Iris DeMent
Iris Luella DeMent (born January 5, 1961) is a singer-songwriter and musici… Read Full Bio ↴Iris Luella DeMent (born January 5, 1961) is a singer-songwriter and musician. DeMent's musical style includes elements of folk, country and gospel. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award twice.
DeMent was born in Paragould, Arkansas, the 14th and youngest child of Pat DeMent (1910–1992) and wife Flora Mae (1918–2011). Iris's mother had harbored dreams of going to Nashville and starting a singing career. Although she put those plans on hold to get married, her singing voice was an inspiration and influence for her youngest daughter Iris. DeMent was raised in a Pentecostal household. Her family moved from Arkansas to the Los Angeles area when she was three. While growing up, she was exposed to and influenced by country and gospel music. Singing at age five as one of "the little DeMent sisters", Iris had a bad experience when she forgot her words during her first performance, which caused her to avoid performing in public for some time.
DeMent was inspired to write her first song, "Our Town," by a drive through a boarded-up Midwest town at the age of 25. The song lyrics came to her "exactly as it is now," without need for re-writing, and she realized then that songwriting was her calling. "Our Town" was played during the closing scene for the final episode (July 26, 1995) of CBS's television series Northern Exposure. The song has been recorded by Kate Rusby, Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher and Trampled by Turtles.
Her first album, Infamous Angel, was released in 1992 on the Rounder-Philo label and explored such themes as religious skepticism, small-town life, and human frailty. "Let the Mystery Be" has been covered by a number of artists, including 10,000 Maniacs and Alice Stuart, and was used in the opening scenes of the film Little Buddha. In the fall of 2015, a version of "Let the Mystery Be" from the Transatlantic Sessions became the musical theme for the opening credits of the HBO series The Leftovers, replacing the original "Main Title Theme" composed by Max Richter, and it would once again serve as the opening theme for the series finale.
In her second album, My Life, released in 1994, she continued the personal and introspective approach. The record is dedicated to her father, who died two years earlier. My Life was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.
DeMent's third album, The Way I Should, was released in 1996. Featuring the protest song "Wasteland of the Free", it is DeMent's most political work. It covers topics such as sexual abuse, religion, government policy, and Vietnam.
DeMent sang the duet "Bell Bottomed Tear" as part of The Beautiful South's Much Later with Jools live special in 1997.
In 1998, the song "Iris" by the rock band Goo Goo Dolls was named after her. Singer and songwriter John Rzeznik had already written the lyrics to the song but was having a problem naming it. He opened up the LA Weekly and noticed that DeMent was playing in town and thought her name was beautiful and then decided to name it after her.
She sang four duets with John Prine on his 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves, including the title track. She appeared in the 2000 film Songcatcher, playing the character Rose Gentry and singing on the soundtrack as well. Her duet with Ralph Stanley on "Ridin' That Midnight Train" was the opening track on his 2001 album, Clinch Mountain Sweethearts: Ralph Stanley & Friends.
In 2004 she released Lifeline, an album of gospel songs. It included 12 covers and one original composition ("He Reached Down"). It was the first album she released on Flariella Records, a label she started herself and named after her mother. A shortened version of her rendition of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" was later used in the closing credits of the Coen brothers' film True Grit. On October 2, 2012, DeMent released her first album of original songs in 16 years, Sing the Delta.
DeMent has sung duets with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris and is featured on the albums of many other performers. She sang the Merle Haggard song "Big City" on Tulare Dust: A Songwriters' Tribute to Merle Haggard. She has made frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's radio show A Prairie Home Companion. DeMent contributed harmony vocals to "Pallbearer", a song from country artist Josh Turner's 2012 album Punching Bag.
In 2015, DeMent released The Trackless Woods, an album based upon and inspired by the words of Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, on her own Flariella record label. She reunited with John Prine in 2016 for his second duets album For Better, or Worse and performed on two tracks. DeMent received the Americana Trailblazer Award at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards.
DeMent was born in Paragould, Arkansas, the 14th and youngest child of Pat DeMent (1910–1992) and wife Flora Mae (1918–2011). Iris's mother had harbored dreams of going to Nashville and starting a singing career. Although she put those plans on hold to get married, her singing voice was an inspiration and influence for her youngest daughter Iris. DeMent was raised in a Pentecostal household. Her family moved from Arkansas to the Los Angeles area when she was three. While growing up, she was exposed to and influenced by country and gospel music. Singing at age five as one of "the little DeMent sisters", Iris had a bad experience when she forgot her words during her first performance, which caused her to avoid performing in public for some time.
DeMent was inspired to write her first song, "Our Town," by a drive through a boarded-up Midwest town at the age of 25. The song lyrics came to her "exactly as it is now," without need for re-writing, and she realized then that songwriting was her calling. "Our Town" was played during the closing scene for the final episode (July 26, 1995) of CBS's television series Northern Exposure. The song has been recorded by Kate Rusby, Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher and Trampled by Turtles.
Her first album, Infamous Angel, was released in 1992 on the Rounder-Philo label and explored such themes as religious skepticism, small-town life, and human frailty. "Let the Mystery Be" has been covered by a number of artists, including 10,000 Maniacs and Alice Stuart, and was used in the opening scenes of the film Little Buddha. In the fall of 2015, a version of "Let the Mystery Be" from the Transatlantic Sessions became the musical theme for the opening credits of the HBO series The Leftovers, replacing the original "Main Title Theme" composed by Max Richter, and it would once again serve as the opening theme for the series finale.
In her second album, My Life, released in 1994, she continued the personal and introspective approach. The record is dedicated to her father, who died two years earlier. My Life was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.
DeMent's third album, The Way I Should, was released in 1996. Featuring the protest song "Wasteland of the Free", it is DeMent's most political work. It covers topics such as sexual abuse, religion, government policy, and Vietnam.
DeMent sang the duet "Bell Bottomed Tear" as part of The Beautiful South's Much Later with Jools live special in 1997.
In 1998, the song "Iris" by the rock band Goo Goo Dolls was named after her. Singer and songwriter John Rzeznik had already written the lyrics to the song but was having a problem naming it. He opened up the LA Weekly and noticed that DeMent was playing in town and thought her name was beautiful and then decided to name it after her.
She sang four duets with John Prine on his 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves, including the title track. She appeared in the 2000 film Songcatcher, playing the character Rose Gentry and singing on the soundtrack as well. Her duet with Ralph Stanley on "Ridin' That Midnight Train" was the opening track on his 2001 album, Clinch Mountain Sweethearts: Ralph Stanley & Friends.
In 2004 she released Lifeline, an album of gospel songs. It included 12 covers and one original composition ("He Reached Down"). It was the first album she released on Flariella Records, a label she started herself and named after her mother. A shortened version of her rendition of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" was later used in the closing credits of the Coen brothers' film True Grit. On October 2, 2012, DeMent released her first album of original songs in 16 years, Sing the Delta.
DeMent has sung duets with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris and is featured on the albums of many other performers. She sang the Merle Haggard song "Big City" on Tulare Dust: A Songwriters' Tribute to Merle Haggard. She has made frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's radio show A Prairie Home Companion. DeMent contributed harmony vocals to "Pallbearer", a song from country artist Josh Turner's 2012 album Punching Bag.
In 2015, DeMent released The Trackless Woods, an album based upon and inspired by the words of Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, on her own Flariella record label. She reunited with John Prine in 2016 for his second duets album For Better, or Worse and performed on two tracks. DeMent received the Americana Trailblazer Award at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards.
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Iris DeMent Lyrics
Acres of Corn When I was a child, I spoke as a child Now…
After You [Chorus:] There will be laughter even after you're gone I'll…
Banks of Marble I've traveled 'round this country from shore to shining sh…
Before The Colors Fade Before the colors fade from view I sit alone remembering yo…
Big City I'm tired of this dirty old city Entirely too much work…
Blessed Assurance Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glor…
Calling For You I woke up this morning without you Don't ask me how…
Childhood Memories Fireflies inside of a mason jar acting big behind the wheel…
Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day Standing barefoot on a cold wood floor Looking out the windo…
Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room Twelve-hundred miles, it's length and breadth That four-squa…
Fill My Way With Love Let me walk, blessed Lord, in the way Thou hast…
Geep Me God It was a long time ago, I was a girl…
Go On Ahead And Go Home Go on ahead and go home Go on ahead and go…
God May Forgive You You say that you're born again cleansed of your former sins …
God Walks The Dark Hills God walks the dark hills The ways, the by ways He walks…
He Reached Down He Reached Down by Iris Dement (Verse 1) A certain man o…
Heart's Highway Through your heart there runs a highway Where the traffic c…
Hide Thou Me Sometimes I feel discouraged And I think my works in vain I'…
Higher Ground No voice has inspired me more than my mother's. …
Hobo Bill's Last Ride Riding east-bound freight train, stealing through the night …
Hotter than Mojave in My Heart Well, I've heard them say there's one for everybody And I…
I A cold wind against my shoulder woke me up in…
I Don't Want To Get ADJusted In this world we have our trials Sometimes lonesome, someti…
I got that old time religion in my heart I'm glad Jesus came, glory to His name. oh what…
I Miss A Lot Of Trains When the train pulls in the station You'll be waiting at…
I Never Shall Forget The Day Long years ago when out in sin I had no hope,…
I'll Take My Sorrow Straight We both know the reason why you've called So stop wastin'…
I've Got That Old Time Religion In My Heart I'm glad Jesus came, glory to His name. oh what…
If That Ain't Love My dad worked at the Movieland Wax Museum He was the…
Infamous Angel Last night before I went to sleep my knees dropped…
Ive Got That Old Time Religion In My Heart I'm glad Jesus came, glory to His name. oh what…
Jambalaya Goodbye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh Me got…
Keep Me God It was a long time ago, I was a girl…
Keep On The Sunny Side There's a dark and a troubled side of life There's a…
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlas…
Let the Mystery Everybody's wonderin' what and where they they all came from…
Letter to Mom I wrote my mother yesterday 'cause I had some things…
Love Abides Hey, look how far we've come, do we know who…
Makin' My Way Back Home Makin' my way back home, It's been the longest time Not…
Mama She grew up plain and simple in a farming town Her…
Mama Was Always Tellin' Her Truth Well my mama she was always tellin' her truth, Times…
Mama's Opry She grew up plain and simple in a farming town Her…
Mom & Dad's Waltz I'd walk for miles, cry and smile for my Mama…
Mornin When my mornin' comes around, No one else will be…
Mornin' Glory Mornin' glory, fuschia in green You sweet little Jezebel in…
My Life My life, it don't count for nothing When I look at…
Near The Cross Jesus, keep me near the cross, There a precious fountain- …
No Time My father died a year ago today, The rooster started crowing…
One Red Rose The rain came down on a tin roof Hardly a sound…
Our Town And you know the sun's settin' fast And just like they…
Out of the Fire On a gravel back road down deep in the Fall So…
Pretty Saro When I first come to this country in eighteen and…
Quality Time She's got a phone in one hand, a hairbrush in…
Sing the Delta So you're heading down a southern way Passing through the d…
Sweet Forgiveness Sweet forgiveness, that's what you give to me When you hold…
Sweet Hour Of Prayer Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me…
Sweet Is the Melody Sweet is the melody, so hard to come by It's so…
That Glad Reunion Day There will be a happy meeting in Heaven, I know When…
The Heart Tells the Story Precious child in my arms how I yearn in my heart to…
The Kingdom Has Already Come I stopped in the church to pray, It was the…
The Night I Learned How Not To Pray I was laying on my belly in the middle of…
The Old Gospel Ship I have good new to bring And that is why I…
The Shores Of Jordan I looked up into heaven, I thought I'd solve life's…
The Train Carrying Jimmie Rodgers Home Come along my dear, the time's growin' near, We'll have to…
The Way I Should A cold wind against my shoulder woke me up in…
There's a Wall in Washington There's a wall in Washington and it's made of cold…
There's a Whole Lotta Heaven There's a lot of people talkin' 'bout getting in the…
These Hills Far away I've traveled To stand once more alone And hear my…
This Kind of Happy I traveled high, I traveled low And there was no place…
Trouble I went to church on Sunday, I swung my chariot…
Troublesome Waters Troublesome waters, much blacker than night, are hiding from…
Walkin Home I'm walkin' home tonight The streets are glowing 'neath the …
Wasteland Living in the wasteland of the free... We got preachers dea…
Wayfarin' Stranger I am a poor wayfarin' stranger Travelling through this world…
When Love Was Young Look at you, look at me My heart breaks as I…
When My Mornin When my mornin' comes around, No one else will be…
Where The Soul Never Dies To Canaan's land, I'm on my way where the soul of…
Whispering Pines The snowflakes fall as winter comes and time just seems…
wildwood flower I will twine and will mingle my raven black hair With…
You I woke up this morning without you Don't ask me how…
You've Done Nothing Wrong You told me that you wished that things had not…