“Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)” is a slight misnomer — though there’s obviously a lot of wiggle room within the whole blues/jazz/funk/soul domain, the song hews a lot closer to country-fried blues than funk. The two genres feed off each other, though, and Madeleine Peyroux’s affected drawl swings easily from country to folk to blues. Whatever it is, it’s certainly of a period very different from where we are now — its slightly off-time vocal harmonizations and understated guitar are equal parts ‘30s and ‘70s, the kind of reimagining Alison Krauss might do of B.B. King. No matter what disparate elements are thrown into the pot, the output is certainly, if counterintuitively, “funky”. Whether blues, soul, or country, this one works.
“A few years ago, before his sudden departure from this world, I was blessed by the chance to meet and talk with [Allen Toussaint], one of the most inspiring and spiritual songwriters of America,” says Peyroux. “He spoke with me about music and life in the same focused way he wrote his songs— with gentle directness, depth, and joy. His lyrics seem simple on the surface, like easy conversation, but to me they live in a place of careful truth about everything.”
She continues: “This song is a known favorite and has been recorded by many greats, but, as the song says, ‘a little soul can’t do no harm,’ and I just couldn’t resist.”
Secular Hymns releases September 16 on Impulse! and Verve Music Group. Until then, stream “Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)” below.