All Will Be Well

Album: Live at World Cafe (2005)
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Songfacts®:

  • Dixon wrote this song with Dan Wilson of Semisonic, who later co-wrote hits for Adele ("Someone Like You") and Dixie Chicks ("Not Ready To Make Nice"). The two got together at Wilson's house in Minneapolis for four days of work. On Day 3, Dixon played him "All Will Be Well," which was finished, but didn't go over well with his bandmates or record label. Wilson changed the beginning of the chorus to a minor key and work with him on a pre-chorus:

    And all the children walking home past the factories
    Can see the light shining in my window as
    I write this song to you
    All the cars running fast along the interstate
    Can feel that love that radiates, illuminating
    what I know is true


    After a few more tweaks, the new version was finished; this time it earned the approval of the stakeholders.
  • This joyful, reassuring song encapsulates Dixon's personality. "Every time I hear Gabe sing 'All Will Be Well,' I get an emotional charge," his co-writer Dan Wilson said. "It's very specific to his spirit. His voice is half-mournful and half-hopeful, and the song seems beautifully tailored to that sound."
  • The song was used in the 2011 episode of Parks and Recreation, "End of the World." It was also used in promotional spots for the short-lived 2006 TV series Conviction.

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