I’ve been listening to a lot of Emmylou Harris this summer. She’s a longtime country singer who got a career restart when Daniel Lanois (U2’s producer) produced Wrecking Ball for her in 1995. Although traces of country remain in her new sound, it’s tough to pigeon-hole what exactly she sounds like now, other than awesome.
The lyrics to her songs (even though many are not written by her) are also terrific. Some of them are even explicitly Christian in their bearing, containing much better theology (and music!) than most of the CCM pablum out there. For instance, check out the lyrics to All My Tears:
When I go don’t cry for me
In my fathers arms I’ll be
The wounds this world left on my soul
Will all be healed and I’ll be wholeSun and moon will be replaced
With the light of Jesus’ face
And I will not be ashamed
For my savior knows my nameIt don’t matter where you bury me
I’ll be home and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed awayGold and silver blind the eye
Temporary riches lie
Come and eat from heaven’s store
Come and drink and thirst no moreSo weep not for me my friend
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to him
Who will raise the dead againIt don’t matter where you bury me
I’ll be home and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
And all this over an eerie groove. Anything post-Wrecking Ball is brilliant. Check it out.
3 responses to “Emmylou Harris”
Matt,
Thanks for this. I think Lanois did a Dylan disque too.
Greg: you’re right. He helped Dylan with “Oh Mercy” and one or two subsequent albums.
I too love EmmyLou! Beautiful lyrics!