You know that feeling when a song just sticks? It’s not just a melody. It’s a mood. For anyone who grew up around the Southern Soul circuit or spent a Saturday night at a blues shack, Still My Love by Wilson Meadows isn't just a track on a playlist. It’s an anthem.
Honestly, it’s one of those rare records that bridged the gap between the old-school R&B of the 1960s and the modern "grown and sexy" vibe of the late 90s. Meadows didn't just sing it; he lived it. Released in 1997 on the album Memories, this song basically saved the career of a man who had already spent decades in the trenches of the music industry.
Most people don't realize that Wilson Meadows wasn't a newcomer when this hit the airwaves. He had been around since the 60s with The Meadows Brothers. But the solo success of this particular track? That was different. It was lightning in a bottle.
The Story Behind the Smoothness
Southern Soul is a gritty, honest genre. It doesn't hide behind auto-tune or over-production. When you listen to Still My Love by Wilson Meadows, you're hearing the influence of the soul greats—think Otis Redding or Tyrone Davis—but with a smoothness that felt fresh for the 90s.
Meadows has this raspy, honey-soaked delivery. It’s unmistakable.
The song itself deals with a theme as old as time: staying power. In a world where relationships are treated like disposable items, Meadows argues for the long haul. "You're still my love." It’s a simple hook. It’s effective because it’s true. People in the South, particularly the older demographic that fuels the blues circuit, saw themselves in these lyrics.
What's wild is how the song traveled. It didn't need a massive MTV budget. It moved through word of mouth, regional radio stations in Mississippi and Alabama, and the legendary "trail rides" where Southern Soul is the undisputed soundtrack.
Why the Memories Album Changed Everything
Before Memories dropped, the landscape of R&B was shifting heavily toward hip-hop soul. You had Mary J. Blige and Jodeci dominating the charts. Traditional soul singers were being pushed to the margins.
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But Wilson Meadows leaned in.
He didn't try to sound like a teenager from New York. He stayed in his lane. The Memories album, which features Still My Love by Wilson Meadows, proved there was a massive, underserved audience that wanted adult music. They wanted songs about mortgage payments, long-term marriage, and the quiet dignity of loving someone for thirty years.
Bob Grady, who produced much of Meadows' work, understood this perfectly. The production on the track is lean. You’ve got a steady, swaying beat, a subtle bassline, and plenty of room for Wilson’s vocals to breathe. It’s the kind of song that sounds better the louder you turn it up on a car stereo with the windows down.
Breaking Down the Impact of Still My Love by Wilson Meadows
Let's talk about the "Southern Soul" tag. Sometimes people use it as a backhanded compliment, as if the music is "lesser" than mainstream R&B. That's nonsense.
Still My Love by Wilson Meadows is a technical masterclass in phrasing. Listen to how he holds the notes on the chorus. He’s not oversinging. He isn't doing unnecessary vocal runs. He’s telling a story.
The track became a staple at wedding anniversaries. It’s the "first dance" song for people who have actually been through some stuff.
- It hit the charts at a time when the "Blues Critic" and regional soul charts were the gatekeepers of the genre.
- It solidified Wilson Meadows as a solo powerhouse after his years with the Meadows Brothers.
- It helped define the "Melutone" sound—a style of smooth, melodic soul that isn't quite blues but isn't quite pop.
It’s actually kinda funny how younger generations are discovering this now. Thanks to TikTok and YouTube's "suggested" algorithms, Gen Z is stumbling onto these 90s Southern Soul gems. They’re realizing that the "vibe" they’re looking for was perfected thirty years ago by a guy in a sharp suit from Chattanooga.
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The Technical Side of the Track
If we look at the composition, it’s remarkably straightforward. No complex bridge. No experimental key changes.
Just soul.
The song operates in a mid-tempo range, usually around 85 to 90 BPM. This is the "sweet spot" for Chicago Stepping and Southern line dancing. If you go to a club in Jackson or Memphis today, and the DJ drops Still My Love by Wilson Meadows, the floor will fill up instantly. It’s muscle memory at this point.
Misconceptions About Wilson Meadows
Some folks think Wilson Meadows was a "one-hit wonder" because they only know this song. That’s factually wrong.
While Still My Love by Wilson Meadows is undoubtedly his biggest crossover success, he’s had a string of hits in the Southern Soul world. Songs like "That’s My Baby" and "Go On and Cry" kept him on the road for decades. He’s a blue-collar musician. He plays the clubs, the festivals, and the outdoor concerts.
He’s part of a lineage that includes Johnnie Taylor and Bobby "Blue" Bland.
Another misconception? That this music is "old people's music." While the lyrics skew toward a mature audience, the groove is universal. The resurgence of vinyl and the "digging" culture has brought a lot of respect back to the producers and songwriters of this era. They were doing a lot with very little, often recording in small regional studios with limited budgets but massive talent.
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How to Truly Appreciate Southern Soul
To understand why this song matters, you have to look at the context of the South. In many communities, the local radio station isn't just playing music; it's a lifeline.
When a song like Still My Love by Wilson Meadows gets requested ten times a day, it becomes part of the local DNA. It’s the background noise to Sunday dinners and Friday night fish fries.
- Listen to the album version first. The radio edits sometimes cut the instrumental tail-end where Meadows really gets into his bag.
- Check out the live performances. Even in his later years, Meadows' voice remained remarkably intact. He’s a "singer’s singer."
- Explore the "Memories" tracklist. "Still My Love" is the gateway drug, but the rest of the album is just as solid.
Actionable Steps for Music Lovers
If you're just getting into Still My Love by Wilson Meadows or the broader Southern Soul movement, don't stop at the streaming apps. These artists thrive on live support and physical media.
Start by building a Southern Soul foundation. Don't just listen to Wilson Meadows in a vacuum. Connect the dots. Listen to Tyrone Davis’s "Turning Point" and then jump back to Meadows. You’ll hear the DNA. You’ll hear how the torch was passed.
Support the regional circuit. If you ever see a "Blues and Soul Festival" flyer in a small town, go. That is where this music lives. Seeing Wilson Meadows—or any of his contemporaries—perform "Still My Love" in front of a crowd that knows every single syllable is a spiritual experience.
Curate your own "Grown and Sexy" playlist. Include the heavy hitters: Wilson Meadows, Sir Charles Jones, and The Love Doctor. This isn't background music for a workout; it's music for reflection. It’s music for when life gets a little too loud and you need to remember what actually stays.
Dig into the credits. Look up Bob Grady and the various musicians who played on those late-90s Southern Soul sessions. Many of them were seasoned session players who brought a level of sophistication to these "low budget" records that mainstream R&B was beginning to lose to MIDI sequencing.
The longevity of Still My Love by Wilson Meadows isn't an accident. It’s the result of a perfectly timed vocal performance meeting a lyric that people actually needed to hear. In a world of fleeting "likes" and 15-second clips, it’s nice to have a six-minute reminder that some things—and some loves—actually last.