eLyrics E
Emmylou Harris My Name Is Emmett Till Lyrics
Total views: 1 time this week / Rating: 8.50/10 [2 votes]Album: Hard Bargain / Original Release Date: 2011-03-15Genre: CountrySong Duration: 4 min 50 sec
EMMYLOU HARRIS
- My Name Is Emmett Till Lyrics / with translationsI was born a black boy
My name is Emmett Till
I walked this earth for 14 years
And one night I was killed
For speaking to a woman
Whose skin was white as dough
That's a sin in Mississippi
But how was I to know?
I'd come down from Chicago
To visit with my kin
Up there I was a cheeky kid
I guess I'd always been
But the harm they put upon me
Was too hard for what I'd done
For I was just a black boy
And never hurt no one
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
They took me from my uncle's house
Mose Wright was his name.
He'd later stand and, without hesitation,
Point the blame
At the ones who beat and cut me
And shot me with a gun
And threw me in the river
Like I was trash when they were done
I was sent back to my mother,
At least what was left of me,
She kept my casket open
For the whole wide world to see
The awful desecration
And the evidence of hate
You could not recognize me
The mutilation was so great
There came a cry for justice
To be finally fulfilled
All because of me, a black boy
My name is Emmett Till
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, but I'd have rather lived
'Till I was too old to die young
Not miss all I left behind
And all that might have come
Summer clouds above my head
The grass beneath my feet
The warmth of a good woman
Her kisses soft and sweet
Perhaps to be a father
With a black boy of my own
Watch him grow into a kinder world
Than I had known
Where no child would be murdered
For the colour of his skin
And love would be the only thing
Inside the hearts of men
They say the horror of that night
Is haunting Heaven still
Where I am one more black boy
My name is Emmett Till
My name is Emmett Till
I walked this earth for 14 years
And one night I was killed
For speaking to a woman
Whose skin was white as dough
That's a sin in Mississippi
But how was I to know?
I'd come down from Chicago
To visit with my kin
Up there I was a cheeky kid
I guess I'd always been
But the harm they put upon me
Was too hard for what I'd done
For I was just a black boy
And never hurt no one
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
They took me from my uncle's house
Mose Wright was his name.
He'd later stand and, without hesitation,
Point the blame
At the ones who beat and cut me
And shot me with a gun
And threw me in the river
Like I was trash when they were done
I was sent back to my mother,
At least what was left of me,
She kept my casket open
For the whole wide world to see
The awful desecration
You could not recognize me
The mutilation was so great
There came a cry for justice
To be finally fulfilled
All because of me, a black boy
My name is Emmett Till
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, but I'd have rather lived
'Till I was too old to die young
Not miss all I left behind
And all that might have come
Summer clouds above my head
The grass beneath my feet
The warmth of a good woman
Her kisses soft and sweet
Perhaps to be a father
With a black boy of my own
Watch him grow into a kinder world
Than I had known
Where no child would be murdered
For the colour of his skin
And love would be the only thing
Inside the hearts of men
They say the horror of that night
Is haunting Heaven still
Where I am one more black boy
My name is Emmett Till
Facts about My Name Is Emmett Till
✔️
My Name Is Emmett Till is written and performed by Emmylou Harris.
✔️
It is first released on March 15, 2011 as part of Emmylou Harris's album "Hard Bargain" which includes 14 tracks in total. This song is the 2nd track on this album.
✔️
When we reflect on what the artist might have meant, the piece 'My Name is Emmett Till' by Emmylou Harris, through its very lyrics, brings out the sorrowful tale of Emmett Till, the African American child who was mercilessly killed in Mississippi for supposedly whistling at a white woman. Besides the mentioning of the main character, the lyrics center around and highlight the very characteristics of injustice, racism, and violence endured by the black community, making Emmett Till's story the metaphor of the ongoing fight for equal rights and the dream of a better, more humane society where love prevails over hate. A great part of the lyrics of 'My Name is Emmett Till' points out social commentary, angst, despair, heartbreak, and anger in a predominating manner. Nevertheless, the song also emphasizes the racial injustice, loss and mourning, and hope for a better future. The lyrics deal with mature themes of racial violence and injustice, touching even on the killing of Emmett Till, which is the reason why they might not be appropriate for children under 13. The portrayal of brutality and the heavy emotional impact of the topic are considered enough to assign a PG-13 rating.
✔️
My Name Is Emmett Till falls under the genre Country.
✔️
My Name Is Emmett Till song length is 4 minutes and 50 seconds.
Who wrote My Name Is Emmett Till lyrics?
My Name Is Emmett Till is written and performed by Emmylou Harris.
✔️
When was My Name Is Emmett Till released?
It is first released on March 15, 2011 as part of Emmylou Harris's album "Hard Bargain" which includes 14 tracks in total. This song is the 2nd track on this album.
✔️
What is the meaning behind My Name Is Emmett Till lyrics?
When we reflect on what the artist might have meant, the piece 'My Name is Emmett Till' by Emmylou Harris, through its very lyrics, brings out the sorrowful tale of Emmett Till, the African American child who was mercilessly killed in Mississippi for supposedly whistling at a white woman. Besides the mentioning of the main character, the lyrics center around and highlight the very characteristics of injustice, racism, and violence endured by the black community, making Emmett Till's story the metaphor of the ongoing fight for equal rights and the dream of a better, more humane society where love prevails over hate. A great part of the lyrics of 'My Name is Emmett Till' points out social commentary, angst, despair, heartbreak, and anger in a predominating manner. Nevertheless, the song also emphasizes the racial injustice, loss and mourning, and hope for a better future. The lyrics deal with mature themes of racial violence and injustice, touching even on the killing of Emmett Till, which is the reason why they might not be appropriate for children under 13. The portrayal of brutality and the heavy emotional impact of the topic are considered enough to assign a PG-13 rating.
✔️
Which genre is My Name Is Emmett Till?
My Name Is Emmett Till falls under the genre Country.
✔️
How long is the song My Name Is Emmett Till?
My Name Is Emmett Till song length is 4 minutes and 50 seconds.
Hottest Lyrics with Videos
406296d094ef20286f6c6d8a0df453d4
these lyrics are submitted by kaanSongwriter(s): Emmylou Harris
Record Label(s): 2011 Nonesuch Records Inc for the United States and WEA International Inc for the world outside of the United States
Official lyrics by
Meaning to "My Name Is Emmett Till" song lyrics
My Name Is Emmett Till
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
