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.
When I Was Yours
Emmylou Harris Lyrics
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I hear your voice in every whip-poor-will that calls
And it takes me back to a better place and a sweeter time
When I was your's and you were mine
As the shadows fall and the light grows dim I see your face
I close my eyes and feel the warmth of your embrace
As I long for you and for all those days when hearts entwined
When I was your's and you were mine
When I was your's and you were mine, a truer love in Caroline
Ever waltzed across these hills and danced beneath the stars
Life was sweeter than the flowers blooming on the vine
When I was your's and you were mine
So I lay my head on a pillow soft and stained with tears
I cry for you through all the long and lonely years
But when I dream till the morning sun comes to shine
Then I'll be your's and you'll be mine
Yes, I will go back to a better place and a sweeter time
When I was your's and you were mine
"When I Was Yours" by Emmylou Harris is a poignant and melancholic ballad that showcases the theme of nostalgia and the pangs of lost love. The lyrics start with a woman sitting alone in a room, waiting for the night to set in. She hears every whip-poor-will calling out and thinks of her lost love. Her mind drifts off to a better place and a sweeter time when she was his, and he was hers. The singer remembers the times when their hearts entwined, and everything seemed perfect. As the dark shadows engulf her, she sees her lover's face and feels the warmth of his embrace. She longs for those days and wishes that they had lasted forever.
The singer reminiscences how a truer love never waltzed across these hills and danced beneath the stars as much as theirs did. Life was beautiful when she was his and he was hers. The song's poignant theme is highlighted when the singer lays her head on a pillow stained with tears and weeps for him. She knows that she can be with him only in her dreams, and she cherishes those moments. As the morning sun comes to shine, the singer knows that she will go back to a better place and a sweeter time when she was his and he was hers.
Line by Line Meaning
In a lonely room, waiting for the night to fall
In a solitary room, anticipating the arrival of dusk
I hear your voice in every whip-poor-will that calls
I perceive your voice in every call of the whip-poor-will
And it takes me back to a better place and a sweeter time
It transports me back to a superior and more delightful era
When I was your's and you were mine
When I was in your possession and you were in mine
As the shadows fall and the light grows dim I see your face
As the darkness descends and the brightness fades, I envision your face
I close my eyes and feel the warmth of your embrace
I shut my eyes and sense the warmth of your hug
As I long for you and for all those days when hearts entwined
As I yearn for you and all those moments when our hearts joined
When I was your's and you were mine
When I was in your possession and you were in mine
When I was your's and you were mine, a truer love in Caroline
When I was in your possession and you were in mine, a more genuine love in Caroline
Ever waltzed across these hills and danced beneath the stars
We had once waltzed across these hills and danced beneath the stars
Life was sweeter than the flowers blooming on the vine
Life was more pleasant than the blooming flowers on the vine
So I lay my head on a pillow soft and stained with tears
Therefore, I rest my head on a cushion that is soft and dampened with tears
I cry for you through all the long and lonely years
I lament for you through all the extended and solitary years
But when I dream till the morning sun comes to shine
However, when I dream until the sunshine comes at dawn
Then I'll be your's and you'll be mine
Then, I will be in your possession, and you will be in mine
Yes, I will go back to a better place and a sweeter time
Indeed, I will return to a superior and more delightful era
When I was your's and you were mine
When I was in your possession and you were in mine
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EMMYLOU HARRIS, PAUL KENNERLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind