Music icon Anne Murray has sold more than 50 million albums in a distinguis… Read Full Bio ↴Music icon Anne Murray has sold more than 50 million albums in a distinguished career that spans four decades. On January 15th, Manhattan/EMI will release Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, an exceptional 17-track collection of her top hits and favorites, newly recorded as duets with some of the world’s top female recording artists.

Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends showcases a wide variety of Anne's favorite female vocalists. Among the album’s tracks and collaborating artists are "Snowbird" with Sarah Brightman, "You Needed Me" with Shania Twain, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" with Anne’s daughter Dawn Langstroth, "Danny's Song" with Martina McBride, “Another Pot O’ Tea” with Emmylou Harris, “A Little Good News” with Indigo Girls, “Cotton Jenny" with Olivia Newton-John, “Could I Have This Dance” with Amy Grant, “Daydream Believer” with Nelly Furtado, “A Love Song” with k.d. lang, “Time Don’t Run Out On Me” with the song’s writer, Carole King, and more.

In 1979, Anne and Dusty Springfield each recorded the song "I Just Fall In Love Again." Anne's version became a hit single that garnered her Canada’s Juno Award for "Single of the Year" in 1980. Anne and Dusty remained friends until Dusty’s passing in 1999, and for Anne, releasing an album with this type of sisterly theme wouldn't seem complete without Dusty's inclusion. With the blessing of the Springfield family and estate, a new version pairing Dusty's original with Anne’s newly recorded vocals is featured on the album.

Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends was produced by one of the most respected music producers in the world, Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel), who counts 14 Grammy Awards and 32 Grammy nominations among his many honors. Together, Anne and Phil decided they would treat the songs on their own terms and not adhere rigidly to the arrangements of Anne’s classic versions. While Anne had designs on how she imagined the arrangements, she gave Phil free rein to rework the songs.
“We approached the sessions as if we were just handed these songs and told to make this record,” explains Ramone. “While arrangements were changed, there are also licks on some songs that I didn’t mess with. We stayed true to the song.”
Working with Anne for the first time, Ramone adds, was an easy task. “What I love about Anne is there are no words minced about whatever she feels,” he says. “This is not a person you have to think, ‘Will she tell me the truth?’ When we met for a few hours in Michigan before we started, we agreed we wanted to bring some daring ideas and some freshness to this album.”
“I said to Phil,” joked Anne, “The only reason I asked you was that I’m the only singer left that you haven’t worked with!”
“I’ve done duets throughout my career,” Anne says. “I did duets when I started out on (CBC Television’s) ‘Singalong Jubilee.’ I did a duets album in 1971 with Glen Campbell. Growing up I did lot of group singing at school and sang with my brothers. I’ve always loved singing harmony.”
Since releasing her debut album in 1967, Anne Murray has been honored with a spectacular number of awards. She is the proud recipient of four Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, three Canadian Country Music Association Awards and twenty-four Juno Awards. Anne has also been honored with the Legacy Award from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006), the East Coast Music Association Directors' Special Achievement Award (2001), induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2002), and induction into the Juno Hall of Fame (1993).

Anne Murray will tour to several U.S. cities in February and March 2008 (confirmed tour dates listed below). For updates and additional information, visit Anne Murray’s official Website: www.annemurray.com
In 2011, Billboard ranked her 10th on their list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever, and on July 1, 2017, in celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the Toronto Sun listed Anne at #1 in Canada’s Top 160 Influences that helped define Canadian culture!

The Coventry Carol
Anne Murray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
By, by, lully, lullay
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
By, by, lully, lullay

O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing

By, by, lully, lullay

Herod the king, in his raging
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight
All young children to slay

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee
And ever morn and day

For thy parting neither say nor sing
By, by, lully, lullay

Overall Meaning

The Coventry Carol is a hauntingly beautiful Christmas carol that originated in the English city of Coventry in the 16th century. The lyrics speak of a mother's sorrow for her child, as well as the grief experienced by the sisters of young children who were killed under King Herod's orders. The song begins with the gentle and nurturing words of the mother, who is singing a lullaby to her newborn child. The refrain of "by, by lully, lullay" creates a soothing and calming melody, as the mother tries to comfort her child in uncertain times.

Line by Line Meaning

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
Hush, little baby, sleep peacefully

By, by, lully, lullay
Go to sleep, little one, close your eyes

O sisters too, how may we do
What can we do, sisters, to help?

For to preserve this day
To keep this day a day of peace

This poor youngling for whom we sing
This young child for whom we sing this song

By, by, lully, lullay
Go to sleep, little one, close your eyes

Herod the king, in his raging
The cruel King Herod, in his anger

Charged he hath this day
Has ordered on this day

His men of might, in his own sight
His powerful men to take action

All young children to slay
To kill all the innocent babies

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee
How tragic that for your sake, sweet Child