The band released their first EP, "Della Mae: Acoustic EP" in 2010. The group released their first album, I Built This Heart in 2011. Their second album, This World Oft Can Be, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 56th Grammy Awards in 2014.
In 2015, they released their self-titled third album, Della Mae. 2020 saw the release of Headlight.
Empire
Della Mae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born out of a gypsum mine
Held at once 300 souls
And none of them were mine
Now they're just ghosts in the street
Wandering a land that sleeps
Now just tumbleweeds
The houses they are silent
Quiet as thieves
Now they're just ghosts in the street
Wandering a land that sleeps
Oh, the miners calloused hands
The women who planted the seed on the land
Empire met its end
Once you're gone you cannot go back
The locks they have all froze
The lid upon the coffin
Now it has been closed
Now they're just ghosts in the street
Wandering a land that sleeps
Oh the men who build the Empire
Up from the ground
Missed the cracks in the foundation
One blow and it all falls down
Now they're just ghosts in the street
Wandering a land that sleeps
Oh, the miners calloused hands
The women who planted the seed on the land
Empire met its end
O, the miners calloused hands
The women who planted the seed on the land
Empire met its end
Oh the Empire met its end
Oh, the Empire
Met its end
The song "Empire" by Della Mae tells the story of a fictional town called Empire that was built on the edge of a hill out of a gypsum mine. The song is a lament to the once-lively place that is now reduced to tumbleweeds, with the houses now silent and quiet as thieves. The lyrics describe the 300 souls that once called Empire home and how they are now all gone. The people are referred to as ghosts, wandering a land that sleeps. The chorus repeats this idea, emphasizing the sense of loss and abandonment that the town and the people who lived there have experienced.
The song goes on to talk about the miners' calloused hands and the women who planted seeds on the land. These individuals were the ones who built up Empire from the ground but missed the cracks in the foundation. One blow was all it took for it all to fall down, and now the lid upon the coffin has been closed. The lyrics suggest that once you're gone, you cannot go back, and the locks have all froze, meaning that Empire is now forever lost.
The song is a haunting reminder of the transient nature of life and how things can change in the blink of an eye. It's a lament to the loss of a once-thriving community that now lay in ruins, and the people who lived there who are now nothing but ghosts in the street.
Line by Line Meaning
The Empire sits on the edge of a hill
The physical location of the Empire is on the brink of a hill
Born out of a gypsum mine
The Empire was established as result of gypsum mining
Held at once 300 souls
The population of Empire was initially 300
And none of them were mine
The singer did not belong to the population of Empire
Now they're just ghosts in the street
The former inhabitants of the Empire are now deceased and their ghosts remain in the empty streets
Wandering a land that sleeps
The ghosts wander aimlessly in a land that is now deserted
Once it was a lively place
The Empire was once a very lively place to live
Now just tumbleweeds
Currently, there are just rolling tumbleweeds in the city
The houses they are silent
The houses that existed in the Empire are now soundless
Quiet as thieves
The silence of the place is compared to the quietness of thieves
Oh, the miners calloused hands
The song acknowledges the hard work put in by the miners in the Empire
The women who planted the seed on the land
The women who brought forth life on the land are also appreciated for their contributions
Empire met its end
Empire's demise is mentioned in the song
Once you're gone you cannot go back
Once you're dead, there's no coming back to life
The locks they have all froze
The locks are being figuratively compared to the hearts of the people that stopped beating
The lid upon the coffin
This line is metaphorical and describes the closing of the chapter of the Empire
Now they're just ghosts in the street
The former inhabitants of the Empire are now deceased and their ghosts remain in the empty streets
Wandering a land that sleeps
The ghosts wander aimlessly in a land that is now deserted
Oh the men who build the Empire
The construction of the Empire was carried out by men, who are credited in this line
Up from the ground
Empire was built from the ground up
Missed the cracks in the foundation
The construction of Empire overlooked the errors in the structure's base
One blow and it all falls down
The smallest error could be the downfall of the entire structure, Empire included
Now they're just ghosts in the street
The former inhabitants of the Empire are now deceased and their ghosts remain in the empty streets
Wandering a land that sleeps
The ghosts wander aimlessly in a land that is now deserted
Oh, the miners calloused hands
The song acknowledges the hard work put in by the miners in the Empire
The women who planted the seed on the land
The women who brought forth life on the land are also appreciated for their contributions
Empire met its end
Empire's demise is mentioned in the song
O, the miners calloused hands
The song acknowledges the hard work put in by the miners in the Empire
The women who planted the seed on the land
The women who brought forth life on the land are also appreciated for their contributions
Empire met its end
Empire's demise is mentioned in the song
Oh the Empire met its end
The singer points out that Empire's end has come
Oh, the Empire
The song concludes with the mention of the Empire, indicating its continuation in memory
Met its end
Empire's decline is reiterated
Writer(s): WOODSMITH CELIA
Contributed by Mackenzie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maksim B
Очень понравился ваш концерт в Каулге! Well done!
katmccabe1
Fabulous group! Sound good and tight! Would love to see them some time soon! Great song! Would definitely buy their music!!!
Morgan
I listen to this every day when I get off of work, I didnt like folk/bluegrass until I heard these girls and I am inspired to write lyrics and sing folk, I LOVEEE their music.
Irene Conley
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!! I downloaded the song for free and sometimes I just play it over and over!
Greg Wunsch
I'm beyond excited to see this group again in Mar. 2018. They are so totally awesome.
justatexangirl31
I fell in love with this song when I heard it! Love Della Mae! :)
goodkarmasc
Beautiful AND talented....AND talented. (Yes, it should be said twice!) And a whole lotta fun! Grooving on their CD I got when they played in Charleston, SC!
Deborah Shirley
Great musicians!
* Angelfire *
Fabulous ladies! Love it!
starnes87
One of a kind! Can't get enough!