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.
One of These Days
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can be bad or I can be good
I can be any way that I feel
One of these days
Might be a woman that's dressed in black
Be a hobo by the railroad track
I'll be gone like the wayward wind one of these days
One of these days it will soon
be all over cut and dry
And I won't have this urge to go all bottled up inside
One of these days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time
'Cause somewhere for me I know there's peace of mind
I might someday walk across this land
Carrying the Lord's book in my hand
Goin' cross the country singin' loud as I can
One of these days
But I won't have trouble on my back
Cuttin' like the devil with a choppin' axe,
Got to shake it off my back, one of these days
One of these days it will soon be all over cut and dry
And I won't have this urge to go all bottled up inside
One of these days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time
'Cause somewhere for me I know there's peace of mind
There's gonna be peace of mind for me, one of these days
The song "One of These Days" by Emmylou Harris is a ballad that contemplates the transient nature of life and the singer's readiness to meet whatever fate comes her way. The repeated refrain of "one of these days" alludes to her sense of inevitability and expectation for the unknown, whether it be liberation, relief, or judgment. In the opening verses, Harris declares that she can be reckless or virtuous, unpredictable, and free. She asserts her agency and her confidence that someday, she will transcend her temporal struggles and find peace. She creates vivid images of her potential future selves: a woman dressed in black, a vagabond by the railroad track, a gospel singer carrying the Lord's book, and all of these possible selves are free from attachments and obligations.
However, the following verses convey the fact that the singer's path to freedom is not without challenges. She describes having to carry a heavy burden, represented by the metaphorical "trouble on my back," and the need she feels to shake it off. It seems that she is not yet free from her past and present struggles, but she is hopeful that one day she will be. Her ambition is to find peace and contentment, which she believes is achievable, but only "one of these days." The song is essentially about the human condition, the desire to be free and content, to find meaning and purpose, and to face the inevitability of change and endings.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I won't have to chop no wood
I won't have to struggle any longer.
I can be bad or I can be good
I can behave in any way that suits me.
I can be any way that I feel
I can be myself.
One of these days
At some point in the future.
Might be a woman that's dressed in black
I could be anyone or anything.
Be a hobo by the railroad track
I could be homeless or destitute.
I'll be gone like the wayward wind one of these days
I'll be gone without a trace one day.
One of these days it will soon be all over cut and dry
One day, everything will come to an end.
And I won't have this urge to go all bottled up inside
I won't feel the need to restrain myself anymore.
One of these days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time
Eventually, I'll realize that I made the right decision by leaving.
'Cause somewhere for me I know there's peace of mind
I believe that there's a place or a state of being where I can find happiness and calmness.
I might someday walk across this land
I could travel anywhere in the world.
Carrying the Lord's book in my hand
I might carry religious beliefs with me.
Goin' cross the country singin' loud as I can
I might express myself freely and loudly.
But I won't have trouble on my back
I won't be burdened with problems anymore.
Cuttin' like the devil with a choppin' axe,
I won't have to face difficult challenges that weigh me down.
Got to shake it off my back, one of these days
I need to let go of my worries and move on someday.
There's gonna be peace of mind for me, one of these days
I'm going to find peace and happiness in my life someday.
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EARL MONTGOMERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@swamibubba
One of These Days
Emmylou Harris
Well I won't have to chop no wood
I can be bad or I can be good
I can be any way that I feel
One of these days
Might be a woman that's dressed in black
Be a hobo by the railroad track
I'll be gone like the wayward wind one of these days
One of these days it will soon
be all over cut and dry
And I won't have this urge to go all bottled up inside
One of these days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time
'Cause somewhere for me I know there's peace of mind
I might someday walk across this land
Carrying the Lord's book in my hand
Goin' cross the country singin' loud as I can
One of these days
But I won't have trouble on my back
Cuttin' like the devil with a choppin' axe,
Got to shake it off my back, one of these days
One of these days it will soon be all over cut and dry
And I won't have this urge to go all bottled up inside
One of these days I'll look back and I'll say I left in time
'Cause somewhere for me I know there's peace of mind
There's gonna be peace of mind for me, one of these days
Songwriters: Earl Montgomery
One of These Days lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
@RoZita870
That's the way country music was meant to sound...pure, simple, straight from the heart.
@roymarriner5646
RoZita Bartok i
@user-oo8hw9oj2q
I told my daughter to play this song for me at my eventual celebration of life. Sums it up perfectly for me.
@marcosbryant27
What do you admire most about Emmylou
@bethkinard8646
This song must be one of her very best. I've always loved Emmylou and these lyrics really speak to me. I'm in recovery from drug addiction, so one of these days it will be all over.
@pamelacantrell-brown9650
Beth itβs 2021 and I hope you made it and you are safe and happy.
@davidornelas5563
Ya know, Beth, I used to drink my self drunk to this song way back when. After multiple tries over a lifetime, I am now 9 years clean and sober. Hope you have found success, one day at a time.
@dietvandermaden4615
@@davidornelas5563 Hope you are doing well now ! Best wishes and greetings from The Netherlands !
@rachelkoch109
My dad passed away a few months ago, and he was a big Emmylou Harris fan. Her songs and Elton Johnβs have helped me feel close to him, especially this song in particular. β€οΈ
@jaygoodman2432
Thanks for that, Rachel.
Itβs one of these days now.