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.
Cup of Kindness
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But none can make you drink
The answer's waiting for you here but
It's not what you think
It won't steal your soul or leave you blind
It was just a cup of kindness all the time
And when Mother Mary finally comes to cal
And leave no trace at all
While you were reaching for
The sacred and divine
She was standing right beside you
All the time
And the emptiness
You can't seem to fill
Beauty fades and pleasures cannot
Take away the chili
And the glamor lures you down into a lie
O but the cup of kindness
Never will run dry
You hear the vandals
Howlin' down your walls
And arm yourself against the ones
Who want to see you fall
Till some Holy Grail reveals
The grand design
Well it was in a cup of kindness
All the time
In Emmylou Harris's "Cup of Kindness," the lyrics communicate two primary messages. The first message is about indulgence and excess, and how they cannot provide essential satisfaction. The lyrics suggest that material things, such as beauty and pleasure, cannot provide true happiness and that they lead to disappointment. The second message is about the existence of goodness and kindness all around us; however, we often overlook them while searching for their grander versions.
The lyrics 'You feel the thirst, but none can make you drink, the answer's waiting for you here, but it's not what you think' suggest how even though we may be thirsty for spiritual satisfaction, we can't fill it with anything materialistic. The answer lies within us, and the little acts of kindness that we encounter in everyday life. The lyrics further explain that these acts of kindness won't steal our soul or leave us blind; instead, they will nourish our soul and provide the spiritual satisfaction we seek.
The second paragraph of lyrics talks about how people go out searching for grandeur and sacred experiences, but they often miss the kind acts happening around them. The lyrics, 'While you were reaching for the sacred and divine, She was standing right beside you all the time,' suggest that people search for miracles and wonders but miss the everyday kindness that is present in their surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
You feel the thirst
You are searching for something more than what life has to offer you.
But none can make you drink
No one can force you to find or understand what you are searching for.
The answer's waiting for you here but
The solution to what you are craving for is near you,
It's not what you think
But, it may not always be what you have thought or imagined it to be.
It won't steal your soul or leave you blind
It will not harm you or lead you astray.
It was just a cup of kindness all the time
It was simply an act of kindness, and it's always around you.
And when Mother Mary finally comes to cal
And when your moment of truth arrives,
She could pass right through your heart
It may be a deeply emotional and personal experience.
And leave no trace at all
But it will not have any visible signs or changes.
While you were reaching for
As you were searching for something,
The sacred and divine
Something holy and spiritual.
She was standing right beside you
You are never alone, and she is always there to help or guide you.
All the time
At all times, even when you didn't realize it.
And the emptiness
The feeling of being incomplete, dissatisfied or unhappy.
You can't seem to fill
Unable to find what can satisfy you or give you joy.
Beauty fades and pleasures cannot...
Material things and temporary happiness cannot offer a permanent remedy to this emptiness.
Take away the chili
Just as adding chili to food doesn't make it more flavorful, these temporary pleasures do not satisfy completely.
And the glamor lures you down into a lie
Trying to fulfill your desire with superficial things only leads to an untruthful and unfulfilled life.
O but the cup of kindness
However, an act of kindness,
Never will run dry
Will never exhaust and will always be an encouraging force.
You hear the vandals
You may often hear negative views or face criticism.
Howlin' down your walls
And these views may 'attack' you or weaken your confidence.
And arm yourself against the ones
You may try to defend yourself from these negative aspects,
Who want to see you fall
Who are looking for your downfall.
Till some Holy Grail reveals
Until you discover the significant answer
The grand design
Of the bigger picture,
Well it was in a cup of kindness
And it was always there, waiting for you to find it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EMMYLOU HARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind