Lucinda Williams Covers “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” (Cover Me Premiere)

Generations of young people have grown up on Shel Silverstein’s poetry, but many may not know he was also a prolific songwriter. When not churning out classic anthologies like Where the Sidewalk Ends, he penned hits for Johnny Cash (“A Boy Named Sue”) and Dr. Hook (“The Cover of the Rolling Stone”). Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein cements Silverstein’s songwriting legacy with fifteen new covers by artists old (Kris Kristofferson, John Prine) and new (My Morning Jacket, Andrew Bird).

Cover Me is proud to premiere a selection from the compilation. Three-time Grammy winner Lucinda Williams spins an alt-country yarn in “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.” A hit for Marianne Faithfull, in Williams’ hands the song becomes an atmospheric country weeper. The sparse production and ominous bass drum propel the bored housewife’s tale towards a haunting ending. Stream it below, then tell us what you think in the comments!

CONTEST: We’ve got a copy of the CD to give away. Post your email address in the comments for a chance to win. Contest stays open until Monday, June 7.

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein hits stores June 8 from Sugar Hill Records. View the full track list below.

01. My Morning Jacket: “Lullabies, Legends and Lies”
02. Andrew Bird: “The Twistable, Turnable Man Returns”
03. John Prine: “This Guitar Is for Sale”
04. Dr. Dog: “The Unicorn”
05. Kris Kristofferson: “The Winner”
06. Sarah Jarosz with Black Prairie: “Queen of the Silver Dollar”
07. Bobby Bare, Jr. with Isabella Bare: “Daddy What If”
08. Black Francis with Joey Santiago: “The Cover of the Rolling Stone”
09. The Boxmasters: “Sylvia’s Mother”
10. Ray Price: “Me and Jimmie Rodgers”
11. Todd Snider: “A Boy Named Sue”
12. Lucinda Williams: “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan”
13. Bobby Bare: “The Living Legend”
14. Nanci Griffith: “The Giving Tree”
15. My Morning Jacket: “26 Second Song”