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.
Goin' Back To Harlan
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We played about the forest floor
Underneath the silver maples, the balsams and the sky
We popped the heads off of dandelions
Assuming roles from nursery rhymes
Rested on the riverbank
And grew up by and by
And grew up by and by
Frail my heart apart
And play me a little "Shady Grove"
Ring the bells of Rhymney
'Til they ring inside my head forever
Bounce the bow, rock the gallows
For the hangman's reel
And wake the devil from his dream
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan
And if you were Willie Moore
And I was Barbara Allen
Or Fair Ellen all sad at the cabin door
A weepin' and a-pinin' for love
A weepin' and a-pinin' for love
Frail my heart apart
And play me a little "Shady Grove"
Ring the bells of Rhymney
'Til they ring inside my head forever
Bounce the bow, rock the gallows
For the hangman's reel
And wake the devil from his dream
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm going back to Harlan
The lyrics of Emmylou Harris's song "Going Back To Harlan" are about reminiscing on childhood memories and longing to return to the simplicity and innocence of the past. The opening lines highlight the absence of the familiar sounds of nature like cuckoos and sycamores, and instead reflect on playing in the forest floor under the silver maples, balsams, and sky. The children in the song engage in playful activities such as popping the heads off of dandelions and assuming roles from nursery rhymes while growing up gradually over time.
The chorus speaks of a desire to return to this idyllic time and place, the titular Harlan. The call to play "Shady Grove" and ring the bells of Rhymney is a reference to the deep Appalachian musical roots of Harlan County, Kentucky. The lyrics take on a slightly darker tone with the mention of the hangman's reel and the idea of waking the devil from his dream. This echoes the often heavy and troubled history of the region and its people.
In the final verse, the song shifts to an imagined scenario where the singer and a lover take on the roles of classic ballad characters Willie Moore and Barbara Allen, or Fair Ellen. The reference to weeping and pining for love reflects on the age-old themes of love and loss in traditional Appalachian songs. Ultimately, the song is a nostalgic reflection on the happy memories of childhood and the yearning to return to a simpler time and place.
Line by Line Meaning
There where no cuckoos, no sycamores
The forest was not filled with the usual sounds and trees
We played about the forest floor
We ran and frolicked on the ground
Underneath the silver maples, the balsams and the sky
We wandered beneath the large trees and gazed at the beautiful sky
We popped the heads off of dandelions
We tore off the heads of dandelions
Assuming roles from nursery rhymes
We acted out parts from our favorite nursery rhymes
Rested on the riverbank
We sat and relaxed by the river
And grew up by and by
We grew up slowly but surely
Frail my heart apart
My heart feels weak and vulnerable
And play me a little "Shady Grove"
Please play me a song to ease my heart
Ring the bells of Rhymney
Let the bells of Rhymney ring out
'Til they ring inside my head forever
Let the sound stay with me forever
Bounce the bow, rock the gallows
Play the fiddle energetically, even like you're at a hanging
For the hangman's reel
Play a tune that reflects the darkness of the hanging
And wake the devil from his dream
Even Satan will be stirred and moved by this music
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
And if you were Willie Moore
If you were my lover Willie Moore
And I was Barbara Allen
If I was the tragic character Barbara Allen
Or Fair Ellen all sad at the cabin door
Or even as Fair Ellen, mourning at the cabin door
A weepin' and a-pinin' for love
Crying in despair and longing for love
Frail my heart apart
My heart feels weak and vulnerable
And play me a little "Shady Grove"
Please play me a song to ease my heart
Ring the bells of Rhymney
Let the bells of Rhymney ring out
'Til they ring inside my head forever
Let the sound stay with me forever
Bounce the bow, rock the gallows
Play the fiddle energetically, even like you're at a hanging
For the hangman's reel
Play a tune that reflects the darkness of the hanging
And wake the devil from his dream
Even Satan will be stirred and moved by this music
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan, oh
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
I'm going back to Harlan
I'm returning to my childhood home of Harlan
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Anna Mcgarrigle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind