Filled with Wonder Once Again (Bill Fay cover)
Don't hold your love back
Chit-Chat Check-In #112 • Transcript
I lost a dear friend this past week. The great songwriter Bill Fay passed away.
If you aren’t familiar with Bill Fay’s music, you should spend some time listening to him. I still remember the moment Jim O’Rourke played Time of the Last Persecution for me at his apartment in Chicago. I couldn’t believe that this record wasn’t already in my life. It felt like I’d always known it.
Wilco reached out to Bill every time we toured the UK. In 2007, he was finally comfortable enough to play “Be Not So Fearful” with us in London. I think it was his first time on stage in 30 years. He always said he didn’t quit the music industry—the music industry quit him.
Bill had the highest ratio of beauty to ego of any artist I’ve ever met. And he was one of the most gentle humans. When he came to soundcheck at that show in London, he walked on stage with a ladybug on the lapel of his jacket. I pointed it out to him and he said, “Oh, she made it.” He’d taken the train into the city, and I guess it was from his garden. That sums up Bill pretty perfectly, I think.
We’ll miss Bill. This is a song from his record Countless Branches that came out in 2020, “Filled with Wonder Once Again.” I played a version of it last night and I also recorded a version of it with Spencer for the promotion of that album, both below.
Hang in there. There’s a lot going on. But there’s no lack of wonder to be filled with.
OxO—Jeffy
This Week in Wilco, Etc.
2003 / February 25: Down With Wilco by the Minus 5 is released on Yep Roc Records.
2008 / February 26: Wilco plays the 9:30 Club in Washington DC with the Total Pros Horns joining for much of the set. The evening’s performance of “War on War” is filmed and later released on the Ashes of American Flags DVD.
1992 / February 29: Uncle Tupelo opens for Teenage Fanclub and plays an 11-song set at the Paradise in Boston, MA.
You were in my thoughts this week, knowing you lost a dear friend. I started listening to Bill after hearing your version of Filled With Wonder. His album, Life Is People is a quiet balm for when my soul is feeling weary…which is a lot these days. “Be At Peace With Yourself” is a favorite and his version of Jesus Etc is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Sending love your way, Captain.
Jeff, you're the reason I know of Bill Fay in the first place. Playing "Be not so fearful" in "I am trying to break your heart" set me on the path. It's been amazing to see the resurgence he's had. So thank you for that introduction and thank you for being his friend. So sorry for your loss.