Sara Bareilles: The sweet author of tough songs
The lyrics Sara Bareilles sings, such as on her Grammy-nominated song "Brave," never hold anything back, and they've won her a devoted following. With Ben Tracy, we "Take Note":
Her music and her voice sound so sweet . . .
"So let me thank you for your time,
Try not to waste any more of mine,
Get out of here fast …"
But in many of her songs, what Sara Bareillis is actually doing is not-so-sweetly telling someone off.
"Who died and made you king of anything?"
"I might not say it to your face, but I'm sure as hell gonna put it in a song!" she laughed.
"I think some people will find that surprising because you seem so nice," said Tracy.
"I swear like a sailor. I find great joy in being a little bit sassy and crass, and -- I don't know, going against the grain a little bit. I find a lot of joy in that."
Bareilles' 2007 debut single "Love Song" was the singer-songwriter's response to her record label. It was pressuring her to write radio-friendly hits.
"I'm trying to let you hear me as I am!
I'm not going to write you a love song
Because you asked for it,
because you need one, you see."
It was, Bareilles said, "kind of a nasty song, but it was very tongue-in-cheek, which is so me to, like, be nasty in a passive-aggressive way!"
The irony was that, after writing what was basically a kiss-off to record executives, Bareilles got the phone call: "'We love it! We're on board!' Are you crazy? Who's playing this joke on me?"
"Love Song" was no joke. It was the #1 song of 2008 on Billboard's adult contemporary chart -- and it earned Bareilles a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.
She's now back in the hunt for Grammy gold with her new album, "The Blessed Unrest." It snagged a coveted nomination for Album of the Year.
That surprised many in the industry -- including Bareilles.
She described her reaction as "kid-at-Christmas excited."
"I was trying to text my family and my hands were shaking," she told Tracy. "It was just this moment of sheer joy.
The lyrics Sara Bareilles sings, such as on her Grammy-nominated song "Brave," never hold anything back, and they've won her a devoted following. With Ben Tracy, we "Take Note":
Her music and her voice sound so sweet . . .
"So let me thank you for your time,
Try not to waste any more of mine,
Get out of here fast …"
But in many of her songs, what Sara Bareillis is actually doing is not-so-sweetly telling someone off.
"Who died and made you king of anything?"
"I might not say it to your face, but I'm sure as hell gonna put it in a song!" she laughed.
"I think some people will find that surprising because you seem so nice," said Tracy.
"I swear like a sailor. I find great joy in being a little bit sassy and crass, and -- I don't know, going against the grain a little bit. I find a lot of joy in that."
Bareilles' 2007 debut single "Love Song" was the singer-songwriter's response to her record label. It was pressuring her to write radio-friendly hits.
"I'm trying to let you hear me as I am!
I'm not going to write you a love song
Because you asked for it,
because you need one, you see."
It was, Bareilles said, "kind of a nasty song, but it was very tongue-in-cheek, which is so me to, like, be nasty in a passive-aggressive way!"
The irony was that, after writing what was basically a kiss-off to record executives, Bareilles got the phone call: "'We love it! We're on board!' Are you crazy? Who's playing this joke on me?"

"Love Song" was no joke. It was the #1 song of 2008 on Billboard's adult contemporary chart -- and it earned Bareilles a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.
She's now back in the hunt for Grammy gold with her new album, "The Blessed Unrest." It snagged a coveted nomination for Album of the Year.
That surprised many in the industry -- including Bareilles.

She described her reaction as "kid-at-Christmas excited."
"I was trying to text my family and my hands were shaking," she told Tracy. "It was just this moment of sheer joy.