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.
Little Bird
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would teach that bird to sing your name
Prettiest song that you have ever heard
And your indifferent heart I will claim
So be off, my little bird
Fly away, fly away
And when my love you see
Cry away, cry away, and bring that heart to me
If I had a moon in the sky
I would light the world and pull the tide
And when the moon is full like my heart
It will surely pull you to my side
But in the darkest night I pine away
Pine away until your face I see
So throw your light, my lovely moon
Shine away, shine away, and pull his heart to me
If I had a wagon made of gold
Pretty painted horses numbered four
With a silver harness I would hitch them up
And drive that wagon to your door
And if my hand you choose to hold
Ride away, ride away with the pretty horses four
But, darlin', if you heart's still cold
Hide away, hide away till trouble you no more
Trouble you no more
The Emmylou Harris song "Little Bird" is a beautiful and poetic love song that speaks to the singer's desire to win over her beloved's heart. The song is gentle and tender, with the singer expressing her deep feelings through vivid imagery and metaphor. She begins by saying that if she had a little bird, she would teach it to sing her lover's name, and the bird's song would be so beautiful that even his indifferent heart would be moved. The singer then moves on to other metaphors, such as a moon in the sky that would shine on the world and pull her lover to her side, and a wagon made of gold with four pretty horses that she would drive to his door. Throughout the song, the singer's voice is soft and gentle, conveying the depth of her love and the sweetness of her intentions.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had a bird, a little bird
If I had something that I could use to express my feelings, something that was beautiful and melodious, a way to show you how much you mean to me.
I would teach that bird to sing your name
I would make this little thing, this tiny creation of mine, a vessel for my love, and teach it to sing your name like an angelic tune.
Prettiest song that you have ever heard
I will make this bird's singing so beautiful, so enchanting, that it will be the prettiest song you've ever heard.
And your indifferent heart I will claim
With this melody, I aim to claim your indifferent heart and make it mine.
So be off, my little bird
I set this little bird free, to fly away to you, to carry my message and my love.
Fly away, fly away
Fly with urgency, my little bird, you have a mission to complete.
And when my love you see
When you've arrived at your destination, laid your eyes on my beloved.
Only then, my little bird
Only at that point, my little bird, when you've found my love.
Cry away, cry away, and bring that heart to me
Sing the most beautiful song you've ever sang, pour out your heart in melody, and bring back to me the heart of my beloved.
If I had a moon in the sky
If I had something else of incredible beauty.
I would light the world and pull the tide
I would cause everything to change, I would pull the tide and cause things to happen in my favor.
And when the moon is full like my heart
And when everything is going right, like how I feel in my heart.
It will surely pull you to my side
It will inevitably pull you towards me, draw you closer to my heart.
But in the darkest night I pine away
But in the bleakness of night, when everything seems lost.
Pine away until your face I see
I long for you, I pine away for your presence, I miss you deeply until I see your face again.
So throw your light, my lovely moon
So help me during those dark times, my lovely moon.
Shine away, shine away, and pull his heart to me
Shine bright and keep drawing my beloved's heart towards me, with your light.
If I had a wagon made of gold
If I had all the fortune and wealth in the world.
Pretty painted horses numbered four
Beautiful horses, so stunning, that numbered the amount of love I have for you.
With a silver harness I would hitch them up
I would make everything perfect, everything shiny and flawless.
And drive that wagon to your door
And I would take this love I have for you, all of these riches and good fortunes, and bring them to your doorstep.
And if my hand you choose to hold
And if you choose to take my hand, to join me on this crazy journey.
Ride away, ride away with the pretty horses four
Then come with me, ride with me, and bask in the glory of the love and the life I offer.
But, darlin', if your heart's still cold
But, sweetheart, if you're still distant, if you're still unloving.
Hide away, hide away till trouble you no more
Then be gone, hide away from me, until you're ready to love again.
Trouble you no more
Until your troubles and worries are gone, and you can love and live again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EMMYLOU HARRIS, ANNA MCGARRIGLE, KATE MCGARRIGLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind