The 10 Best Jonny Lang Songs of All-Time
Jonny Lang is an American singer-songwriter who found success as a teenager. Since then, he has continued releasing new music, with the result that he now has seven studio albums.
As such, interested individuals should know they have no shortage of material to check out.
Here is our opinion of the ten best Jonny Lang songs ever released:
10. “A Quitter Never Wins”
This song’s title is a truism. However, interested individuals tend to see it in a different light when they realize the lyrics are describing an on-and-off relationship. Regardless, “A Quitter Never Wins” originated as a Tinsley Ellis song in 1994.
What makes it remarkable is that Lang managed to make his version stand out. Moreover, he did so in 1997, meaning he was still a teenager at the time.
9. “The Levee”
A sense of restlessness spurs the viewpoint character of “The Levee” forward. It isn’t a coincidence that the lyrics mention Highway 61, which crosses the Mississippi Delta.
Supposedly, the blues legend Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at one of its crossroads. Something that has established itself in general Americana. Lang’s vocals are an excellent fit for the song’s sentiments.
8. “Walking Away”
Sometimes, a relationship turns toxic, meaning those involved need to be capable of bringing it to a proper conclusion. Theme-wise, “Walking Away” is nothing novel.
There have been countless breakup songs. As a result, different artists have covered every variation on the subject. The curious thing is that Lang handled it with expertise beyond his then-age, thus enabling it to earn a position on this list.
7. “Only a Man”
Lang tends to be classified as a blues, rock, and gospel singer. Unsurprisingly, he is religious. Specifically, Lang turned to Christianity in 2000, claiming that he had a spiritual experience of some kind involving the Holy Ghost.
Since then, he has released several songs that took clear inspiration from his faith. For instance, “Only a Man” is a decent summary of the event, which is somewhat curious because it came out on his second rather than first studio album of the 2000s.
6. “Make It Move”
“Make It Move” comes from Signs, the seventh of Lang’s seven studio albums. The man’s background in the blues remains as obvious as ever.
However, he has been able to keep his music fresh by continuing to mix in new influences, as shown by “Make It Move” and its counterparts. That said, the song has one of those messages that everyone should internalize. Essentially, it says that if we want something, we need to be willing to work for it.
That is because our goals won’t just fall into our laps. Instead, waiting for that to happen is a good way to get mired in the metaphorical mud, thus putting us in a very bad position while others continue to move forward.
5. “Turn Around”
“Turn Around” isn’t as obvious about Lang’s faith as “Only a Man.” Still, it isn’t hard to see its influence running throughout the song’s lyrics. After all, “Turn Around” is all about how it isn’t too late for people to return to the right path, which is a sentiment very much in line with Christianity’s core tenets.
The song describes the scenario of someone serving a prison sentence finding solace in the Bible, which is about as cliched as these things get.
4. “Breakin’ Me”
One could see “Breakin’ Me” as another breakup song. That said, it is more of a post-breakup song because its viewpoint character is miserable after going through the experience.
It is easy for people to sympathize with such feelings. That said, it is an open question whether their initial thoughts will stay the same when they learn the context. In short, the viewpoint character wasn’t the one whose significant other broke up with him. Instead, he was the one who broke up with his significant other before coming to regret it keenly.
Some people might find him more sympathetic because he is in a hell of his creation. In contrast, others might turn away from him because there is a sort of justice in this chain of causation.
3. “Still Rainin'”
“Still Rainin'” comes from Wander the World in 1998. The latter was Lang’s third studio album. Even so, Wander the World was a remarkable success, as shown by how it was nominated for the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album that year.
In any case, “Still Rainin'” is one of the best examples of why the studio album was a contender. In particular, Lang’s consistently solid vocals paired well with its heavy guitar riffs.
2. “Red Light”
People can fall into thought in the strangest of places. Here, “Red Light” sees the viewpoint character pondering something unnamed at the titular location.
The intentional vagueness has enabled everyone to come up with their interpretations of what Lang had in mind. Still, the general sentiments resonated with many listeners, thus enabling “Red Light” to claim the second highest position on this list.
1. “Lie to Me”
“Lie to Me” isn’t the first time Lang released music. He did an independent release back in 1995 under the name Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang. That said, “Lie to Me” is the title track of his first studio album released through a major record label.
As such, it is no exaggeration to say that this is the song that made him known to the general public. It holds up surprisingly well. Combined with its influence, that is enough to make “Lie to Me” the best of Lang’s songs released so far.
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