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.
Man Is An Island
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wand'ring forever, while continents shift.
He came out of nowhere, no shirt on his back,
Armed for survival, no plan of attack...
He went to the mountain, he went to the sea;
He cried for protection, but begged to be free.
He fell on that mountain, he drowned in the sea --
Nature's his rival, nature's his friend;
In the beginning there was no end.
God is his island -- He made the sun,
Nature, mankind as one...
Man is an island: sadly adrift,
Wand'ring forever, while continents shift.
God is his island -- He made the sun,
Nature, mankind as one.
God is his island -- He made the light!
Man on his island waits for the end of night.
In the beginning there was no end
"Man Is An Island" is a song that delves into the existential nature of man and his place in the world. Emmylou Harris compares man to a drifting island without direction, caught in a state of aimlessness as the world moves without him. The line "He came out of nowhere, no shirt on his back, Armed for survival, no plan of attack" suggests that man is thrown into this world without prior knowledge or strategy, leaving him to figure things out as he goes.
Throughout the song, Harris hints at the conflict between man and nature, describing nature as both an adversary and an ally. Although the lyrics mourn the fact that man is adrift and cannot find his place, Harris implies that man's resilience, as demonstrated by his ability to survive in nature, could be his saving grace. The line "Nature's his rival, nature's his friend" recognizes the complex relationship between man and the environment, where both struggle against and support each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Man is an island: sadly adrift,
Man is a solitary entity, disconnected from others and directionless in life.
Wand'ring forever, while continents shift.
He roams around aimlessly in the world, as the surrounding landscapes keep changing.
He came out of nowhere, no shirt on his back,
He emerged into the world without any pre-existing support or resources.
Armed for survival, no plan of attack...
He is equipped to survive, but does not have a proactive strategy for thriving.
He went to the mountain, he went to the sea;
He explored the heights and depths of the natural world.
He cried for protection, but begged to be free.
He sought safety and security, but also desired independence and autonomy.
He fell on that mountain, he drowned in the sea --
He experienced both triumph and tragedy in his attempts to navigate the challenges of life.
Blind to the order, death to the harmony.
He is oblivious to the underlying patterns of existence, which threaten to disrupt the balance of nature and lead to destruction.
Nature's his rival, nature's his friend;
He both competes and cooperates with the forces of the natural world.
In the beginning there was no end.
At the dawn of creation, there was no concept of finality or limits.
God is his island -- He made the sun,
The divine serves as a source of stability and illumination for mankind.
Nature, mankind as one...
Humans and the natural environment are intertwined and inseparable.
Man on his island waits for the end of night.
Despite his isolation, man hopes for a new beginning and the possibility of a better future.
Contributed by Alexis F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.