All of the songs I sing, I sing because they mean something to me, because I've carried the weight of them in my heart through the years and, also, through the years, they have carried me, supported me in invisible ways, given me shelter. They express something directly, both to and for me. People often talk about "covering" songs as though it were some kind of artistic theft or fraud, without knowing the true origin or meaning of the word (and more about that elsewhere, later). I don't cover songs, the songs I sing cover me; they clothe and nurture me, soothe and feed me, have been doing so for decades. They keep me alive. I suspect I'm not the only one who feels this way, but if I am, well, fuck-all.