The Ones We Couldn't Be

Album: Dig In Deep (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Bonnie Raitt concludes her Dig in Deep album with this heartbreaking ballad. She sings of a broken relationship accompanied only by her own resigned piano chords and Patrick Warren's synthesizer strings. "I took poetic license to mix up metaphors and meanings," Raitt told Billboard magazine. "One verse refers to a love relationship gone awry. Another is about family misunderstandings. Combine the two and you're left with a feeling of remorse that we can't be what others want and even need us to be. Despite that, I believe that love is always renewable."
  • Raitt told TeamRock about the song. "I'm really glad I was able to get it on the record," she said. "I think everybody understands that with relationships, at the time, it seems like it was the other person's fault, but then you come to a realization – sometimes months or years later – that you had a part in what made the relationship difficult. It's just heartbreaking that you can't make it work at the time.

    Sometimes you have the best intentions – either in your family or in your love relationships – and you wanted it to work, and you tried so hard, but you just weren't the one the other person needed you to be."
  • Raitt explained to American Songwriter why she made this Dig In Deep's closing track. "I still think in terms of a whole album," she admitted, "even though I know people are into downloading individual tracks now. But I'm old-school; I like putting an album together so it tells a story from the beginning to the middle to the end. Finding the right place for a ballad is the hardest, most important decision. That's why sequencing is so crucial. To me the most important song is the last one."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.