Norah Jones: Jesus, etc.

I'm writing about this song for a simple reason: I just really love it. 

It was written by Wilco, a band from Chicago, and originally released in 2002. The version I've been listening too (linked below) was recorded live by Norah Jones in 2009, at that year's Bridge School Benefit Concert. You can find it on the 25th Anniversary album - there are some other amazing performances on there too - I highly recommend Thom Yorke's cover of After the Gold Rush.

As you'd expect, Norah Jones covers this song beautifully, and simply. In fact this is a lesson in simplicity done right. It's basically just Norah and a guitar, plus a little bit of backing harmony in the chorus section - and that's enough when a song is sung thoughtfully and carefully.

I think the 'X factor here' - that almost undefinable ingredient which turns this from a nice cover to something memorable (and worth writing about) - is that Norah Jones really makes this her own. She, reportedly, performed the song a tone and a half lower than the original. This was a great decision, allowing her to really showcase her voice to its best. Also, in singing it, she didn't try too hard - she had nothing to prove. You can sense that she quite simply liked the song, and enjoyed the performance. You can't really ask for me.

If you haven't heard this before, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did the first time!