Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, RnB, and reggae. Harper's blend of groove-laden funky soul and folky handcrafted acoustics helped him to gain cult status during the course of the 1990s and widespread attention toward the end of the decade. Harper combines elements of classic folk singers, blues revivalists and jam bands and is embraced by critics and college kids alike. Harper's body of work sells consistently and he tours constantly, building a solid, dedicated fan base.
Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont, California (in California's Inland Empire). He eventually specialized in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).
This was followed by the incendiary Fight For Your Mind (1995) which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs which still fill his set list to this day.
In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.
From early on in his career, his music received more attention in Europe than it did in his home country. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the States, in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and The Netherlands he was a star, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside played to packed arenas across the continent.
In 2004, Harper recorded the album "There Will Be a Light " as the collaboration Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organised to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was cancelled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."
In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.
Next Harper did a worldwide tour, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
In 2007, Harper released the album Lifeline, recorded in Paris just after his tour.
In 2009, Harper recorded the album "White Lies for Dark Times", as the collaboration Ben Harper and Relentless7.
In 2014, Harper recorded the album "Childhood Home" as the collaboration Ben & Ellen Harper.
In 2018, Harper recorded the album "No Mercy in This Land" as the collaboration Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'.
Farmer's Daughter
Ben Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it's no joke we're always broke, can't live on dirt and water
Can't live on dirt and water.
We can't plant and we can't grow. We can't reap and we can't sow
Don't own the seed can't plant our rows, it all belongs to Monsanto
All belongs to Monsanto.
They own the pollen own the seeds, own us from head to feet
Own the air we breath.
Sister shed her overalls, put on heels and skirt
City bound she fled the ground to strike her own pay dirt
Strike her own pay dirt
My brother donned a uniform, to keep us safe from harm
But terror is as terror does, the bank foreclosed our farm
Foreclosed the family farm.
Jesse James he robbed the banks, they shot that boy to death
Now the banks are robbing us we got nothing left,
We got nothing left,
We got nothing left.
The song "Farmer's Daughter" by Ben Harper is a poignant commentary on the struggles faced by farmers and their families in modern times. The song opens with the line "My daddy is a farmer, that makes me the farmer's daughter", lamenting the economic difficulties endured by those who toil to make a living from the land. The second line, "But it's no joke we're always broke, can't live on dirt and water," is a stark acknowledgement of the harsh reality that those who rely on the land to survive face. The phrase is repeated a second time to emphasize the point.
The song continues to detail the various issues farmers have to deal with, including the inability to plant crops, choosing what to plant, and who owns the land and the seeds. The lyrics "We can't plant and we can't grow. We can't reap and we can't sow. Don't own the seed can't plant our rows" express this difficulty, and the line "it all belongs to Monsanto" highlights the power of large corporations who ultimately control what can be grown and who benefits from it. The lyrics then shift to the impact that big corporations, especially Monsanto, Dow and Dupont, have on society as a whole, including owning the very air we breathe.
The song's third verse shifts its focus to the farmer's children. The lyrics "Sister shed her overalls, put on heels and skirt. City-bound, she fled the ground to strike her own pay dirt" suggests that even those who are born and raised on a farm often look for a way out of the hard life, and the lure of the city or easier ways of making a living can be too hard to resist. The final verse highlights the fact that even those who chose to stay and support their parents as they grew old, like the singer's brother, were not safe from the systemic issues that plague the farming industry, especially when banks foreclose on their homes, leaving them with nothing.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy is a farmer, that makes me the farmer's daughter
My father is a farmer, so I'm the daughter of a farmer.
But it's no joke we're always broke, can't live on dirt and water
Living on dirt and water is not possible, and we're always in a state of financial instability.
Can't live on dirt and water.
It's impossible to survive on insufficient resources as basic as dirt and water.
We can't plant and we can't grow. We can't reap and we can't sow
We're incapable of planting, growing, reaping, and sowing due to a lack of resources.
Don't own the seed can't plant our rows, it all belongs to Monsanto
As we don't possess the seeds, we're unable to plant our fields, as that entire process is controlled by Monsanto.
All belongs to Monsanto.
Monsanto owns everything, from the seeds to every other essential element required for farming.
Dupont, Dow and Monsanto, We are what we eat
Dupont, Dow and Monsanto shape our sustenance which subsequently shapes our body.
They own the pollen own the seeds, own us from head to feet
Monsanto owns the pollens and seeds, which ultimately means they own us, our bodies from head to toe.
Own the air we breath.
They own the air we breathe, which is clear indication of how monopolistic their control is over essential resources.
Sister shed her overall, put on heels and skirt
My sister abandoned her traditional clothes to wear fashionable attire.
City bound she fled the ground to strike her own pay dirt
She's moved to urban areas to gain financial success through her hard work.
My brother donned a uniform, to keep us safe from harm
My brother has joined the armed forces to provide security to our community.
But terror is as terror does, the bank foreclosed our farm
The bank foreclosed our farm despite my brother's services, indicating a greater threat in our society.
Foreclosed the family farm.
The bank foreclosed our ancestral farm.
Jesse James he robbed the banks, they shot that boy to death
Jesse James, a famous outlaw, stole from the banks and was eventually killed by them.
Now the banks are robbing us we got nothing left,
The banks that once shot Jesse James are now robbing us of our inheritance, leaving us with nothing.
We got nothing left,
We have no resources or wealth left.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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