Knight was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Slaughters, Kentucky. His extended family lives in the same area of Kentucky. Knight has three brothers and a sister. When he was three years old, he asked for a plastic guitar for Christmas. At 15, he became serious and began teaching himself John Prine songs on his older brother's guitar. In an interview, Knight commented "At one point I could play probably 35-40 John Prine songs.
Knight earned a degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University. He worked for ten years as a mine reclamation inspector and as a miner's consultant for the Kentucky Department of Surface Mining.
Knight started composing when he was 26, but didn't start performing until he was 30. He got his first record deal when he was 37.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Chris Knight among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
North Dakota
Chris Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The fire was out the cabin was cold
And I poured some stale coffee from the pot
The longer I waited the snow got higher
So I split some wood and built a fire
If she told me she’d be gone I forgot
I’d seen it snow that hard before
And that mare she always rode was in the stall
The law couldn’t come till the weather broke
My heart was poundin in my throat
And I searched and called her name till it was raw
I never should have brought her here
Livin’s rough this time of year
Tryin to keep food and fire till winters done
Sometimes she gazed across the plains
With a look that I couldn’t name
And I’d wonder if she stay till springtime comes
I found her on the first warm day
The rain had washed the snow away
Went for wood and lost her way back home
And I ain’t the kind believes in ghosts
But some nights I get pretty close
When the North Dakota winter moans
When the North Dakota winter moans
The song "North Dakota" by Chris Knight is a poignant account of a man living in the harsh winter conditions of North Dakota. The song begins with the singer returning home to find that the cabin is cold and the fire is out. As the snow continues to fall, he splits some wood and builds a fire to wait out the storm. He then remembers that his wife had told him that she would be leaving, but he had forgotten about it.
The snow continues to pile up and when the singer ventures outside to check on the horses, he finds that he cannot even see the cabin from the stable door. The mare that his wife always rode is still there, but his wife is nowhere to be found. The law cannot come until the weather breaks and the singer is left to search for his wife on his own. He calls out her name until his voice is raw, but she does not answer.
As the days go by, the singer reflects on how tough life is in North Dakota during the winter. He wonders if his wife will stay with him until spring comes, but he knows that living in these conditions is not easy. Eventually, he finds his wife on the first warm day after the snow has melted. She had gotten lost while looking for wood and could not find her way back home. The singer admits that some nights he feels like he is being haunted by the memory of that winter in North Dakota.
Overall, "North Dakota" is a powerful song that captures the loneliness, desperation, and resilience of people who live in harsh environments. It speaks to the human experience of trying to survive against all odds and the toll that it can take on individuals and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Been snowin all day when I got home
It was snowing heavily when he reached his cabin.
The fire was out the cabin was cold
The cabin was cold because the fire had gone out.
And I poured some stale coffee from the pot
He drank old coffee from a pot since there was no fresh coffee.
The longer I waited the snow got higher
As he waited, the snow outside continued to accumulate.
So I split some wood and built a fire
To keep warm, he split some wood and restarted the fire.
If she told me she’d be gone I forgot
He forgot if she had told him that she would be leaving.
I’d seen it snow that hard before
He had experienced heavy snowfall before.
I couldn’t see the cabin from the stable door
The snow was so thick he couldn't see his cabin from the stable door.
And that mare she always rode was in the stall
The horse she usually rode was in the stable.
The law couldn’t come till the weather broke
No law enforcement could come until the weather cleared up.
My heart was poundin in my throat
He was nervous and anxious.
And I searched and called her name till it was raw
He looked for her and called out her name repeatedly until his voice was hoarse.
I never should have brought her here
He regretted bringing her to such a harsh place.
Livin’s rough this time of year
Surviving in this place during winter is challenging.
Tryin to keep food and fire till winters done
It's difficult to stay warm and well-fed until winter is over.
Sometimes she gazed across the plains
She occasionally looked out over the plains.
With a look that I couldn’t name
He couldn't figure out what her expression meant.
And I’d wonder if she stay till springtime comes
He was unsure if she would stay until spring.
I found her on the first warm day
He found her on the first day that the weather warmed up.
The rain had washed the snow away
The rain cleared away the snow.
Went for wood and lost her way back home
She got lost while searching for wood and couldn't find her way back home.
And I ain’t the kind believes in ghosts
He does not believe in ghosts.
But some nights I get pretty close
However, sometimes he feels scared and close to believing in them.
When the North Dakota winter moans
During the harsh and bitter North Dakota winter nights.
When the North Dakota winter moans
During the harsh and bitter North Dakota winter nights.
Contributed by Anthony J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dustinhansen7228
Lyrics:
Been snowin all day when I got home
The fire was out the cabin was cold
And I poured some stale coffee from the pot
The longer I waited the snow got higher
Had to split some wood and build a fire
If she told me she’d be gone I forgot
I’d seen it snow that hard before
I couldn’t see the cabin from the stable door
And that mare she always rode was in the stall
The law couldn’t come till the weather broke
My heart was poundin in my throat
And I searched and called her name till it was raw
I never should have brought her here
Livin’s rough this time of year
Tryin to keep food and fire till winters done
Sometimes she'd gaze across the plains
With a look that I couldn’t name
And I’d wonder if she'd stay till springtime comes
I found her on the first warm day
The rain had washed the snow away
Gone for wood and lost her way back home
And I ain’t the kind believes in ghosts
But some nights I get pretty close
When the North Dakota winter moans
When the North Dakota winter moans
@jwright520
i was partying around a campfire last summer with my uncles. we were all drunk and being merry. then one of my uncles put on this song, and we all got silent and just listened. No one said a word for the whole song. it is the best memory we have of that night
@melissahamelin1675
0p
@jeffbooth7576
Yup
@djwatson7171
So refreshing to hear a excellent singer who isnt autotuned and plays good country music not pop music
@bravo2swift487
Anybody still listening in 2023 ? This guy is a legend!
@whenpigsfly860
I believe the only reason Chris isn’t a household name in country is because he refused to play the music industry game. He doesn’t seem like a guy who will compromise on anything, which is why he is who he is.
@internetusername9593
we need more of this attitude. now more than ever. people who are willing to do things RIGHT. no more bullshit.
@_Jim-Jim
For sure. This is my favorite, my #1 country music guy. He won't compromise for anyone. That's a real country boy. It's ashamed we don't have more artist like him. They could shut down main stream. But of course it's hard to fill those shoes.
@42bexley
Got into Chris by mistake on YouTube. Best error ever.
@michaeldahlheimer2247
42bexley same here! Love his style.