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Boulder to Birmingham

"Boulder to Birmingham" is a song written by Emmylou Harris and Bill Danoff which first appeared on Harris's 1975 album Pieces of the Sky. It has served as something of a signature tune for the artist and recounts her feelings of grief in the years following the death of country rock star and mentor Gram Parsons. Early in her career, Harris toured with Gram Parsons and sang on his two solo albums GP[1] and the posthumously released Grievous Angel. The song is known for its chorus:

"I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham/I would hold my life in his saving grace/I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham/If I thought I could see, I could see your face."

Harris did not write again about Parsons' death in such a direct way until "The Road", a track from her 2011 album Hard Bargain, although "Michelangelo" from Red Dirt Girl may be about Parsons too.

Critical reception

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In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #153 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.[2]

Cover versions

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  • A version was recorded in 1975 by Scott Walker and The Walker Brothers on their No Regrets album.
  • Bill Danoff recorded the song with his group, the Starland Vocal Band, on their 1976 self-titled debut album.
  • Dolly Parton included a cover of the song on her 1976 All I Can Do album.
  • Joan Baez cut a live version of the song and it originally appeared on her 1976 live album From Every Stage; the track later appeared in the compilation Joan Baez: The Complete A&M Recordings (released September 23, 2003).
  • A version of the song was a hit in New Zealand for The Hollies, reaching number ten there, and later appeared on their 1978 album A Crazy Steal.
  • The song also appeared in a 1984 episode of The Dukes of Hazzard titled "Play It Again, Luke" in which it was sung by actor Tom Wopat as Luke and guest star Roberta Leighton as country singer and a former flame of Luke's named Candy Dix.
  • Jim Horn recorded a version of the song on his 2012 album Children of the Universe featuring Renee Armand on vocals.
  • For their 2012 album Scars & Stories, American rock band The Fray recorded a version of the song, and Harris appears on the track as a featured artist.
  • The debut release from Fleeing Ghost Records, To Emmylou (2015) features a cover by band Tall Tales and the Silver Lining.[3]
  • Aoife O'Donovan included a live version of the song on her 2016 album Man in a Neon Coat (Live from Cambridge).
  • The Wailin' Jennys covered the song on their 2017 album Fifteen.
  • In 2019 the song appeared in the film Wild Rose sung by Jessie Buckley.

References

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