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.
John O'Dreams
Emily Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seek now your blanket and your feather bed
Home comes the rover his journeys over
Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams
Across the hills the sun has gone astray
Tomorrows cares are many dreams away
They stars are flying your candle is dying
Both man and master in the night are one
All things are equal when the day is done
The prince and the ploughman, the slave and the freeman
All find their comfort in old John O'Dreams
When sleep it comes the dreams come running clear
The hawks of morning cannot reach you here
Sleep is a river, flow on forever
And for your boatman choose old John O'Dreams
In Emily Smith's song John O'Dreams, the lyrics suggest a peaceful and tranquil end to one's day. The lyrics begin with an encouragement to seek one's bed at night when the day has ended. The arrival of a rover is also mentioned, perhaps indicating that someone has returned home after being away for an extended period. The night is then given up to old John O'Dreams, suggesting that sleep and dreams are a natural and welcome part of life.
Line by Line Meaning
When midnight comes and people homeward tread
As night approaches and people head home, it's time to prepare for rest
Seek now your blanket and your feather bed
Get your bed ready with a blanket and a soft pillow
Home comes the rover his journeys over
Those who were traveling have finally arrived home
Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams
Let go of the night and embrace sleep with the help of John O'Dreams
Across the hills the sun has gone astray
The sun has disappeared beyond the hills, leaving us in darkness
Tomorrows cares are many dreams away
The worries of tomorrow are distant, far enough that you can dream them away
They stars are flying your candle is dying
The stars are twirling as if they are flying and your candle is about to die
Yield up the darkness to old John O'Dreams
Let go of the darkness and let John O'Dreams take over
Both man and master in the night are one
At night, everyone is equal regardless of their status
All things are equal when the day is done
When the day is over, everyone is on the same level
The prince and the ploughman, the slave and the freeman
Regardless of rank and social status, everyone can find comfort in sleep
All find their comfort in old John O'Dreams
Everyone can find peace in sleep with the help of John O'Dreams
When sleep it comes the dreams come running clear
When sleep arrives, dreams become more vivid and clear
The hawks of morning cannot reach you here
Distractions in the morning won't come because sleep is protecting you
Sleep is a river, flow on forever
The sensation of sleep is like a river that trickles consistently
And for your boatman choose old John O'Dreams
Let John O'Dreams navigate you through your dreams
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.