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.
Sailing Round the Room
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bid farewell to everyone
Kick that bucket out the door
Where I'm going I won't need it anymore
Going lay my burden down
Take a bird's eye look around
From the tall pines of Carolina
[Chorus: ]
So I'll go sailing round the room
Through my window, cross to silver moon
No flesh and bone to hold me
I'll finally set my soul free
When I go sailing round the room
Life maybe be just but a dream
Float my boat on down the stream
To wake up on a different shore
(?) ain't something I've ever been before
I could be a drop of summer rain
Falling down on an Oklahoma plain
Oh leave the world behind me
Look around and you will find me
[Chorus: ]
(I will be) in the smoke from Monaloha
Morning mist on the Shenadoah
(I will be) a grain of sand in the Kalahara
Magnolia by the Mississippi
(I will be) birdsong when day is breaking
Words of love when your heart is aching
(I will be) blue bonnet by the highway
I'll be everywhere and always
[Chorus: ]
Through my window, cross to silver moon
No flesh and bone to hold me
I'll finally set my soul free
When I go sailing round the room
The lyrics of Emmylou Harris's song Sailing Round the Room evoke a sense of freedom and liberation from the physical constraints of the human body. The first verse sets the stage for the departure of the singer, bidding farewell to everyone and leaving behind the burden of the mortal coil. The use of the humorous phrase "kick that bucket out the door" adds a light-hearted touch, emphasizing the sense of detachment from the physical world. The second verse extends this sense of freedom to a wider geographical scope, with the singer envisioning himself soaring over the tall pines of Carolina all the way to the Great Wall of China.
The chorus is a joyful expression of the singer's desire to explore the vastness of the universe beyond the limitations of his body. The repetition of the phrase "sailing round the room" is almost childlike in its simplicity, suggesting a playful and imaginative spirit. The image of sailing through a window and crossing the silver moon is both whimsical and otherworldly, further emphasizing the singer's sense of transcendence. The final lines of the chorus, "No flesh and bone to hold me, I'll finally set my soul free," encapsulate the central theme of the song: the release from the physical form and the liberation of the soul.
Overall, Sailing Round the Room is a deeply spiritual song that celebrates the human capacity for imagination and transcendence. The lyrics suggest that by letting go of our attachment to the material world, we can enter a state of pure consciousness and explore the infinite possibilities of the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
One last gaze upon the sun
Taking one final look at the sun
Bid farewell to everyone
Saying goodbye to everyone
Kick that bucket out the door
Getting rid of any burdens or problems
Where I'm going I won't need it anymore
Going to a place where there are no more worries or troubles
Going lay my burden down
Putting away any worries or problems
Take a bird's eye look around
Looking at things from a different perspective
From the tall pines of Carolina
From the trees in North Carolina
All the way to wall of China
From North Carolina to China
So I'll go sailing round the room
Going on a journey or adventure
Through my window, cross to silver moon
Leaving the current situation and going to a new opportunity
No flesh and bone to hold me
No physical limitations to hold someone back
I'll finally set my soul free
Being able to be free emotionally
Life maybe be just but a dream
Life might not be real
Float my boat on down the stream
Letting go of worries or problems
To wake up on a different shore
Waking up to a new day or opportunity
(?) ain't something I've ever been before
Going down a new path or doing something different
I could be a drop of summer rain
Having the ability to change and adapt
Falling down on an Oklahoma plain
Experiencing new places and opportunities
Oh leave the world behind me
Leaving behind worries or past issues
Look around and you will find me
Being in multiple places and experiencing multiple things
in the smoke from Monaloha
Being in the smoke from a volcano
Morning mist on the Shenadoah
Enjoying life's beauty
a grain of sand in the Kalahara
Experiencing life as a small part of it
Magnolia by the Mississippi
Experiencing life in the southern US
(I will be) birdsong when day is breaking
Being part of nature's beauty
Words of love when your heart is aching
Being able to help others when in need
(I will be) blue bonnet by the highway
Experiencing life and beauty in Texas
I'll be everywhere and always
Being part of everything in life
Through my window, cross to silver moon
Going on a life adventure
No flesh and bone to hold me
Not being limited by physical limitations
I'll finally set my soul free
Being free emotionally
When I go sailing round the room
Taking a journey or going on an adventure
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMMYLOU HARRIS, ANNA MCGARRIGLE, KATE MCGARRIGLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind