Singles Spotlight:
Tim O’Connell –
“Life In These United States”

Hello reader,

Within today’s Singles Spotlight, we’re talking about a familiar face around SWT. The one and only Tim O’Connell is back with a fitting song for publication day as we observe the 250th anniversary of the US. As of this publication date, O’Connell is the most frequently covered songwriter within our Singles Spotlight series. Kudos Tim. The first time SWT mentioned O’Connell was last December, when I talked about his touching song, “Good Enough (A Father’s Song),” off his GEMS EP, and this year in May, we had “I’ve Got A Song In My Heart.” Please take the time to check out those songs after you finish this Spotlight.

From the original Spotlight, I mentioned O’Connell’s bio, which I’ll reiterate, as I find it paints a great picture of the songwriter and artist he is and of the many influences that have shaped his work. Tim is, “An ASCAPLUS Award-winning songwriter who grew up in Clinton, Maryland. Tim has made Nashville his home for over 50 years.  

Tim began listening to rock and roll in the mid-1950s, courtesy of his older brothers’ record collections and American Bandstand. When he was 16, he discovered soul music and began paying close attention to the songwriting. Smokey Robinson was an early inspiration, followed by Bob Dylan. In the summer of 1968, Tim worked with some house painters who listened to country music all day long. That’s when he first heard Johnny Cash. Two years later, Tim moved to Nashville.

Tim’s songs have been recorded by artists in seven different countries, including Cash. USA Today called Cash’s recording of Tim’s song, ‘A Singer of Songs,’ one of the key songs of Cash’s career.  

But while continuing to write country songs, Tim also began to listen to jazz seriously. Seeing Carmen McRae perform on television was a real ear-opener, and Tim wrote some songs with Carmen in mind. Since then, he has had songs recorded by jazz vocalists Lisa Maxwell, Bettina Pohle, Eileen Howard, and Chloe Brisson.”

Some words that O’Connell penned exclusively for SWT to accompany this song:

Life in These United States

“This song was sort of a stream-of-consciousness affair.  I started with the first line, and everything just fell into place.  I don’t think I even did any re-writing; the words just poured out.  I didn’t start out to write a song about America, but the cultural references just kept coming.  Younger listeners should have fun trying to identify all of the references; older listeners will have fun remembering them. Altogether, the song points out that America is a land where Elvis Presley co-existed with Lawrence Welk, and the man on the street is just as likely to pick your pocket as he is to praise the Lord.  As the song says, this country is ‘a little bit of everything.’

And that’s as good an answer as anything to the question, ‘What is America?’  It’s a little bit of everything.  We have the best of things and the worst of things at the same time. The same country that elected Barack Obama as president not just once, but twice, turned around and elected Donald Trump twice just a few years later.  How do you explain that to somebody from another country?

We are definitely ‘a swirling mix of contradictions.'”

After listening to “Life In These United States”, I thought it was a perfect fit for not only a Singles Spotlight but also a post on the Fourth of July. The songwriting has a strong narrative that balances observation with nostalgia and a touch of whimsy. If you’re older in years, you’ll definitely enjoy the references to perhaps a bygone era. One can ponder while listening or after the song is complete, after they process. The tone of “Life In These United States” is reverent, grateful, and reflective. Relatable and broken down in everyday language. The melody leans on O’Connell’s jazz background and his vocals. I know I enjoyed the song, and I think you will too. While it is not written as a Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, or peers’ song with the intent of immediate change, listening may motivate some towards positive change, hopefully.  If this is your first exposure to O’Connell, I think you’ll like the other two songs that SWT has spotlighted in the past, mentioned above.

Press play and take a listen to Tim’s song for yourself:

Take a look at the cover art for the album, Make America Fun Again!:

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com