Who Did It Better

Lovely Day

When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes

Lovely Day 0:30 is a meditation on the simple pleasure of waking up next to someone who changes the light. The sunlight hurts his eyes but the person beside him makes everything worth facing. A small moment stretched into a whole song.

The repetition is not filler. It is a man checking in with himself and confirming the same good news every time. The feeling holds. The day is lovely because she is in it.

Original or Cover

The Original -- 1977

Bill Withers

Bill Withers was a factory worker who did not start his music career until age 29. A detail that made him unforgettable to anyone who ever heard him sing.

Floating Player

The Cover -- 1994

Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross never won a major Grammy category; his 8 Grammys were all R&B. He sold over 40 million albums and was a sought-after backing vocalist.

Floating Player

Image Credits

1,414 artist portraits across 5 genres (Rock, Jazz, Soul, Blues, Folk). 1,363 sourced from Wikipedia (Creative Commons / Public Domain), 50 from Deezer (promotional artwork).

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Who Did It Better

Lovely Day

Written by Bill Withers, Skip Scarborough

When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes

This song is about...

"Lovely Day" is a mood as much as a song. Bill Withers recorded it in 1977 as an extended meditation on the simple pleasure of waking up next to someone you love. The song does not need plot or conflict. No plot, no conflict -- just the quiet victory It is about the quiet victory of a morning that feels right. Withers understood that happiness does not require a story. Sometimes the loveliest days are the ones where nothing happens at all. Just the presence of someone who makes the sunlight mean more.

Bill or Luther

Bill Withers

1977

Bill Withers was a factory worker who did not start his music career until age 29. A detail that made him unforgettable to anyone who ever heard him sing.

Luther Vandross

1994

Luther Vandross never won a major Grammy category; his 8 Grammys were all R&B. He sold over 40 million albums and was a sought-after backing vocalist.

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