Thanks, Helen--I've only seen her in televised concerts, which have been
wonderful, but it must be bliss to be in the same room with her! Her version
of "Bang the Drum Slowly" (an old ballad, originally Irish or English, but
with a long American history under several titles, most notably "Streets of
Laredo"--Robin hamilton has been studying this ballad forever) is very
moving, but I didn't know it was about her father. (I'll confess, guiltily,
that I always assume any song of Emmylou's which revolves around a man is
about Gram Parsons--shame on me.)
One of my other favorites on _Red Dirt Girl_, "My Baby Needs A Shepherd,"
seems clearly to be about her daughter, so maybe there's a family theme to
the recording as a whole. Anyone know? And who's "Michelangelo," I wonder?
Him with the scar on his shoulder and looking "like Picasso." Doesn't sound
like the Gram Parsons I remember (no offense)--Candice
> I saw Emmylou Harris perform at a Perth concert in April this year. She was
> even better live, than I expected. She is an unfailing talent who just gets
> better and better.
> She explained her song 'Bang the Drum Slowly' is about her father, a soldier
> who died in the war.
>
> I meant to ask you how to plough that field
> I meant to bring you water from the well
> and be the one beside you when you fell...
>
>
> Helen Hagemann
> http://www.geocities.com/helen_hagemann
> Western Australia
>
>>
>> Listening today to Emmylou Harris's _Red Dirt Girl_ track "The Pearl" with
>> Robin's and Martin's other Pearls in mind, I was struck by how much in sync
>> it is with those texts--and these times--so thought I'd post the lyrics.
>> (Recommend the CD as a whole, btw--almost right up there with _Wrecking
>> Ball_.)
>>
>> Candice
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