House Of Cards

Album: Band of Joy (2010)
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Songfacts®:

  • This Southern Gothic number is a cover of a Richard and Linda Thompson song originally released on the duo's 1978 album First Light. Plant told Mojo: "There's not one bit of superfluous stuff in the lyric. It's beautiful."
  • Country-folk singer-songwriter Patty Griffin stands in for Alison Krauss as Plant's vocal partner on this and other Band of Joy tracks. Plant explained at a listening party that Griffin was recruited after Plant found himself a bit disappointed with the initial recording results. "It sounded like Moby Grape outtakes," he said. "I was in absolute heaven. But I took it home and realized there was absolutely nothing that kicked up." The singer called up Patty Griffin and asked her "to add her Shangri Las-type vocals."

Comments: 1

  • Lif from Quemado, NmThe only song on the whole Band of Joy album where you get an echo of Robert Plant as he was. His voice is still great, but through much of the album it sounds like he's saving it - where in his youth, he spent it freely, gave it away to all of us.
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