Emmylou Harris, a renowned figure in the realm of country and folk music, is celebrated not only for her enchanting voice but also for her profound insights and reflections on life, love, and music. With a career spanning decades, Harris has captivated audiences worldwide with her emotive performances and timeless melodies. Throughout her journey, she has shared glimpses of wisdom and inspiration, offering poignant perspectives on the human experience through her lyrics and interviews.
As an artist who effortlessly blends genres and pushes the boundaries of traditional music, Emmylou Harris’s words resonate deeply with fans and aspiring musicians alike. Her eloquent articulation of emotions and experiences speaks volumes, transcending mere entertainment to touch the hearts and souls of listeners everywhere. Whether discussing the joys of creativity, the complexities of relationships, or the beauty of nature, Harris’s quotes are imbued with a rare sincerity and authenticity that leave a lasting impact on those who encounter them.
Below, you’ll find a collection of Emmylou Harris quotes that encapsulate the essence of her wisdom and artistry. Feel free to explore these profound insights, and perhaps find inspiration to adorn them on images or enhance them with stylish fonts, as a tribute to the enduring legacy of this iconic musician and storyteller.
The only time I ever appeared in the ‘Enquirer’ was for a piece about people who let their hair grow gray. I guess I’m not much of a wild child. Emmylou Harris
When there are dogs and music, people have a good time. Emmylou Harris
I think I can be pretty focused, but as I say, it was more wanting to be the good student, seeing myself as a good student, and also, my parents had expectations. They wouldn’t have cared if I got a B or a C or even a D. Emmylou Harris
I’m nowhere with country music. I don’t hear much of it, so I shouldn’t venture an opinion, but when it finds me, it seems formulaic. Emmylou Harris
I look at my voice and my abilities as a gift. I don’t feel that I can even take any credit for it, but it’s such a huge presence in my life. It is my life. It’s my identity, it’s everything. And it’s given me a great deal of joy and a sense of purpose – I can’t imagine my life without it. Emmylou Harris
I’m very influenced by landscapes, not so much the way places look as the way the names sound. In this country we’ve got so many cultures, and the place names – the Spanish names and the Indian names, which are so incredibly musical. Emmylou Harris
Country taught me how to sing, it put me on a path. But I was never going to be locked into a formula. I don’t want to be considered a current country artist. Emmylou Harris
As anyone who goes into dog-rescue knows, it is not a for-profit business, but the rewards are priceless for me. Emmylou Harris
Bluegrass has a very, very strict musical form. Once you start to dilute it, it disappears. Emmylou Harris
If I’m crazy, I’m blissfully so! Emmylou Harris
I like to think about stringing songs together like a string of pearls, or a string of beads, but ultimately it has to be stuff that really works with the band, and gives a spin to the older material. Emmylou Harris
I don’t ever worry about whether I’m being true to my country roots. My country roots were adopted. I never worry about what I can do and what I should do. I just do what I want to do. Emmylou Harris
I’m even able to have kind of a little bit of a second career in dog rescue. Doesn’t pay anything, but it’s become a real passion for me. Emmylou Harris
I really have shaken hands with where my voice is right now. I think it’s got a little deeper; it’s got some more grooves in it. Emmylou Harris
I have to have a guitar sitting around. I sing in the shower. I sing around the house. The music comes secondary. The lyrics come first. Emmylou Harris
You get to a certain point in your life where you get closer to the end of your life than the beginning, and it colors your life, in a way. Emmylou Harris
I love Chicago, but I didn’t think I had enough soul to be a Cubs fan. Emmylou Harris
I didn’t have any money. I had a sense of terrible loss. But what I also had was a fire in my belly. I wasn’t going to go back to waiting tables. I felt I had to be better at fronting a band. Emmylou Harris
You know, I’m a fan of Laurie Anderson. One of my favorite records is ‘The Ugly One With the Jewels,’ a spoken-word record. It’s an extraordinary album. Emmylou Harris
I have just enough people paying attention that I have the freedom to be in charge. And I have a great record company – Nonesuch understands what I’m about. Emmylou Harris
My parents were not very happy. They were very worried about me pursuing a career that even if I had talent might not give me the happiness and the success that they – any parent hopes for their child. Emmylou Harris
I was a folk singer who became totally over the edge with country music. I found my voice and style working with Gram Parsons. I learned how to listen to George Jones records and the Louvin Brothers. Emmylou Harris
Well, I’ve always been eclectic. Emmylou Harris
You really do learn every day with every dog; they are all so unique and different. But if you’re patient and you understand where they’re coming from, and if you are consistent, they will be fine. They teach you to give your full attention. Emmylou Harris
Somehow, when you think about yourself in old age, you think you’re going to be this completely different person that you don’t even recognize – because you can’t imagine it, you know? Emmylou Harris
To me acting and singing are worlds apart. Emmylou Harris
As citizens we have to be more thoughtful and more educated and more informed. I turn on the TV and I see these grown people screaming at each other, and I think, well, if we don’t get our civility back, we’re in trouble. Emmylou Harris
I’m blessed to be able to work at something that I’m good at, and that I love. It’s not something I take for granted. Emmylou Harris
I find with records, they become what they’re going to become. They take on a power and a direction of their own. Part of making records is to honor that and not try to force it. Emmylou Harris
Animals have a much better attitude to life and death than we do. They know when their time has come. We are the ones that suffer when they pass, but it’s a healing kind of grief that enables us to deal with other griefs that are not so easy to grab hold of. Emmylou Harris
Every life is precious. Emmylou Harris
I’m not a trained musician. When folks talk about ‘Well, you go to this or that’ – the tenor, or the third part – I don’t really know what they’re talking about. Emmylou Harris
In 1974 I was trying to get my first little band together. That year marked kind of a traumatic point in my life, but I had a lot of support from friends and family and a lot of good things ended up coming out of it. Emmylou Harris
Well, I’m just very blessed that I still love my work and I can still work, I still have an audience and I love what I do. Emmylou Harris
Pretty much all I say politically is I encourage people to register to vote. Emmylou Harris
You meet a lot of people and have a lot of experiences, and they color you and stay with you – but I’m not the grieving widow. Life is much more complicated and interesting and full of zigs and zags than that. Emmylou Harris
Yes, I always say that we’re a National League band. What I mean is, if you play an instrument, you have to sing. So I always call our drummer up. Even the drummer has to take a turn on the microphone. Emmylou Harris
There’s a certain grace in accepting what your life is and embracing all the good things that have been – but there’s still an expectation of good things to come. Not necessarily what you expected. Emmylou Harris
I have my own biography of Gram Parsons – I don’t want to be part of somebody else’s. Emmylou Harris
I think musicians are always very generous in promoting anything good they hear. It’s just kind of in our nature. Emmylou Harris
