Heart Banter by David Gittlin

"Long May You Run" With Instrumental Backup

“Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included. After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, “There are two types of people in this world…those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her.” Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Here’s my cover.

Inspired by Emmylou Harris: Heaven Only Knows

Here’s another song, written by Paul Kennerly and made famous by Emmylou Harris, called “Heaven Only Knows.” The song was released on Emmylou’s 1989 album, “Bluebird.” The song reached #16 on the Hot Country Music Chart. Since I’m a newcomer to the Country Music Scene, I’d never heard of Paul Kennerly before. He’s an Englishman who has written 30 published Country Music songs. (I guess there are stranger things that abound in our world). I don’t recall Kennerly’s name being mentioned in connection with any of the songs I’ve covered here. Be that as it may, he has written two powerful songs that Emmylou Harris has brought to my attention. I covered the other song, “Born to Run,” in my previous blog. “Heaven Only Knows,” as performed by Emmylou and her band, features a driving beat, compelling lyrics, and the recording artist’s beautiful, singular voice. Here’s my cover. Chapters (00:00:08) - Heaven Only Knows Just Why Loving You Should Make Me Cry

Another "Born to Run." Not the Bruce Springsteen song.

While searching for a video of Bruce Springsteen playing his iconic hit “Born to Run,” I stumbled upon a video of Emmylou Harris singing “Born to Run.” Now, here’s the fascinating surprise: Emmylou is singing an entirely different song written by Paul Kennerly. And this song really rocks. Released in 1982 as the second single from Harris’ album Cimarron, “Born to Run” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Emmylou Harris sings like an Angel. She is a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. I put Emmylou into my Hall of Fame alongside other Angels by the names of Eva Cassidy, Nanci Griffith, Linda Ronstadt, and Kate Wolf. Here’s my cover of Paul Kennerly’s “Born to Run.” Chapters (00:00:11) - Well I Was Born To Run

Acoustic Cover of Long May You Run

“Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included. After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, "There are two types of people in this world...those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her." Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Here’s my cover. Chapters (00:00:07) - Long May You Run

Beauty Can Be Found Everywhere: Even In A Mass Market Song

The Beatles have produced a motherload of work in the thirteen* albums they released. Within their massive discography, there are bound to be songs that the band members liked or disliked in varying degrees. Lennon and McCartney wrote “It’s Only Love” in 1965. The song is about a complex relationship that is ultimately worth it because, after all, “It’s Only Love,” and that’s the way it often goes. I was surprised to learn that John Lennon thought the song was “pure rubbish,” meaning that it was only a filler song created to feed the hounds of commerce. Paul McCartney had a more optimistic view: “Sometimes we didn’t fight it if the lyric came out rather bland on some of those filler songs like ‘It's Only Love.’ If a lyric was really bad, we'd edit it, but we weren't that fussy about it because it’s only a rock ‘n’ roll song. I mean, this is not literature.” Most fans, like myself, can relate to the song, finding the lyrics acceptable and the melody beautiful. Here’s my cover.