugh
at ourselves
and the writing that's on the wall

it's a narrow margin
just room enough for regret
in the inch and a half between
hey, how ya been?
and
can i kiss you yet?
so we talk like
nervous neighbors over a tall fence
true love
but for the lack of providence

but i just got one more
thing to tell you
cuz words are vitamins
and life is short
and i know when we get up
to the front office
we're gonna have to fill out
a full report
the first question will be
what were you thinking?
and the next question will be
what did you say?
and then they're gonna check to see
if the answers to one and two
matched up much
along the way

in the interest of poetry
and the cowboy movie
that's you and me
i'm back on the horse now
and i am riding
i am striding so effortlessly
what i mean is
it's late
much too late for us
and i'm fixing to go home
with just my conscience
and a bitter sense of irony
as my chaperone