The Ageless Lullaby of Lost Innocence: A Journey Back to the Roots of the Soul
It’s often those songs that step quietly into your life, rather than those that burst in with fanfare, that end up meaning the most. They’re the ones you return to, like a faded, familiar photograph, finding a new truth in their lines with every passing year. Such is the enduring power of Emmylou Harris’s transcendent recording of “Goin’ Back To Harlan”, a track that served as the deeply resonant, folk-infused heart of her landmark 1995 album, Wrecking Ball.
The album itself was a pivotal, seismic shift in Harris’s already illustrious career—a brilliant gamble that saw her move away from the Nashville mainstream, which she sensed was losing interest, towards a collaboration with the visionary producer Daniel Lanois. This shift was the very essence of the album’s story, a turning point that embraced atmospheric, roots-rock textures and established Harris as an intrepid artistic explorer, proving that an artist’s best work could arrive well into their established years. While the album reached a respectable No. 46 on the Billboard 200 and No. 9 on the Top Country Albums chart (and won the 1996 Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album), “Goin’ Back To Harlan” wasn’t a major chart single, charting instead as a vital pillar of this critically acclaimed, career-redefining work. The song’s strength was never in the flash of a chart-topper, but in its profound, slow-burn emotional resonance.
The story behind this haunting ballad lies with the brilliant McGarrigle Sisters. The song was originally written by Anna McGarrigle and appeared on her and sister Kate McGarrigle’s 1990 album, Matapédia. Emmylou Harris was a long-time friend and admirer of their work, and her decision to cover the song for Wrecking Ball was rooted in a deep personal and musical affinity. In her own words, Harris had heard the McGarrigle sisters perform it a few years earlier and “just absolutely loved the way they did that song.” Her decision to include it was part of a larger, incredibly personal moment of introspection and change in her life; her father had passed away the year before, she had recently divorced, and she was entering a new, more solitary phase of adulthood. These profound life changes—grief, loss, and the stark reality of one’s own mortality—colored her choices for the album, drawing her toward songs that wrestled with these deeper themes.
The true meaning of “Goin’ Back To Harlan” is a rich tapestry woven from nostalgia, lost innocence, and a poignant yearning for return. On the surface, the singer is literally going back to Harlan, but the journey is metaphorical. Harlan, for the singer, becomes less a geographical place (though it may be a nod to the American folk music tradition’s frequent reference to Appalachia) and more a spiritual one: a sanctuary of childhood and the simpler past.
The lyrics are steeped in the imagery of classic folk ballads—they name-check figures like “Fair Ellen” and “Barbara Allen” and mention “cuckoo birds” and the “bells of Rhymney.” This dense web of folkloric references serves a crucial purpose: it is a meditation on the passage of time and the painful knowledge gained with age. The verses contrast the innocence of youth, where one played roles from “nursery rhymes,” with the tragic, inescapable lessons of life and love found in centuries-old folk songs. The song suggests that by going back—by remembering and connecting with one’s own uncorrupted past—one can find a temporary, redemptive relief from the “devils” that await in the present.
Harris’s vocal performance, ethereal yet clear, is the anchor. Under Lanois’s subtle, ambient production—with its sparse, echoing mandolin and organ—her voice is lifted, carrying the weight of the song’s emotional history. It is a loving homage to traditional artistry, yet it feels entirely new. It speaks to that universal human experience: the moment you realize the world you left behind is gone forever, but the memory of its light still guides you. For listeners who have lived long enough to know the weight of years and the comfort of looking backward, “Goin’ Back To Harlan” isn’t just a song; it’s a timeless, soulful journey home.