1) Emily Smith… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Emily Smith (born 25 March 1981 in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway) is a Scottish folk singer;
2) Emily Smith is an American R&B/soul singer from Paso Robles, CA.
1) Emily Smith (born 25 March 1981 in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway) is a Scottish folk singer. She won the BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Music of the Year Award in 2002. She is a member of Scotland’s ‘folk orchestra’, The Unusual Suspects, and was named ‘Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year 2008'. She also records as Emily Smith & Jamie McClennan with New Zealand-born fiddle player and guitarist Jamie McClennan.
Smith has always held a passion for local history and a keen sense of belonging, which shines through in her music and the enthusiasm she displays when talking of her home region. “Dumfries and Galloway is often a forgotten part of Scotland and through my material, whether traditional or my own songs, I try to portray the beauty and diversity of where I come from. I love being able to sing a song and picture the exact setting of where the event took place, or to sing some of Robert Burns’ material and know that he travelled the same roads and admired the same landscapes as I do today.”
Since winning the 2002 ‘BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award’ she has released several critically-acclaimed albums, toured extensively with her band on the international folk circuit and is recognised not only as one of Scotland’s finest interpreters of traditional song but also as a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Smith spent six years living in Glasgow, during which time she gained an Honours degree in Scottish Music from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating in 2003. Now, living back in her home area of Dumfries & Galloway in South West Scotland, Smith has found her niche drawing on the rich local history and ever changing landscape as the source and inspiration for her music. She has an affection (and growing reputation!) for collecting dusty old poetry and song books in search of new material. The results are re-worked ballads which seamlessly interweave with Smith’s own descriptive songs, often confusing the listener as to which material is old and which is new.
She became the first ever winner from Scotland in the USA Song-writing Competition in 2005 after winning the folk section with her song ‘Edward of Morton’. Another of her songs, ‘Always a Smile’, about the life of her Polish grandmother, was short-listed in the final ten. Both songs are found on her second album, "A Different Life".
Alongside her solo career Smith has written, recorded and toured with artists from the folk scene and beyond including Eddi Reader, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Karine Polwart, John McCusker, David Scott and Phil Cunningham. She has also been included in the acclaimed ‘Scottish Women’ group, featuring Scotland’s top female vocalists, is a member of Scotland’s ‘folk orchestra’, The Unusual Suspects, and was named ‘Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year 2008'.
She has recorded live sessions for BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris, Aled Jones and Mike Harding alongside receiving regular play on BBC Radio Scotland. Recent television work includes performing on BBC 1 Scotland’s Hogmanay show and she will be featured in a series of Transatlantic Sessions.
Her official website can be found at www.emilysmith.org.
2) Emily Smith is an American R&B/soul singer from Paso Robles, CA. She released her eponymous album in 2018.
Always a Smile
Emily Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sister to seven brothers, you worked all your days.
Taught by your mother, you followed farm life,
hoping one day to lead a different life.
You traveled to France at the age of eighteen.
No friends, no companions, no faces you'd seen,
so much was uncertain and life was unfair,
You crawled up the stairs, too tired to walk.
Servant girl and milkmaid learnt the language they talked.
Only memories to guide you, between right and wrong,
so you fled from that place, where you didn't belong.
Good fortune smiled upon you and the place felt like home.
The lady of the house took you in as her own.
It's there you found love and it's there you found rest,
it's there that a gypsy put your faith to the test.
She said, as she looked at the palm of your hand:
'You'll marry a soldier, but not from this land!
Across the sea you will sail and there you'll find joy,
with the birth of your children, one girl and one boy.'
Just as she said, the prediction came true
and Scotland you went to start life anew.
Another new language, but the work, still the same.
Now a wife and a mother, you had a family again.
The years have passed by, now you're tired and old.
The wrinkles of your face hide stories untold,
but with courage and spirit you've conquered the trials
through life's ups and down you've always a smile.
Always a smile,
always a smile!
The song "Always a Smile" by Emily Smith is a tribute to a woman who lived a life full of challenges but still managed to conquer them with grace, courage, and a positive attitude. The song details the story of a woman who was born and raised in Stobierna, and was one of the only girls among her seven brothers. She was taught farm life by her mother, and although she hoped to lead a different life someday, she worked hard doing the same thing day in and day out.
