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.
Wasteland
Iris DeMent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We got preachers dealing in politics and diamond mines
And their speech is growing increasingly unkind
They say they are Christ's disciples
But they don't look like Jesus to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Now don't tell me they don't turn around and kiss them peoples' ass
You may call me old-fashioned
But that don't fit my picture of a true democracy
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got CEO's making two hundred times the workers' pay
But they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage
And If you don't like it, mister, they'll ship your job
To some third-world country 'cross the sea
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
We got little kids with guns fighting inner city wars
So what do we do, we put these little kids behind prison doors
And we call ourselves the advanced civilization
That sounds like crap to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got high-school kids running 'round in Calvin Klein and Guess
Who cannot pass a sixth-grade reading test
But if you ask them, they can tell you
The name of every crotch on mTV
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We kill for oil, then we throw a party when we win
Some guy refuses to fight, and we call that the sin
But he's standing up for what he believes in
And that seems pretty damned American to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
While we sit gloating in our greatness
Justice is sinking to the bottom of the sea
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
In "Wasteland of the Free," Iris DeMent paints a bleak picture of the current state of American society, highlighting the hypocrisy of those in power and the injustices faced by the marginalized. The song's title itself suggests a contrast between the ideals of freedom and democracy espoused by the country and the reality in which its citizens live. DeMent begins by criticizing religious leaders who become involved in politics and business ventures, arguing that their actions do not align with the teachings of Christ. She then moves on to criticize politicians who prioritize corporate interests over the people they are meant to serve, alluding to the corrupting influence of money in politics. She develops this theme further by pointing out the vast income inequality between CEOs and workers and the opposition to increasing the minimum wage, which often results in outsourcing jobs to other countries.
DeMent also comments on the way society treats those who are deemed "weak" or "inferior." She criticizes the justice system for punishing children who have been caught up in violent conflicts rather than addressing the root causes of violence, and she notes the prevalence of illiteracy among young people who focus on celebrity culture rather than intellectual growth. Finally, DeMent concludes by reflecting on America's recent wars and the way we celebrate victories in the name of oil rather than upholding the ideals of justice and equality.
Through her lyrics, DeMent suggests that America has lost its way and lost touch with its core values. The wasteland she describes is not one of barren landscapes but of a society that has disregarded the needs of its people in favor of accumulating wealth and power.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in the wasteland of the free...
The reality of being in a country that boasts freedom, but in actuality, is far from it.
We got preachers dealing in politics and diamond mines
Religious leaders taking advantage of their position to involve themselves in political and business deals for personal gain.
And their speech is growing increasingly unkind
Their speeches are becoming more hateful and divisive.
They say they are Christ's disciples
They claim to be followers of Christ.
But they don't look like Jesus to me
Their actions do not reflect the teachings of Jesus.
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
The singer feels like their country is a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
We got politicians running races on corporate cash
Politicians receiving funding and favors from corporations to further their own interests.
Now don't tell me they don't turn around and kiss them peoples' ass
The politicians are serving the corporations and their wealthy donors.
You may call me old-fashioned
Some people may see the artist's views as outdated.
But that don't fit my picture of a true democracy
The current state of politics does not align with the artist's view of a true democracy.
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
The singer feels like their country is a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
We got CEO's making two hundred times the workers' pay
CEOs are receiving salaries far exceeding those of their workers.
But they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage
These same CEOs refuse to support an increase in the minimum wage for other workers.
And If you don't like it, mister, they'll ship your job
If workers disagree with their low wages or working conditions, they will be threatened with job loss.
To some third-world country 'cross the sea
Their jobs will be outsourced to a country with lower labor standards and wages.
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
The artist feels like their country is a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
Where the poor have now become the enemy
The artist believes that the government and wealthy corporations see the poor as enemies.
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
People in power often blame those with less power for society's problems.
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
This approach to blaming the weak for society's problems is reminiscent of Hitler's tactics.
We got little kids with guns fighting inner city wars
Children living in poverty and struggling neighborhoods are resorting to violence against each other.
So what do we do, we put these little kids behind prison doors
Instead of addressing the root causes of the violence, society punishes the children by imprisoning them.
And we call ourselves the advanced civilization
Despite these issues, society still claims to be advanced and civilized.
That sounds like crap to me
The singer finds this claim to be untrue and ridiculous.
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
The artist feels like their country is a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
We got high-school kids running 'round in Calvin Klein and Guess
Some high schoolers appear to focus more on fashion brands than their education.
Who cannot pass a sixth-grade reading test
Despite focusing on fashion brands, these students are not performing academically.
But if you ask them, they can tell you
These students are more knowledgeable about pop culture than academics.
The name of every crotch on mTV
They can name every celebrity on MTV, but not basic academic concepts.
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
The artist feels like their country is a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
We kill for oil, then we throw a party when we win
The country goes to war for oil resources, and then celebrates victory.
Some guy refuses to fight, and we call that the sin
Conscientious objectors are looked down upon for refusing to fight in wars they believe are unjust.
But he's standing up for what he believes in
Despite societal pressure, the objector stands up for their beliefs.
And that seems pretty damned American to me
The artist sees standing up for one's beliefs as a patriotic American value.
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
The artist feels like their country is a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
Where the poor have now become the enemy
The singer believes that the government and wealthy corporations see the poor as enemies.
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
People in power often blame those with less power for society's problems.
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
This approach to blaming the weak for society's problems is reminiscent of Hitler's tactics.
While we sit gloating in our greatness
Despite these issues, society still boasts about its greatness.
Justice is sinking to the bottom of the sea
Despite this boasting, justice and equality are disappearing and becoming less important.
Living in the wasteland of the free
The repeated phrase highlights the artist's feelings of being in a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
Living in the wasteland of the free
The repeated phrase highlights the artist's feelings of being in a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
Living in the wasteland of the free
The repeated phrase highlights the singer's feelings of being in a barren wasteland of freedom and justice.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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