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.
Miss the Mississippi and You
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tired of the glamor and tired of the sights
In all my dreams, I am roaming once more
Back to my home on the old river shore
I am sad and weary, far away from home
Miss the Mississippi and you
Days are dark and dreary
Miss the Mississippi and you
Roaming the wide world over
Always along and blue
Nothing seems to cheer me under Heaven's door
Miss the Mississippi and you
I'm growing tired on the big city lights
Tired of the glamor and tired of the sights
In all my dreams, I am roaming once more
Back to my home on the old river shore
I am sad and weary, far away from home
Miss the Mississippi and you
Days are dark and dreary
Everywhere I go
Miss the Mississippi and you
Mississippi and you
The song "Miss The Mississippi And You" by Emmylou Harris is a lament for the simple life left behind for the fast-paced life of the city. The lyrics describe the singer's growing dissatisfaction with the "big city lights" and the "glamor and sights" that she had once been attracted to. She longs to return to her roots and the simpler life she led by the Mississippi River. The singer dreams of once again roaming the old river shore and feels sad and weary being so far away from home. The refrain "Miss the Mississippi and you, days are dark and dreary, everywhere I go, miss the Mississippi and you" drives home the point that the singer is simply not happy without the people and places that she once loved.
This song is a popular country standard that has been recorded by several artists, including Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow, and Merle Haggard. Emmylou Harris recorded her version for her album "Deluxe Edition", which was released in 2004. One of the interesting facts about this song is that it was written by Bill Haley, the same man who wrote the iconic rock and roll hit "Rock Around The Clock." Haley was actually a prolific songwriter and wrote many country songs before he hit it big with rock and roll. Another interesting fact is that this song was first recorded by Jimmie Rodgers, who was an early influence on Hank Williams and many other country singers.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm growing tired on the big city lights
I'm becoming exhausted by the lifestyle of the city and its dazzling lights.
Tired of the glamor and tired of the sights
I'm over the allure of the city and its attractions.
In all my dreams, I am roaming once more
In my every dream, I am wandering back to the past.
Back to my home on the old river shore
Returning to my roots on the banks of the river.
I am sad and weary, far away from home
I am unhappy and exhausted, miles away from where I belong.
Miss the Mississippi and you
I miss the Mississippi as well as the person I associate with it.
Days are dark and dreary
The days have fallen into a gloomy and depressing state.
Everywhere I go
Regardless of where I travel, this feeling persists.
Roaming the wide world over
I have been wandering the globe, far and wide.
Always along and blue
Despite my travels and experiences, I'm perpetually lonely and melancholy.
Nothing seems to cheer me under Heaven's door
Even under the heavens, nothing has been able to uplift my spirits.
Mississippi and you
I feel incomplete without both the Mississippi and the person I associate with it.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind