Cash released her first single in 1979, a duet with Bobby Bare called "We Don't Need No Memories Hangin' 'Round". Two years later, she had her first country No. 1 (and the biggest commercial hit of her career), "Seven Year Ache". Although Cash was a prominent country star throughout the '80s, alongside fellow decade-defining artists Emmylou Harris, Juice Newton, and Dolly Parton, her music was anything but traditional: She topped the charts with songs written not only by herself, but by her father ("Tennessee Flat Top Box"), John Hiatt ("The Way We Make a Broken Heart"), Tom Petty ("Never Be You") and the Beatles ("I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"), "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me", which won her a Grammy in 1985, and "It's Such a Small World", a 1987 duet with Rodney Crowell on his album Diamonds & Dirt, provided further hits. A sampling of these songs and more are included on the compilation Hits 1979-1989. In 1979, she married Rodney Crowell, who was to produce most of her hit records. Their stormy marriage lasted until 1992; its break-up is chronicled in Cash's Interiors and in Crowell's album Life Is Messy. Cash later married John Leventhal, who produced her albums The Wheel, 10 Song Demo, Rules of Travel, and Black Cadillac.
To date, Cash has had more than twenty top 40 country singles, including eleven chart-toppers, but none since 1990, and she has left Nashville in both spirit and body to pursue her artistic vision. Although she had recorded all of her hits for Columbia Records' Nashville division, she released 10 Song Demo for the pop division of Capitol. Cash resurfaced in 2003 with Rules of Travel. The album features guest appearances by Sheryl Crow and Steve Earle, as well as a tune penned by Joe Henry and the Wallflowers' Jakob Dylan. Cash's latest album, entitled Black Cadillac, was released by Capitol Records in January 2006 to critical acclaim. Many of the songs were written by Cash and address the losses (within a 24-month span) of her step-mother, her father, her step-sister (Rosey Nix Adams) and then finally her mother on Cash's fiftieth birthday.
Girl From The North Country
Rosanne Cash Lyrics
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Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.
Well, if you go when the snowflakes storm,
When the rivers freeze and summer ends,
Please see if she's wearing a coat so warm,
Please see for me if her hair hangs long,
If it rolls and flows all down her breast.
Please see for me if her hair hangs long,
That's the way I remember her best.
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all.
Many times I've often prayed
In the darkness of my night,
In the brightness of my day.
So if you're travelin' in the north country fair,
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.
In Rosanne Cash's song "Girl From The North Country," the songwriter sings about a girl from the north country who was once a true love of his. The song speaks of the harsh conditions of the north country, where the winds hit heavy on the borderline and the snowflakes storm. It is a place where the rivers freeze and summer ends, where the howlin' winds can be brutal. The singer asks the listener to remember him to the girl who lives there.
The lyrics paint a picture of a cold and desolate place that brings a deep sense of loneliness and longing. The singer wonders if the girl remembers him at all and speaks of praying for her in the darkness of his nights and the brightness of his days. The chorus repeats the request to remember him to the girl from the north country, who was once his true love.
The song is a beautiful reflection on lost love, memories, and the power of place. Through its gentle melody and evocative lyrics, it transports the listener to a different world, one of frozen rivers and howlin' winds, a place where love and memories are deeply intertwined.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, if you're travelin' in the north country fair,
If you happen to journey through the northern region where nature is in balance and fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,
Where the winds are forceful enough to impact the borderline between regions
Remember me to one who lives there.
Kindly convey my message of love and remembrance to someone residing there
She once was a true love of mine.
She used to be my devoted sweetheart in bygone days
Well, if you go when the snowflakes storm,
If you happen to go there during a snowstorm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends,
When the rivers congeal and the warmth of summer is gone
Please see if she's wearing a coat so warm,
Kindly check if she's wearing a coat that'd keep her warm in chilly weather
To keep her from the howlin' winds.
So that she's protected from the harsh and boisterous winds
Please see for me if her hair hangs long,
Could you verify if her hair is lengthy and flowing
If it rolls and flows all down her breast.
If it curves and moves all around her chest
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all.
I'm curious if she still recollects me even for a fleeting moment
Many times I've often prayed
I have prayed endlessly many times
In the darkness of my night,
In the hours of darkness when I'm alone and ruminating
In the brightness of my day.
In the hours when daylight shines and brightens my path
So if you're travelin' in the north country fair,
So in case you proceed to travel through this northern land
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,
Where fierce winds collide with the boundary line
Remember me to one who lives there.
Please remember to pass on my greetings and message of fondness to her
She once was a true love of mine.
Despite the distance and time that's elapsed, she'll always remain my former love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind