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.
Till I Gain Control Again
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know I'll always come again
You know I love to spend my morning time
Like sunlight dancing on your skin
I've never gone so wrong as to telling lies to you
What you've seen is what I've been
There is nothing I could hide from you
You see me better than I can
There are some turns where I will spin
I only hope that you can hold me now
Till I can gain control again
Like a lighthouse you must stand alone
Landmark the sailor's journeys end
No matter what sea I've have been sailing on
I'll always roll this way again
Out on the road that lies before me now
There are some turns where I will spin
I only hope that you can hold me now
Till I can gain control again
The song Till I Gain Control Again by Emmylou Harris is a beautiful expression of a deep relationship where the singer seeks comfort and support from their loved one during difficult times. The opening lines of the song, "just like the sun over the mountain top, you know I'll always come again", show a sense of consistency and dependability in their love, much like how the sun rises every morning. The singer further mentions how they love to spend their morning time with their loved one, comparing it to sunlight dancing on their skin.
The singer admits to never having told lies to their loved one and acknowledges that their partner is someone who truly understands them. The line "there is nothing I could hide from you, you see me better than I can" shows the depth of their emotional connection and how they are vulnerable in front of their loved one. The second verse compares their loved one to a lighthouse, a constant bright spot in the midst of ever-changing seas. The chorus echoes the feeling of being lost and searching for a way back to stability and the comfort of their partner's embrace.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of emotional depth and vulnerability in relationships, acknowledging that even the strongest of us need someone to hold onto when the waves of life get rough.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like the sun over the mountain top
Similar to how the sun always rises over the mountains, I will always come back to you.
You know I'll always come again
You know that I will always return to you.
You know I love to spend my morning time
I enjoy spending time with you in the early hours of the day.
Like sunlight dancing on your skin
Being with you feels like warm sunlight on my skin.
I've never gone so wrong as to telling lies to you
I have never deceived you by telling lies.
What you've seen is what I've been
You have seen me for who I truly am.
There is nothing I could hide from you
There is no part of me that I could keep from you.
You see me better than I can
You have a deeper understanding of me than I even have of myself.
Out on the road that lies before me now
I am about to embark on a journey with an uncertain path.
There are some turns where I will spin
There will be moments on my journey when I will lose control and feel lost.
I only hope that you can hold me now
I am relying on you to support me and be there for me during these difficult moments.
Till I can gain control again
I need your help to regain my strength and control over my life.
Like a lighthouse you must stand alone
Similar to how a lighthouse stands alone to guide ships to safety, you are a beacon of light and support for me.
Landmark the sailor's journeys end
You mark the end of my journey and give me a reason to strive forward.
No matter what sea I've have been sailing on
No matter what challenges or obstacles I face, I know that I can always count on you to be my anchor.
I'll always roll this way again
I know that I will always come back to you, no matter where life takes me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, TRAVELLERS HOLLOW MUSIC
Written by: RODNEY J. CROWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind