Album: Every Valley (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Every Valley chronicles the demise of the South Wales coal industry, and the perseverance of the local people against great odds. Like several other songs on the album this track retains a sense of hope and optimism, despite the difficulties they face. Frontman J Willgoose Esq told HMV.com:

    "Even though it kind of speaks of all this strife and the scarring of the countryside, the broken men of the valley and all these kind of things, it does end on a defiant note; 'the things my boyhood cherished stand firm and shall remain'. So I think that air of defiance does run through the album, the sense that life will go on and you just have to kind of dig in for it."
  • This features James Dean Bradfield, frontman of the Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. The words he sings are taken from "Gwalia Deserta" by the Welsh poet Idris Davies.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Graham Parker

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Chris Frantz of Talking Heads

Chris Frantz of Talking HeadsSongwriter Interviews

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz on where the term "new wave" originated, the story of "Naive Melody," and why they never recorded another cover song after "Take Me To The River."

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.