DeMent was born in Paragould, Arkansas, the 14th and youngest child of Pat DeMent (1910–1992) and wife Flora Mae (1918–2011). Iris's mother had harbored dreams of going to Nashville and starting a singing career. Although she put those plans on hold to get married, her singing voice was an inspiration and influence for her youngest daughter Iris. DeMent was raised in a Pentecostal household. Her family moved from Arkansas to the Los Angeles area when she was three. While growing up, she was exposed to and influenced by country and gospel music. Singing at age five as one of "the little DeMent sisters", Iris had a bad experience when she forgot her words during her first performance, which caused her to avoid performing in public for some time.
DeMent was inspired to write her first song, "Our Town," by a drive through a boarded-up Midwest town at the age of 25. The song lyrics came to her "exactly as it is now," without need for re-writing, and she realized then that songwriting was her calling. "Our Town" was played during the closing scene for the final episode (July 26, 1995) of CBS's television series Northern Exposure. The song has been recorded by Kate Rusby, Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher and Trampled by Turtles.
Her first album, Infamous Angel, was released in 1992 on the Rounder-Philo label and explored such themes as religious skepticism, small-town life, and human frailty. "Let the Mystery Be" has been covered by a number of artists, including 10,000 Maniacs and Alice Stuart, and was used in the opening scenes of the film Little Buddha. In the fall of 2015, a version of "Let the Mystery Be" from the Transatlantic Sessions became the musical theme for the opening credits of the HBO series The Leftovers, replacing the original "Main Title Theme" composed by Max Richter, and it would once again serve as the opening theme for the series finale.
In her second album, My Life, released in 1994, she continued the personal and introspective approach. The record is dedicated to her father, who died two years earlier. My Life was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.
DeMent's third album, The Way I Should, was released in 1996. Featuring the protest song "Wasteland of the Free", it is DeMent's most political work. It covers topics such as sexual abuse, religion, government policy, and Vietnam.
DeMent sang the duet "Bell Bottomed Tear" as part of The Beautiful South's Much Later with Jools live special in 1997.
In 1998, the song "Iris" by the rock band Goo Goo Dolls was named after her. Singer and songwriter John Rzeznik had already written the lyrics to the song but was having a problem naming it. He opened up the LA Weekly and noticed that DeMent was playing in town and thought her name was beautiful and then decided to name it after her.
She sang four duets with John Prine on his 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves, including the title track. She appeared in the 2000 film Songcatcher, playing the character Rose Gentry and singing on the soundtrack as well. Her duet with Ralph Stanley on "Ridin' That Midnight Train" was the opening track on his 2001 album, Clinch Mountain Sweethearts: Ralph Stanley & Friends.
In 2004 she released Lifeline, an album of gospel songs. It included 12 covers and one original composition ("He Reached Down"). It was the first album she released on Flariella Records, a label she started herself and named after her mother. A shortened version of her rendition of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" was later used in the closing credits of the Coen brothers' film True Grit. On October 2, 2012, DeMent released her first album of original songs in 16 years, Sing the Delta.
DeMent has sung duets with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris and is featured on the albums of many other performers. She sang the Merle Haggard song "Big City" on Tulare Dust: A Songwriters' Tribute to Merle Haggard. She has made frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's radio show A Prairie Home Companion. DeMent contributed harmony vocals to "Pallbearer", a song from country artist Josh Turner's 2012 album Punching Bag.
In 2015, DeMent released The Trackless Woods, an album based upon and inspired by the words of Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, on her own Flariella record label. She reunited with John Prine in 2016 for his second duets album For Better, or Worse and performed on two tracks. DeMent received the Americana Trailblazer Award at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards.
Hotter than Mojave in My Heart
Iris DeMent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I just knew somehow that you'd be the one for me
'Cause making love with you's not just a hobby
No, it's the flame that burnt the forest down in me
And darling was it day or was it nighttime
Were them whippoorwills a-moaning through the trees,
Through the trees
But ooh, right from the start
You made me hotter than Mojave in my heart
Well baby, I could stay this way forever
Just passing time at ninety-nine degrees
'Cause loving you's my favorite kind of weather
Oh, forever let the flame burn down in me
And I'll not prepare my heart for the change of season
And I'll whip old Winter Wind there if she blows, if she blows
Well, God bless the day that you came along
And you tipped my apple cart
And you made me hotter than Mojave in my heart
And I'll not prepare my heart for the change of season
And I'm a-gonna whip old Winter Wind there if she blows, if she blows
Well, God bless the day that you came along
And you tipped my apple cart
You made me hotter than Mojave in my heart
Now it's hotter than Mojave in my heart
The song "Hotter than Mojave in My Heart" is a love song that describes the intensity of passion that the singer feels for her lover. The opening lines suggest that there is someone for everyone, and the singer just knew that her lover was the right one for her. She goes on to describe their love as more than a hobby, but a flame that burnt the forest down in her. The imagery of a wildfire conveys the depth and intensity of their love.
The singer then asks if it was day or nighttime when they first made love, and if they heard the whippoorwills a-moaning through the trees. This creates a romantic, mysterious setting, where their love becomes the only focus. The singer admits that she doesn't remember what her lover said, but from the start, he made her "hotter than Mojave in my heart."
In the last stanza, the singer declares her eternal love, saying that she will not prepare her heart for the change of season and that she will whip the old Winter Wind if she blows. The final lines show her appreciation for her lover, thanking God for the day he came along and tipped her apple cart, making her "hotter than Mojave in my heart."
Overall, the song celebrates the intensity of love and passion that can make a person feel like they're on fire. The singer's use of imagery and metaphors adds depth and richness to the lyrics, making them a powerful expression of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've heard them say there's one for everybody
I've heard people say that there is someone out there for everyone.
And I just knew somehow that you'd be the one for me
I had a feeling that you were the one meant for me.
'Cause making love with you's not just a hobby
Being intimate with you is not just a pastime, it is something meaningful.
No, it's the flame that burnt the forest down in me
It is the passion that consumes me entirely.
And darling was it day or was it nighttime
I can't recall if it was daytime or nighttime.
Were them whippoorwills a-moaning through the trees,
I remember hearing the whippoorwills singing in the distance.
Through the trees
Their sounds echoing through the forest.
I don't remember just what you said
I can't recall the exact words you spoke.
But ooh, right from the start
But right from the beginning, there was an intense connection.
You made me hotter than Mojave in my heart
You ignited a passion in me that burns immensely.
Well baby, I could stay this way forever
I never want to lose this feeling and could happily remain this way forever.
Just passing time at ninety-nine degrees
Even in stagnant moments, the passion still burns hot.
'Cause loving you's my favorite kind of weather
Being with you is my favorite thing, just like good weather.
Oh, forever let the flame burn down in me
May the passion and love for you continue to consume me for eternity.
And I'll not prepare my heart for the change of season
I won't brace myself for a change of feelings or love.
And I'll whip old Winter Wind there if she blows, if she blows
I won't let anything, including a cold winter breeze, put out the flame of love in me.
Well, God bless the day that you came along
I thank God every day for bringing you into my life.
And you tipped my apple cart
You completely changed my life for the better.
And you made me hotter than Mojave in my heart
You sparked a passionate love in my heart that burns like the Mojave Desert.
Now it's hotter than Mojave in my heart
The passion and love for you continue to burn hot and strong within me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRIS DEMENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Jackson
A Masterpiece album. Very talented lady. Creativity is more rare than amazing vocal ranges.
truck87654321
I heard this song as a intro bumper on a radio show today and had to hunt it down . I have fallen in love !!!!thanks for posting it .
shawn daughton
)))
Brent Thornton
After spending 20 years in inyokern ca, heart of the mojave, this song means more to me than you could know.
Ellie o'leary
brillaint - best singer of all
Devito, The Man
I want kids with Iris DeMent <3
Dave R. Summers
When my soul first borrowed my ears and heard INFAMOUS ANGLES I to was smitten.
And in my mind she has played a role in this 71 year old West Texas Cowboy's idea of that same desire you speak of. Her words, delivery, and soul has not yet let me loose from her grasp.
Matthew Smith
Greg Brown is a singer-songwriter (not sure if he also produces, but it's not what he's best known for).
Ken Jackson
I've always been jealous of him for that. Producers should be barred from bidding on priceless women.
SpaceCowboyToo
I'm afraid Greg Brown latched on to her first. And she's probably getting a little old to have kids. She's still super-cool though! :)