GARY CLARK JR - EARL CADILLAC

PEARL CADILLAC

GARY CLARK JR.

SONGWRITER: GARY CLARK JR.

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: THIS LAND

LABEL: WARNER BROS

GENRE: BLUES ROCK

YEAR: 2019

Gary Lee Clark Jr. (born February 15, 1984) is an American musician from Austin, Texas. He is best known for his fusion of blues, rock and soul music with elements of hip hop. In 2011 Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and released The Bright Lights EP. It was followed by the albums Blak and Blu(2012) and The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (2015). Throughout his career Clark has been a prolific live performer, which has been documented in two releases: Gary Clark Jr. Live (2014) and Gary Clark Jr Live/North America (2017). He has shared the stage with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, B.B. King and the Rolling Stones. In 2014, Clark was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B performance for the song “Please Come Home”. His latest album, This Land, was released on February 22, 2019. In 2020, he won the Grammy Award for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Performance" for the song “This Land” from his album of the same name.

This Land is the third studio album by American blues rock musician Gary Clark Jr., and was released on February 22, 2019 by Warner Bros. Records. It won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2020, while the title track won BEST ROCK SONGS and Best Rock Performance.

On January 10, 2019 Clark appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for which he performed "This Land" and "Feed the Babies". The latter he performed along with Jon Batiste and Stay Human as a "bonus track". On February 16, 2019 Clark performed "Pearl Cadillac" and "This Land" on NBC's Saturday Night Live.  On February 28, 2019, Clark performed “This Land” on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. On July 7, 2019, Clark opened for the Rolling Stones' concert at Gillette Stadium during their 2019 No Filter Tour. Clark also provided guest vocals and guitar with the Stones during their performance of "Ride 'Em on Down."

The album was announced with a video for lead single "This Land", directed by Austin, Texas-based filmmaker Savanah Leaf. The song and video highlight racism in American society, with Leaf recreating aspects of Clark's childhood as described by the musician to the director, and Clark's response to the policies of President Donald Trump since he was elected in 2016. The track was inspired by "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie, with Clark commenting in an interview with American Songwriter: "It’s one of the first songs we learn, and we sing it together ... It's like the Pledge of Allegiance ... And when you're kids, everybody's together. You don't see differences until you get older, and older people influence you to think about other people a certain way. I just want to get back to singing that song like we were kids again, you know?" Writer Dan Solomon, in Texas Monthly, described "This Land" as "perhaps the first truly great song of Clark's career, a defiant, statement-piece anthem that fits alongside pieces like Childish Gambino's "This is America" and Beyoncé's "Formation" in its vocal addressing of racism in America."

Clark started the album's promotional tour in March 2019.

You say I owe you nothin'

If I could, I’d give you the world

You made somethin' from nothin

I thank God for such a beautiful girl

He brought on this world, yeah

I remember when I left home in that pearl Cadillac

I was searching for some kinda way to pay you back

For your love, your love, your love

Your love, your love, your love

Your love, your love, your love

Well, I won't let you down, I’ma make you proud

You say money ain't everything

You could've made it on your own

Now I understand your sacrifice

Late nights, fussing and fighting at home

I'm sorry for the things I did wrong

I remember when I left home in that pearl Cadillac

I was searching for some kinda way to pay you back

For your love, your love, your love

Your love, your love, your love

Your love, your love, your love

Well, I won't let you down, I'ma make you proud

I don't wanna let you down

Oh, I only wanna make you proud

You say I owe you nothin'

Oh, if I could, I’d give you the world

You made somethin’ from nothin

I thank God for such a beautiful girl

He put on this world, yea.