Cook's West Virginia-born mother played guitar and mandolin and sang on local radio shows. Her father, a Georgia native, also performed country music and served jail time for running moonshine. Upon his release, he and Elizabeth's mother played in local bands together, eventually marrying. Elizabeth, born in 1972, moved to Nashville in her twenties and quickly got a publishing deal. Demos recorded between 1997 and 2000 comprised her independently released debut album, "The Blue Album", which showcased her formidable songwriting ability and featured such well-known Music City musicians as Tim Carroll, Kenny Vaughan, and Rick Schell.
She made her major label debut in 2002 with "Hey Y'All". But following a corporate re-structuring that left the album virtually abandoned and stagnant on sales, Elizabeth fought back with her 2005 independent release "This Side Of The Moon", which received positive reviews.
Her album "Balls" was released May 2007. It was been her most successful album to date, thanks to glowing press reviews and significant video play for the song "Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman."
Her 2010 album Welder features appearances by an all-star roster of guests including Dwight Yoakam, Crowell and Buddy Miller, and continued her increasing popularity becoming her highest charting album in the U.S.
Her album "Gospel Plow" was released June 2012.
Cook hosts the morning radio show "Elizabeth Cook's Apron Strings" on the Sirius XM radio station Outlaw Country on Channel 60. The show airs weekdays from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM (Eastern Time). The show format is a mix of Americana, Outlaw, and Alt Country.
In 2016, Cook released her sixth studio album Exodus of Venus.
Official Site
Mama's Funeral
Elizabeth Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At mama's funeral, organs didn't play
But you could hear the lonesome sway
Of the local guitar man
He played Hank Williams songs
We all did 'Farther Along'
The boys drank beer out by the barn
Oh the birds showed up to sing
As we gathered round the ole porch swing
Where her feet had worn the paint off the boards
And her pillow sat all faded and torn
Her children all took turns
Trying to find the words
Just wantin to say something right
Bout the best friend they'd found in life
And explain it to the nurses that came from the hospital
To mama's funeral
It was surprising to me, thought it'd be as hard as it could be
But everybody took a little piece of pain
And they spread it round like summer rain
And it helped to ease the load
More than I could've known
At mama's funeral
And my family made me proud
Cause when the cryin got loud
The laughter followed close behind
Daddy'd say "now don't all remember the time..."
Tables set up all over the place
Covered with pictures, candles and lace
The Quik Sack stayed open late
Sold out of all their cups and paper plates
To the strangers that gathered up on the hill
For mama's funeral
All the pretty flowers planted by her hands
Her guitar in a corner sittin on a stand
Nah nah nah nah...
The lyrics of Elizabeth Cook's song "Mama's Funeral" convey a bittersweet and poignant atmosphere that is both melancholic and cathartic. The opening verse of the song sets the tone for the rest of the narrative that revolves around the experience of the singer and her family members as they gather to mourn the loss of their mother. The absence of traditional funeral arrangements such as organ music creates a contemplative space wherein the local guitar man plays a wistful tune that resonates with the mourners. The reference to Hank Williams' songs brings out the nostalgic and mournful tone of the song.
The following verse evokes a poignant image of the gathering of siblings and other family members around the porch swing that their mother had often sat on. The physical markers of her presence such as the worn-out paint of the boards and the faded pillow add to the emotional weight of the moment. The image of the nurses who attended the funeral underscores the sense of community and care that surrounds the dying and the bereaved. The subsequent verse narrates how the gathered mourners grieve and yet find solace in each other's presence. The laughter that follows the tears adds a note of resilience and optimism to the proceedings.
Overall, "Mama's Funeral" is a powerful meditation on loss, grief, and resilience that is conveyed through evocative and poignant lyrics. The song captures the complexity of emotions that surround the ritual of funeral and the different ways in which people come together to cope with the aftermath of death.
Line by Line Meaning
At mama's funeral, organs didn't play
There was no organ music at the funeral of my mother
But you could hear the lonesome sway
However, the mourners were still deeply affected by the occasion
Of the local guitar man
The only musician around was the nearby guitarist
He played Hank Williams songs
He performed music by Hank Williams
We all did 'Farther Along'
We joined in singing 'Farther Along'
The boys drank beer out by the barn
The male guests drank beer outside the barn
At mama's funeral
This was all happening at my mother's funeral
Oh the birds showed up to sing
Birds were present and sang around us during the funeral
As we gathered round the ole porch swing
We gathered around the porch swing that my mother used to sit on
Where her feet had worn the paint off the boards
Her feet had made some spots on the porch boards where the paint had worn off
And her pillow sat all faded and torn
Her pillow was sitting there, looking old and worn
Her children all took turns
All her children had a chance to speak and say something
Trying to find the words
They did their best to find the right words to express their feelings
Just wantin to say something right
They just wanted to express themselves accurately
Bout the best friend they'd found in life
They talked about how she was the best friend they ever had
And explain it to the nurses that came from the hospital
They also tried to explain this to the nurses who came from the hospital
To mama's funeral
All this was happening at my mother's funeral
It was surprising to me, thought it'd be as hard as it could be
I was surprised that the funeral wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated it to be
But everybody took a little piece of pain
However, everyone still felt some level of pain at the occasion
And they spread it round like summer rain
This pain was felt by everyone and was spread around like a rainstorm
And it helped to ease the load
Sharing in the pain helped to alleviate some of the burden
More than I could've known
This effect was greater than I could have imagined
At mama's funeral
All of this was at my mother's funeral
And my family made me proud
I was proud of my family
Cause when the cryin got loud
Despite the tears, they also found ways to laugh
The laughter followed close behind
Laughter followed soon after the crying
Daddy'd say "now don't all remember the time..."
My father would say, 'let's not all remember that time...'
Tables set up all over the place
Tables were arranged all around the area
Covered with pictures, candles and lace
These tables had pictures, candles and lace placed upon them
The Quik Sack stayed open late
The nearby convenience store stayed open for longer than usual
Sold out of all their cups and paper plates
They sold out of all the cups and paper plates
To the strangers that gathered up on the hill
The store sold these items to the strangers who had gathered on the hill
For mama's funeral
All this was happening at my mother's funeral
All the pretty flowers planted by her hands
The pretty flowers were planted by my mother's hands
Her guitar in a corner sittin on a stand
Her guitar was standing in a corner on a stand
Nah nah nah nah...
This seems to be a repeated, and vague, phrase
Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.