After an earlier career with The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, Farris emerged in the early 2000's with his first solo album, "Goodnight Sun" that saw him develop and create music more in tune with his own personal spiritual journey. In June of 2007 he released the critically-acclaimed "Salvation in Lights" which married old time roots Gospel sounds with his own unique arrangements that were mainly inspired by New Orleans Black Gospel, Stax and the blues. The music was both spiritual and personal as it deals with individual struggle but also has a commonality that music fans can enjoy purely for its soul.
He won the Americana Music Association's “New & Emerging Artist of the Year” award in 2008 and started to make a name for himself as a dynamic performer. In 2008 and 2009, Farris and his Roseland Rhythm Revue performed monthly residencies at Nashville’s’ Station Inn that he named “Sunday Night Shout!” The shows had audiences consisting of people from all walks of life and the goal was to make the crowd feel “excited, delighted and loved.” The official live recording of the Station Inn shows, "SHOUT! Live," was released in 2009 and won the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for “Best Traditional Gospel Album of the Year” in the spring of 2010.
When the “1,000 year flood” hit the Middle Tennessee state area in May of 2010 he gathered up some of the finest Nashville musicians including: Sam Bush, Ketch Secor & Gill Landry (Old Crow Medicine Show), Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart), Byron House (Robert Plant) and members of his Roseland Rhythm Revue to record six in 6 hours at Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church. The music was a beautiful blend of old time country, gospel and blues with Mike leading the “Cumberland Saints” from the pulpit. In October of that year the EP was released as The Night The Cumberland Came Alive with partial proceeds donated to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The music is listed as Mike Farris and the Cumberland Saints on last.fm.
Farris amazes audiences whenever he plays solo or with any one of his different configurations from the stripped down to the full nine-piece Roseland Rhythm Revue. His voice connects and mesmerizes in such a way that it doesn’t matter if the songs are his own compositions or ones sung 200 years ago. He has guested on Patty Griffin's Grammy Award winning "Downtown Church" album and was a featured performer at the 2011 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame's American Music Masters concert celebrating Aretha Franklin.
On 8 February 2015, Farris won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album for Shine For All the People.
As I Walk
Mike Farris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all I see is a haze of things to come
And mama she is dancing with a candle in her hand
Cause she knows that I, I've got to come home
These times aren't easily forgotten, oh, no…
As I walk I wear the sun upon my face
It's true I don't worry much about time or place
Besides, you never called and I'm cool with that
In my own peculiar way
May be yesterday was just what I need to show me the way
Where I could be like you and just close my eyes and run
Little brother, he's asking, if he is old enough to die
Because he's done his time
As I walk I wear the sun upon my face
It's true I don't worry much about time or place
I've got some memories in my pocket that I never look at
Besides, you never called and I'm cool with that
In my own peculiar way
Daddy's gone away
But now he's living with the unforgiven
I can feel it his battle's just begun
He drinks black coffee ___
Spends his day out on the run
I wish I could tell him how much I pray
Each and every day he'd come back
But in a way
I walk I wear the sun upon my face
It's true I don't worry much about time or place
I've got some memories in my pocket that I never look at
Besides, you never called and I'm cool with that
In my own peculiar way
The song "As I Walk" by Mike Farris is a poignant reflection on loss and the passing of time. The opening lines set the scene for the loss of the singer's father during the summertime, and the uncertainty and haziness of what the future holds. The mother is portrayed as a figure of strength, dancing with a candle in her hand in defiance of the darkness. The chorus describes the singer's perspective as he takes a walk, basking in the sunlight and cherishing the memories he carries with him, even if he never looks at them. The second verse introduces the little brother, whose youth and innocence is a counterpoint to the singer's somber outlook. The father's absence is reinforced in the final verse as the singer imagines his lonely and troubled life, but still holds out hope for his eventual return.
Overall, "As I Walk" is a song that resonates with anyone who has experienced loss or hardship, capturing both the sadness and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy's gone away in the equinox of summertime
My father left at a crucial time, leaving me uncertain of what's to come
And all I see is a haze of things to come
The future seems vague and uncertain
And mama she is dancing with a candle in her hand
My mother is finding solace in her faith, hoping for my return
Cause she knows that I, I've got to come home
My mother knows that I have to return home eventually
These times aren't easily forgotten, oh, no…
These moments will stick with me forever
As I walk I wear the sun upon my face
I'm embracing the warmth of the sun as I walk, seeing the silver linings in life
It's true I don't worry much about time or place
I've learned to live in the present and not worry about what's yet to come
I've got some memories in my pocket that I never look at
I have memories that I hold on to but choose not to dwell on
Besides, you never called and I'm cool with that
I've learned to accept things that are out of my control
May be yesterday was just what I need to show me the way
Yesterday might have been the turning point that guided me in the right direction
Where I could be like you and just close my eyes and run
I aspire to be fearless like you and chase after my dreams
Little brother, he's asking, if he is old enough to die
My younger brother is questioning the value of his life and if he's old enough to understand it
Because he's done his time
He's faced struggles that make him feel more mature than his age
But now he's living with the unforgiven
My father is struggling with his own demons, feeling like he's not worthy of forgiveness
I can feel it his battle's just begun
My dad's struggles are far from over
He drinks black coffee ___
He tries to find comfort in coffee, but his problems persist
Spends his day out on the run
My dad is constantly moving, trying to escape his problems
I wish I could tell him how much I pray
I want my father to know that I pray for him every day
Each and every day he'd come back
I hope that he can find his way back to us
But in a way, I walk I wear the sun upon my face
Despite all the struggles, I still embrace the good things in life
In my own peculiar way
I may not follow the conventional ways of life, but I find meaning in my own unique way
Contributed by Alexandra T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.