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.
SWEET DREAMS
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every night I go through
Why can't I forget you and start my life anew
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
You don't love me, it's plain
I should have known you'll never wear my ring
I know I should hate you the whole night through
Why can't I forget you
Start loving someone new
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
The lyrics to Emmylou Harris's song "Sweet Dreams" tell the story of someone who is struggling to move on from a past love. The singer is haunted by thoughts of their former partner and cannot escape the sweet dreams that they keep having about them. Despite acknowledging that their love is unrequited, the singer cannot help but long for their former partner and wishes that they could forget them and move on with their life.
The lyrics speak to the universal experience of heartbreak and the difficulty of letting go of someone we once loved. The repetition of the phrase "sweet dreams" creates a sense of longing and obsession, as though the singer is unable to escape their own thoughts. The song's melancholic melody adds to the sense of sadness and yearning that pervades the lyrics.
Overall, "Sweet Dreams" is a poignant and relatable exploration of the pain of unrequited love and the difficulty of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet dreams of you
I keep having good dreams about you
Every night I go through
Every night the same thing happens
Why can't I forget you and start my life anew
I wish I could forget you and move on to a new chapter of my life
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
Instead of dreaming of you all the time
You don't love me, it's plain
It's obvious that you don't love me
I should have known you'll never wear my ring
I should have realized that you would never commit to me
I know I should hate you the whole night through
I know I should feel nothing but hatred for you
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
But instead, I keep dreaming of you
Why can't I forget you
Why can't I just forget about you
Start loving someone new
And start loving someone else instead
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
So I can stop dreaming about you all the time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Don Gibson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rainer Ploetz
Ein wunderschöner Song, eine unglaubliche Stimme 🍀👍
Curt Rice
I forgot how beautiful she is. Goes with her voice ❤
Dan Nájera
The great Don Gibson penned it, the legendary Patsy Cline delivered it, and Emmylou does it justice
Meri13
Absolutely!!
Bill Markle
amen
James Bertrand
Only an angel could have a voice as sweet as hers
Gwyn English Nielsen
Emmylou has one of the genre's enduring voices.
H Hill
Sometimes in life something or someone makes you feel good , Emmylou is one of those.
Zdenek Bartoš
Krásná píseň,procítěně zaspívaná,Emmylou je zkvělá!!!!!!!
flamencoprof
At the time Country was the last thing on my mind. I was more into guitar-based rock and some synth-based prog-rock. It took me decades to realise her talent with Red Dirt Girl. Fan ever since. A strong, dignified and talented person.