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.
The Pearl
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, the dragons are gonna fly tonight
They're circling low and inside tonight
It's another round in the losing fight
Out along the great divide tonight
We are aging soldiers in an ancient war
We drink our fill and still we thirst for more
Asking if there's no heaven what is this hunger for?
Our path is worn our feet are poorly shod
We lift up our prayer against the odds
And fear the silence is the voice of God, of God, of God
And we cry Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
Sorrow is constant and the joys are brief
The seasons come and bring no sweet relief
Time is a brutal but a careless thief
Who takes our lot but leaves behind the grief
It is the heart that kills us in the end
Just one more old broken bone that cannot mend
As it was now and ever shall be amen, amen, amen
And we cry Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
So there'll be no guiding light for you and me
We are not sailors lost out on the sea
We were always headed toward eternity
Hoping for a glimpse of Galilee
Like falling stars from the universe we are hurled
Down through the long loneliness of the world
Until we behold the pain become the pearl
The pearl
The pearl
Crying Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
We cry Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
We cry Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
The lyrics of Emmylou Harris's song "The Pearl" are a poignant reflection on the complexities and contradictions of human existence, and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that often seems hostile and indifferent. The opening lines evoke a sense of impending doom and imminent danger, as the dragons are said to be flying low and circling inside, signaling the onset of another round in the losing battle. The metaphor of the dragons serves to emphasize the sense of conflict and struggle that permeates the entire song, and suggests that the forces of darkness and chaos are never far away.
The second stanza depicts the soldiers in the ancient war, who have lost their way and are seeking some half-remembered shore that may or may not exist. They drink and thirst for more, asking themselves if there's no heaven, what is the purpose of their existence and what drives their hunger. The third stanza portrays the soldiers as worn and weary, struggling to keep going against all odds, and fearing that the silence they hear may be the voice of God, imposing a sense of stark and unyielding reality. In the final stanza, the singer admits that there may be no guiding light for anyone, but at the same time asserts that we are all headed towards eternity, hoping for a glimpse of Galilee, a place of refuge and redemption. In the end, Harris suggests that even in the midst of the long loneliness of the world, there may be moments of beauty and grace, when the pain of life becomes transformed into something precious and valuable, like the pearl.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the dragons are gonna fly tonight
The hardships and troubles of life are looming over us tonight like fire-breathing dragons.
They're circling low and inside tonight
The dragons are getting closer and closer, threatening to attack us from within.
It's another round in the losing fight
Life is a constant battle, and tonight is just another fight we are losing.
Out along the great divide tonight
We are on the edge of a great divide between life and death, hope and despair.
We are aging soldiers in an ancient war
We are all soldiers fighting a battle that has been waged since ancient times.
Seeking out some half remembered shore
We are searching for something we can vaguely recall but cannot quite remember.
We drink our fill and still we thirst for more
We satisfy our wants, but still feel an insatiable thirst for more.
Asking if there's no heaven what is this hunger for?
Our desire for something beyond this life raises the question of whether or not heaven exists.
Our path is worn our feet are poorly shod
We have traveled a long and difficult path, and our feet are tired and worn.
We lift up our prayer against the odds
Despite the odds, we cling to the hope that our prayers will be answered.
And fear the silence is the voice of God, of God, of God
In the silence, we sense the absence of God's voice and fear that our prayers will go unanswered.
Sorrow is constant and the joys are brief
Sorrow and pain are constant in our lives, while joy is fleeting and brief.
The seasons come and bring no sweet relief
The passing of time and changing of seasons offer no respite from our troubles.
Time is a brutal but a careless thief
Time steals from us mercilessly, but without regard for what it takes.
Who takes our lot but leaves behind the grief
Time takes everything we have, but leaves us with the painful memories of what we have lost.
It is the heart that kills us in the end
It is our heart, our emotions and feelings, that ultimately destroy us.
Just one more old broken bone that cannot mend
Like a broken bone that cannot be healed, our heartache and pain cannot be fixed.
As it was now and ever shall be amen, amen, amen
Our suffering has been and always will be, so be it.
So there'll be no guiding light for you and me
We are lost and without direction, with no guiding light to lead us.
We are not sailors lost out on the sea
We are not lost at sea, but rather lost in the chaos of life.
We were always headed toward eternity
We have always been moving towards an eternal existence beyond this life.
Hoping for a glimpse of Galilee
We hope to catch a glimpse of the heavenly land of Galilee, the ultimate destination of our journey.
Like falling stars from the universe we are hurled
We are like stars falling from the vast universe, hurtling towards an uncertain end.
Down through the long loneliness of the world
We descend through the long, lonely darkness of the world towards our ultimate fate.
Until we behold the pain become the pearl
We continue our painful journey until we reach our destination, where our suffering will be transformed into something beautiful, like a pearl.
The pearl
The pain we endure will ultimately become a pearl, a symbol of our strength and perseverance.
Crying Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
Despite all the pain and suffering, we cry out in praise and gratitude for the strength to endure and the hope for something more.
We cry Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
We continue to cry out in praise and gratitude, recognizing that our suffering is not in vain.
We cry Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we cry Hallelujah
We will forever cry out in praise, even in the face of the greatest pain and suffering.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Emmylou Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind