First Aid Kit’s “Emmylou” Lyrics Meaning
“Emmylou” is a love song in which the Söderberg sisters, addressing their lover(s), are apparently detailing how they visualize an ideal romantic relationship.
This is within the context of the addressee at hand, who reads as if he is an ex-boyfriend. And even though this track is named after a famous American country singer, Emmylou Harris, it isn’t actually about her.
Rather First Aid Kit’s perception of her is related to the aforementioned deal. Or more specifically, the Söderberg sisters idealize their relationship with the addressee to be similar to the one that Emmylou Harris had with another country musician, the late Gram Parsons (1946-1973).
Now it should be noted that, by the looks of things, Emmylou and Gram weren’t romantically involved. Rather, theirs was a musical partnership. So we can postulate that it’s more along the lines of the friendship and quality of the professional relationship that they shared which the girls are fantasizing about in terms of their own romance.
In fact First Aid Kit has clarified that this song isn’t about them being with the addressee per se. Instead what they are actually romanticizing is sharing a rapport with this person even if he isn’t present.
Johnny Cash and June Carter
But in the chorus they also give a shoutout to the late Johnny Cash (1932-2003) and his wife June Carter Cash (1929-2003). Johnny and June are another pair of country musicians who were in fact married – for over a good three decades at that.
However, besides the long-standing marriage their association was also, like Harris and Parsons’, musical in nature. Indeed it was via their musical careers that they initially crossed paths.
So concerning the afore-idealized rapport, First Aid Kit is using the metaphor of ‘singing’, with the addressee, i.e. sharing a musical relationship if you will, to point to said idea. And again, Emmylou Harris / Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash / June Carter allegorically personified such a union.
Now truth be told, it is never specified that the relationship featured in this song is actually a romance. But again, that is impression we get considering for instance that both of the couples mentioned above were a male/female combination. So based on the premise, the highly-poetic first verse ultimately concludes with the idea that the singer is missing her ex.
Second Verse
And it’s fundamentally the same sentiment which highlights the second verse. However this time around, the vocalist also acknowledges a certain lesson she has learned as far as relationships go. And that is they require “patience” in order to develop properly. Moreover she is apparently making this observation based on experience, as the addressee isn’t the only one she’s had in the past.
Bridge
Then the bridge, as it traditionally does, proves to be quite revealing. For here we are made aware of what it is that actually messed up the relationship between the singer and the addressee.
And that would seemingly be some lie(s) that she told him. However, she didn’t do so to deceive him per se but rather to protect him “from knowing the truth”.
What the said truth is, as well as the lie that was told, is never specified. But it reads that in some way, shape or form, the vocalist was under the impression that knowing the truth would somehow scare him away.
The Lie
With that in mind, it has been theorized that what it is she lied about is her feelings for him. In other words, she pretended she wasn’t in love, even though she was. But now it’s like in his absence, the cat has been let out of the bag.
Or put differently, faced with the prospect of losing the addressee altogether, the vocalist has become less inhibited in professing her true feelings for him. And this is apparently the sentiment this song is grounded on.
So when she puts forth her desire to be the “Emmylou” to his “Gram”, in the name of the two of them ‘singing’ together, it apparently means one thing. And that is her desire for them to, unlike the past, enjoy a harmonious relationship henceforth.
But at the same time it would also, to some degree, be representative of her entreating him to return in the first place. She needs him so badly because his absence is clearly having a negative effect on her disposition.
Music Video
The music video to this song was filmed outdoors, in California. It’s exact location is a venue called Joshua Tree National Park.
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit is a duo consisting of two siblings, Klara Söderberg and her older sister, Johanna Söderberg. They began making music, as professionals, in 2007. However, they dropped their first single, a double A-side entitled “You’re Not Coming Home Tonight” and “Tangerine”, in 2009.
Throughout the first decade-plus of their career, First Aid Kit’s signature song has proven to be 2012’s “Emmylou”, the track that we’re reviewing today.
This is despite the fact that it didn’t necessarily have an amazing chart showing. It performed best in Scandinavia. There it most notably peaked at number 24 in their homeland of Sweden. And in bordering Norway, it made it to number 20.
However, it was still ranked the 10th “Best Song of 2012” by Rolling Stone.
Release Date of “Emmylou”
This track was officially released – originally by Wichita Records in the UK and then Redeye Distribution in the US – on 18 January 2012. It appeared on the duo’s second album, “The Lion’s Roar”.
Out of the four full-lengths which First Aid Kit put out between 2010 and 2018, that particular project proved to be the most-successful commercially. It went platinum in Sweden. It further went gold in the UK. All in all, it registered over a quarter-million sales worldwide.
Writing Credits
The Söderberg sisters are individually credited with writing this song. And the producer of “Emmylou” is Mike Mogis. Mogis also played a number of different instruments on the track.
Emmylou Harris
In 2015 Emmylou Harris, a musician who has won 14 Grammy Awards between 1977 and 2018, was granted an accolade known as the Polar Music Prize. The ceremony surrounding this event is held in Sweden.
And First Aid Kit had the privilege of performing this song in front of Emmylou herself, who got emotional in the process.
For the record, the first time Harris actually heard Emmylou was unexpectedly. According to her, she heard it while “in this little store in Adelaide”, Australia. And she really got a kick out of the tune.
Thank you for this explanation. I just discovered this song and find it moving.
A hello from Brazil.
Thanks for sharing that explanations with us!
Eines der bewegensten Musikstücke – wenn man die Hintergründe kennt: Siehe auch den Spielfilm zu Graham Pardon (mit kritischem Bewusstsein).