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.
Prayer In Open D
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where every night I hear the thunder roll
Like the sound of a distant gun
Over all the damage I have done
And the shadows filling up this land
Are the ones I built with my own hand
There is no comfort from the cold
There's a river of darkness in my blood
And through every vein I feel the flood
I can find no bridge for me to cross
No way to bring back what is lost
Into the night it soon will sweep
Down where all my grievances I keep
But it won't wash away the years
Or one single hard and bitter tear
And the rock of ages I have known
Is a weariness down in the bone
I use to ride it like a rolling stone
Now just carry it alone
There's a highway risin' from my dreams
Deep in the heart I know it gleams
For I have seen it stretching wide
Clear across to the other side
Beyond the river and the flood
And the valley where for so long I've stood
With the rock of ages in my bones
Someday I know it will lead me home
The lyrics of Emmylou Harris's song Prayer in Open D seem to be a reflection of a person’s inner turmoil. The valley of sorrow and shadow and the river of darkness in the individual's soul seem to represent the deep pain and regret they feel for the damage they have done. The metaphor of the rock of ages is meant to signify the weight they have been carrying, which used to be easy to handle but now seems to be a burden they carry alone.
The lyrics seem to be communicating the idea that the individual is seeking redemption, looking for a way to move beyond their mistakes and wrongdoings. The highway rising from their dreams symbolizes their hopes for finding that path to redemption or a way to move on from the past. They recognize that they will never be able to completely wash away the hurt, but there is a hope that they can find a way to move forward and reach a better place. The song ends on a hopeful note with the idea that the highway they have seen in their dreams will lead them home, where they can finally find peace.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a valley of sorrow in my soul
I am deeply unhappy and have a heavy burden weighing on my spirit.
Where every night I hear the thunder roll
My emotions are tumultuous and create a stormy internal environment.
Like the sound of a distant gun
The echoes of my past mistakes and regrets are constantly heard in my life.
Over all the damage I have done
I am grappling with the consequences and guilt of my own actions.
And the shadows filling up this land
The darkness that lingers in my life is of my own making.
Are the ones I built with my own hand
I am responsible for creating the negative experiences that haunt me.
There is no comfort from the cold
The bleakness of my existence is unrelenting and unforgiving.
Of this valley of sorrow in my soul
My unhappiness is all-consuming and deeply ingrained in me.
There's a river of darkness in my blood
The negative emotions that course through me have become a part of my very being.
And through every vein I feel the flood
I cannot escape these feelings and they are always present in my life.
I can find no bridge for me to cross
I am unable to find a way to move beyond my past and find peace.
No way to bring back what is lost
I cannot undo or fix the harm I have caused or the mistakes I have made.
Into the night it soon will sweep
My pain and sadness are all-consuming and will take over my life once again.
Down where all my grievances I keep
My past failures and regrets are always with me, suffocating me in darkness.
But it won't wash away the years
I cannot undo or erase the events of my past, no matter how much I wish I could.
Or one single hard and bitter tear
The pain I have experienced cannot be undone or magically disappear.
And the rock of ages I have known
I have known the feeling of being deeply burdened and weighed down for a long time.
Is a weariness down in the bone
This weariness and sorrow is not just in my mind, but deeply felt throughout my body.
I use to ride it like a rolling stone
I was once able to ignore or push aside my pain, but now it weighs me down heavily.
Now just carry it alone
I must bear this burden on my own, with no way to truly be free from it.
There's a highway risin' from my dreams
I still hold hope for a brighter future and a better life for myself.
Deep in the heart I know it gleams
I hold this hope deep in my heart, even amidst the darkness and sorrow present in my life.
For I have seen it stretching wide
I have glimpsed the possibility of a life beyond pain and regret.
Clear across to the other side
This brighter future lies just beyond the struggles and pain of my current existence.
Beyond the river and the flood
This brighter future exists past the difficulties and challenges that are currently present in my life.
And the valley where for so long I've stood
I have been in this dark and sorrowful place for a long time, and it has been deeply ingrained in me.
With the rock of ages in my bones
The weight of my past mistakes and regrets still bears heavily on my spirit, even as I hold hope for the future.
Someday I know it will lead me home
I believe that this brighter future will someday lead me to a place of peace and comfort.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EMMYLOU HARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind