Harris is truly an innovator. For over 30 years, Emmylou has flowed effortlessly between genres achieving popularity in pop, folk, country and now alternative. The common bridge is an exquisite vocal style and a gift for discovering the heart of a song.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama on April 2, 1947, the daughter of Walter and Eugenia Harris grew up near Washington, D.C. As a college student in the late 60s, she sang with a local folk duo and eventually moved to Greenwich Village. She played the clubs on the local folk scene occasionally sharing the stage with Jerry Jeff Walker and David Bromberg.
Discovered in 1971 by Chris Hillman, Hillman brought Gram Parsons to hear her sing in a small club in the Washington D.C. area. In 1972, she answered the call from Gram to join him in Los Angeles to work on his first solo album, "GP." According to Songfacts, Parsons tragic early death in 1973 left Harris at an emotional and musical crossroads. Her earliest signature song, Boulder To Birmingham was written shortly after Gram's death, and it showed the depth of her shock and pain at losing her friend and mentor.
After the loss of Gram, Emmylou went back to the D.C. area and formed a country band, playing with them until her 1975 major label debut, Pieces of the Sky, when she formed the first version of the legendary Hot Band. Over the years the Hot Band included world class players such as Albert Lee, Rodney Crowell and Hank DeVito.
Emmylou has been called by Billboard Magazine a "truly venturesome, genre-transcending pathfinder." Throughout her career, she has been admired for her talent as an artist and song connoisseur, but it was with her 2000 album, Red Dirt Girl, for which Ms. Harris was awarded her tenth (out of eleven total to date) Grammy, that she revealed she is also a gifted songwriter. Continuing the trend with her September 2003 album, Stumble Into Grace, Emmylou wrote ten of the album's eleven tracks. Though Emmylou is the most admired and influential woman in contemporary country music, her scope extends far beyond it. She has recorded with such diverse artists as Ryan Adams, Beck, Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Tammy Wynette, Neil Young, The Chieftains, Lyle Lovett, Roy Orbison, The Band, Willie Nelson and George Jones.
She sings with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt on the incomparable albums Trio and Trio II, making all three artists living American legends.
A longtime social activist, Harris has lent her voice to many causes. She is active in cultural preservation issues, notably the Country Music Foundation and the Grand Ole Opry. As an animal rights activist and the owner of several dogs and cats, Emmylou also supports PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the Humane Society. Since 1997 she has been the most visible spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine Free World, drawing public attention and notable musical artists to the cause.
Boulder to Birmingham
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got on this airplane just to fly
And I know there's life below me
But all you can show me
Is the prairie and the sky
And I don't want to hear a sad story
Full of heartbreak and desire
I was in the wilderness
And the canyon was on fire
And I stood on the mountain
In the night and I watched it burn
I watched it burn, I watched it burn
I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I would hold my life in his saving grace
I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
Well you really got me this time
And the hardest part is knowing I'll survive
And I come to listen for the sound
Of the trucks as they move down
Out on 95
And pretend that it's the ocean
Coming down to wash me clean, to wash me clean
Baby, do you know what I mean?
I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I would hold my life in his saving grace
I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
"Thank you, everyone
I'll never forget this night
I'm so blessed with so many friends
Thank you so much, thank you
I must've done some really good in a past life"
The song “Boulder to Birmingham” by Emmylou Harris is a melancholic ballad that speaks about loss and longing. At the start of the song, she sings that she doesn't want to hear a love song; that she's on an airplane to escape, to fly away. As she looks out of the window, she can see only the prairie and the sky. Then, she says she doesn't want to hear a sad story about heartbreak and desire. The last time she felt this way she was in the wilderness, and the canyon was on fire. It’s unclear if it is a literal fire, but symbolically it suggests that she is consumed by emotions or is going through a difficult time.
The chorus of the song is where Emmylou Harris' longing is most evident. She says she wishes to rock her soul in the bosom of Abraham, who is known as the father of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. She then expresses her desire to walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham if she thought she could see the face of her loved one. This line suggests that her journey to find her love is a fruitless quest, and she would do anything to end the search.
Overall, the song is a nostalgic journey for someone who has lost their love and is struggling with the aftermath of that loss. Emmylou’s poignant lyrics and soulful voice make it a classic song that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to hear a love song
I am not interested in hearing a song about love.
I got on this airplane just to fly
I boarded a flight purely for the sake of flying, with no particular destination in mind.
And I know there's life below me
I am aware that there is life on the ground beneath the airplane.
But all that it can show me
However, all that I can see from up here are the prairie and the sky.
Is the prairie and the sky
My view from the airplane is limited to the expanse of grassland and the sky above it.
And I don't want to hear a sad story
I am not interested in hearing a tale of sadness.
Full of heartbreak and desire
A story that is centered around intense emotions like heartbreak and desire is especially not what I want to hear.
The last time I felt like this
I last experienced such sadness and pain earlier in my life.
I was in the wilderness and the canyon was on fire
That was when I was in the wilderness and the landscape was marked by a raging canyon fire.
And I stood on the mountain
I was situated on a peak of the mountain.
In the night and I watched it burn
I stood and watched the canyon fire burn brightly in the dark of the night.
I watched it burn, I watched it burn
The vivid memory of watching the canyon fire consumes me to this day.
I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I would find solace and comfort in the biblical figure's embrace, as if cradled like a baby.
I would hold my life in his saving grace
I would grasp onto the hope and redemption that comes with divine intervention and protection.
I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
I would be willing to cover the long distance between these two places, just to catch a glimpse of you.
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
If I held the belief that I could finally lay eyes on your face, I would embark on this journey willingly.
Well you really got me this time
You have managed to leave an indelible impression on me this time.
And the hardest part is knowing I'll survive
The most difficult aspect of this experience is that I will have to live with these intense emotions and feelings without you.
I have come to listen for the sound
I am hearing for the sound, carefully and attentively.
Of the trucks as they move down
I am listening to the sound of trucks driving down the road.
Out on ninety five
These trucks are moving briskly along Route 95.
And pretend that it's the ocean
I try to imagine that the sounds of these trucks are akin to the peaceful sound of ocean waves.
Coming down to wash me clean, to wash me clean
I imagine the sound of the ocean to be like a purifying wave that cleanses me of my sadness.
Baby do you know what I mean
Do you understand what I am trying to convey?
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
If I held the hope of seeing your face, I would be willing to embark on a journey from Boulder to Birmingham.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Bill Danoff, Emmylou Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind