What I like about the lyric is that it works on a classic soul/gospel dual level: the narrative of the song could be the voice of a lover asking for reconsideration or a second chance, but it could also be the voice of a higher power, offering unconditional solace and comfort.

This isn’t a particularly easy accomplishment, given the the subtle complexity of the lyric, which is somewhere between a promise and a plea. The often-angular and surprising Baron even breaks into a straight-out pop backbeat for a few measures.įrisell’s slow-motion textural approach suits the sentiment of the song very well throughout he basically conjures the intent of the lyric through the sounds of the guitar. Though Frisell, Driscoll, and Baron are quite capable of radical song-reconstruction, madcap rhythmic shifts, and rollercoaster twists of form, here they wisely allow their arrangement of “Have a Little Faith in Me” to unfold gently, within a fairly accessible structure. The song has been covered numerous times, by wildly different artists, but my favorite version is this live instrumental arrangement by guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Kermit Driscoll, and drummer Joey Baron. Since its initial appearance in 1987 on writer John Hiatt‘s popular Bring the Family album, “Have a Little Faith in Me” has become something of a modern classic. “Have a Little Faith in Me” – Bill Frisell, Kermit Driscoll, and Joey Baron

Have a little faith in me