At eighteen years old, the woman traveled to France, where she had to learn a new language and start anew. She worked as a servant girl and milkmaid, and despite having no friends or acquaintances at the time, the woman was determined to make the most of her new life. However, the woman eventually left France due to feeling like she didn't belong there.
The woman's life took a turn for the better when she found a loving family to take her in. There, she found love and rest but was eventually told a prediction by a gypsy who said that she would marry a soldier from another land, sail across the sea, and have two children: a girl and a boy. This prediction came true, and the woman traveled to Scotland to start anew once again. She worked hard to learn yet another new language but managed to build a family and conquered life's trials with a smile on her face.
Overall, "Always a Smile" is a touching tribute to a woman who lived a life full of struggles but still managed to live every day with a smile on her face. The song serves as a reminder that no matter how tough life may be at times, it's important to try and approach hardships with positivity, courage, and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
In the heart of Stobierna you were born and raised.
You were born and raised in Stobierna with seven brothers, and you spent your days working hard alongside your family.
Taught by your mother, you followed farm life,
Your mother instilled in you the way of farm life, and you followed her teachings as you worked on the farm.
hoping one day to lead a different life.
Despite working on the farm and following your mother's teachings, you had the hope that one day you would lead a different life.
You traveled to France at the age of eighteen.
At 18 years old, you decided to travel to France.
No friends, no companions, no faces you'd seen,
You arrived in France alone, without friends or acquaintances.
so much was uncertain and life was unfair,
At first, life in France felt uncertain and unfair.
but soon you'd be glad that fate took you there.
Despite the initial uncertainty, you eventually felt grateful for fate leading you to France.
You crawled up the stairs, too tired to walk.
You were so exhausted that you had to crawl up the stairs to your destination.
Servant girl and milkmaid learnt the language they talked.
You worked as a servant and milkmaid, and through this work, you learned the language they spoke in France.
Only memories to guide you, between right and wrong,
You had only your memories to guide you as you tried to determine what was right and wrong in your new surroundings.
so you fled from that place, where you didn't belong.
You left the place where you didn't feel like you belonged.
Good fortune smiled upon you and the place felt like home.
You eventually found good fortune, and the place you were in felt like home.
The lady of the house took you in as her own.
The lady of the house you were working in took you in as one of her own.
It's there you found love and it's there you found rest,
At this place, you found love and a place to rest.
it's there that a gypsy put your faith to the test.
It was there that a gypsy tested your faith by reading your palm.
She said, as she looked at the palm of your hand:
The gypsy looked at the palm of your hand as she made her prediction.
'You'll marry a soldier, but not from this land!
The gypsy predicted that you would marry a soldier from another land.
Across the sea you will sail and there you'll find joy,
The gypsy predicted that you would find joy across the sea.
with the birth of your children, one girl and one boy.'
The gypsy predicted that you would have two children, a girl and a boy.
Just as she said, the prediction came true
The gypsy's prediction came true.
and Scotland you went to start life anew.
You moved to Scotland to start a new life.
Another new language, but the work, still the same.
Despite yet another new language, the work was still the same.
Now a wife and a mother, you had a family again.
As a wife and mother in Scotland, you had a family once again.
The years have passed by, now you're tired and old.
The years have flown by, and you've grown tired and old.
The wrinkles of your face hide stories untold,
Your face bears wrinkles that hold untold stories.
but with courage and spirit you've conquered the trials
Despite the hardships and struggles, you've overcome the trials with courage and spirit.
through life's ups and down you've always a smile.
Throughout the ups and downs of life, you've always managed to keep a smile on your face.
Always a smile,
And that's how you're known - always with a smile on your face.
always a smile!
That's how you've weathered the storms of life - always with a smile.
Contributed by Asher K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
NYC Jake
What a beautiful voice she has.
lorna
She has another version of this song which I think is better. She seems to slip into an American accent a lot in this one...
TREVOR MCGAUGHRAN
Nothing American about that accent. - Scottish all the way.