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.
Orphan Girl
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
on God's highway
But I'll share my troubles
if you go my way
I have no mother
no father no sister
No brother
I have had friendships
pure and golden
But the ties of kinship
I have not known them
I know no mother
no father no sister
No brother
I am an orphan girl
But when he calls me
I will be Able
To meet my family
at God's table
I'll meet my mother
my father my sister
My brother
no more an orphan girl
Blessed savior
make me willing
And walk beside me
until I'm with them
Be my mother
my father my sister
My brother
I am an orphan girl
Be my mother
my father my sister
My brother
I am an orphan girl
I am an orphan girl
Emmylou Harris's "Orphan Girl" is a touching song about the experience of being an orphan and finding comfort in faith. The first verse establishes this right away, with the singer identifying herself as an orphan on God's highway. She offers to share her troubles with anyone who will accompany her on her journey. The singer proceeds to elaborate on the deep sense of loneliness and isolation that comes with being an orphan. She has had friendships, but they are not the same as the familial bond that she has never known. This is reflected in the repetition of "no mother, no father, no sister, no brother." However, she finds solace in the hope that one day she will be reunited with her family at God's table. She asks for a blessed savior to guide her and be a surrogate family until she is with her kin.
The song speaks powerfully to the experience of being alone and vulnerable in the world. The image of a child on a journey without any family is particularly poignant. However, it also emphasizes the resilience and hope that can come from faith. The singer is able to imagine a future where she is reunited with her loved ones, even though she has never met them before. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of circumstances, there is still a glimmer of light to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a orphan
I am alone and without parents or family to care for me
on God's highway
living a life guided by faith and spirituality
But I'll share my troubles
I am willing to open up and express my struggles
if you go my way
if you are willing to walk alongside me and offer support
I have no mother
I am without a maternal figure to guide and nurture me
no father no sister
I lack the support of a father and siblings
No brother
I am also without the companionship and bond of a brother
I am an orphan girl
my lack of family defines who I am
I have had friendships
I have formed connections with others
pure and golden
these friendships are genuine and valuable to me
But the ties of kinship
however, I have not experienced the sense of belonging that comes with family
I have not known them
this is something I have never had and long for
I know no mother
I have never had a mother figure in my life
no father no sister
I also lack the presence of a father and sisters
No brother
I have never had a brother to share experiences with
But when he calls me
when God summons me to his side
I will be Able
I will have the strength and courage to face what awaits me
To meet my family
I will finally meet my loved ones
at God's table
in the eternal place of peace and unity with the divine
I'll meet my mother
I will finally have the maternal figure I have lacked
my father my sister
I will have the love and support of a father and sisters
My brother
and finally, I will have a brother to share experiences with
no more an orphan girl
I will no longer be alone and will have the love and support of my family
Blessed savior
a prayer for God's blessings
make me willing
requesting guidance and willingness to follow the path set before me
And walk beside me
asking for companionship and guidance along the way
until I'm with them
until I am reunited with my loved ones in the afterlife
Be my mother
an appeal for a maternal figure in my life
my father my sister
a plea for the support and love of a father and sisters
My brother
a desire to have a brother in my life
I am an orphan girl
a reminder of my current state of loneliness and longing for a family
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GILLIAN HOWARD WELCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind