We Do What We Can - Sheryl Crow

Track 10. 'We Do What We Can'. From the album 'Tuesday Night Music Club'

Written by Bottrell, Crow, Gilbert, Schwartz

Musicians:
Sheryl Crow - guitar, piano, vocals
David Baerwald - guitar
Bill Bottrell - guitar, pedal steel
Dan Schwartz - bass, guitar
Brian MacLeod - drums

Bill Bottrell - Producer
Dan Schwartz - assistant producer
Blair Lamb - engineer
Bernie Grundman - mastering

♪♫ Downstairs they're playing Kenton
The house set to swing
I lay in my bed
And listen to everything
Cause Leo's in rare form tonight
His trombone sings so sweet
This is the room
Where they all come to meet

He said
I do what I can
I live for the moment
And that's who I am
Yeah that's who I am

And isn't it good
If we could freeze moments in time
We all would
But I do what I can
I do what I can

Downstairs he's playing Kenton
The Magnavox sighs
But oh how the music has changed
In all of our lives
He says "nobody listens
To modern jazz"
And I'll never have what those guys have

He says
I do what I can
I work for a living
And that's who I am
Yeah that's who I am

And it's good to be alive
But everything's different since Leo died
I do what I can

Is this the end of the modern world
What could it mean for a young girl
Who sees the pain on his face
He does what he can

The procession on the TV screen
What could it possibly mean for a man
Who's come this far just to turn around
Could there still be life in Kenton's swing
With the Kennedys gone and everything
Those sad rows of houses with their optimistic colors
Democrat grandparents and draft-dodging brothers
Riots down the street and discontented mothers
We do what we can

Downstairs it's quiet
Less alive somehow
Somehow he was everything that I am now

And he says
I do what I can
I work for a living
And that's who I am
And that's who I am

But it's good to be alive
And these are the choices
We make to survive
You do what you can ♪♫




~ [After being blocked by copyright claim for 7 months, UMG have let it roll. Many thanks to the copyright owners UMG for allowing this to be heard on YouTube, niiiiiiice - Herb Alpert should be proud ☺] ~

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blues
• Jazz
• Sheryl
• Crow
• Tuesday
• Night
• Music
• Club
• We
• Do
• What
• we
• Can
• 1993

[crysinorblue]

As I listen to this, there was one huge regret I ever made. The fact that I'm Leo, I probably should have died. But like a coward; a coward dies a million deaths, compared to a soldier who dies but once. In some ways, I wish I could take back what happened or at least did something different in my past. Maybe, there's such a thing called a second chance. Or I could be just fooling myself. (scoffs and shakes head)

[ELGROOVER]

To crysinorblue ~ There's always second chances. Life is for learning, regrets are a natural part of that. We do what we can, no one can do more than that. Keep on keeping on.... ☼ ;-j

[lennybaseball]

her best song

[ELGROOVER]

I think so too ☺

[shakanunu]

This is my favorite Sheryl Crow song; it's so beautiful. It's about the place we all have to get to in life. Life can't be lived for tomorrow or yesterday, since that only brings regret, longing, or a fantasy of hope. It's all about now and what we have in the everpresent and real now.

[TheMagicfish33]

My all time favorite too!!!!!

[kttv2123]

listen im not even a sheryl crow fan, but im a fan of great music and when i heard this joint i felt it in my soul! This song will make me listen to sheryl crow now! I DO WHAT I CAN, WORK FOR A LIVING CUZ THATS WHO I AM!

[beauteandamour]

This is also my favorite songs by Ms.Crow. As a student of music this piece of music impresses me with the interesting time signature changes in the middle of the song....thanks so much for posting this here,it's not an easy song to find!

[MrMickyMadman]

Sheryl Crow is the most underated singer on Earth. Most of today's kids have no clue. This song is brilliant, I rate it number two with Always On Your Side 1 and Wildflower 3........But what do I know......

[maiabruno]

this is the only song of Sheryl Crow I like. Really good.

[Edge1036]

@crysinorblue ya know.. I remember 15 years ago listening to THIS song and thinking to myself.. "how sad". But now, all these years later, I am RELATING to this song and I just want to say LEO, Thank you. For a very valuable lesson. I would have never known how much I could love if it wasn't for you. However, I promise, I will never love like that again. If only for my own sake. Shew!!!

[AriellaJS]

one of my all time favorate songs ever

[blueguitar881]

The Credits leave out an important person - Wendell Crow ( Sheryl's father, the person the song is written about) plays the quiet, laid back trumpet. Dr. Leo Benson was a trombone player and close family friend that passed away in several years ago. He and Leo played jazz together.

[MrOneidaJake]

@crysinorblue much as I want to agree w el groover, sometimes opportunity presents itself only once and the window closes. I know this well...You aren't the only one with regrets.

[katwmn6]

@jovanna242 Totally - I still have that tape buried somewhere in my parents' house. One of my favourite songs; a shame she don't make em like this anymore.