My Name Is Emmett Till
Emmylou Harris

I 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


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Lyrics by Emmylou Harris

  (Lost His Love) On Our Last Date   (You Never Can Tell) C'est La Vie   1917   A Love That Will Never Grow Old   A Love That Will Never Grow Old   A River For Him   A Ways To Go   A: Daniel - Where Will I Be   Abraham, Martin and John   Across The Border   After The Gold Rush   All Fall Down   All Fall Down (Featuring George Jones)   All I Left Behind   All I Left Behind [#]   All My Tears   All That Matters   All That You Have Is Your Soul   All The Roadrunning   All the Roadrunning [DVD]   Alone And Forsaken   Amarillo   Angel [Live]   Angel Band   Angel Eyes   Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes)   Angels Rejoiced in Heaven Last Night   Another Lonesome Morning   Another Pot O' Tea   Another Pot O' Tea   Anyhow, I Love You   Appalachian Rain   Ashes By Now   Away In A Manger   Baby Better Start Turnin' 'Em Down   Baby Better Start Turnin' 'em Down   Back In Baby's Arms   Back When We Were Beautiful   Bad Moon Rising   Bad News   Ballad of a Runaway Horse   Ballad Of Sally Rose   Ballard Of A Runaway Horse   Bang The Drum Slowly   Barbara Allen   Beachcombing   Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem   Before Believing   Before I Met You   Belle Starr   Belle Starr [DVD]   Beneath Still Waters   Better Off Without You   Beyond My Wildest Dreams   Beyond The Blue   Beyond The Great Divide   Big Black Dog   Big Mouth Blues   Black Caffeine   Black Gypsy   Blackhawk   Blue Kentucky Girl   Blue Train   Bluebird Wine   Bobbie's Gone   Born To Run   BORN TO RUN Words & Music by Paul Kennerley   Bottle Let Me Down   Boulder To Birmingham   Boy From Tupelo   Brand New Dance   Bright Morning Stars   Broken Man's Lament   Broken Man's Lament   Buckaroo   Burn That Candle   Bury Me Beneath The Willow   C'est La Vie   C'est La Vie   Cabaret   Cajun Born   Californa Cottonfields   California Cottonfields   Calling My Children Home   Can You Hear Me Now   Carter Family Speech   Casey's Last Ride   Cattle Call   Chase the Feeling   Cheatin' Is   Cheatin' Is   Cherry Tree Carol   Cherry Tree Carol (Album Version)   Chief   Child Of Mine   Christmas Time's A-Coming   Christmas Time's A-Coming   Clocks   Coat Of Many Colors   Colors Of Your Heart   Connection   Could You Love Me One More Time'   Crescent City   Cross Yourself   Cup of Kindness   Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn   Darkest Hour Is Just Before Down   Darlin' Kate   Deeper Well   Defying Gravity   Devil In Disguise   Diamond In My Crown   Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend   Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend   Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby   Didn't Leave Nothing But The Baby   Didn't Leave Nothing But The Baby   Dimming Of The Day   Do I Ever Cross Your Mind   Done with Bonaparte   Done with Bonaparte [DVD]   Donkey Town   Dreaming My Dreams   Drifting Too Far   Drifting Too Far From The Shore   Drivin' Wheel   Drivin' Wheel   Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man   Drums   Dying On Sorrow's Wine   Easy For You To Say   Easy From Now On   Evangeline   Even Cowgirls Get The Blues   Every Grain Of Salad   Every Grain Of Sand   Every Time You Leave   Everybody's Talkin'   Everybody's Talkin'   Everytime You Leave   Everytime You Leave (With Don Everly)   Everywhere I Go   Fair and Tender Ladies   Falling Down   Falling In A Deep Hole   Farther Along   Feelin' Single - Seein' Double   Feelin' Single - Seein' Double   Feels Like Home   Fools Thin Air   For A Dancer   For No One   Fugue For The Fox   Fugue For The Ox   Get Up John   Gliding Bird   God Song   Goin' Back To Harlan   Goin' Back To Harlan   Going Back To Harlan   Gold   Gold Watch & Chain   Gold Watch & Chain   Gold Watch And Chain   Golden Cradle   Gone, Gone, Gone   Good News   Goodbye   Green Pastures   Green Rolling Hills   Greenville   Grievous Angel   Guess Things Happen That Way   Guitar Town   Gulf Coast Highway   Gulf Coast Highway (Featuring Willie Nelson)   Half As Much   Hanging Up My Heart   Hank & Lefty   Hank & Lefty   Hank and Lefty   Hard Bargain   Hard Times   He Rode All The Way To Texas   He Was Mine   Heart To Heart   Heartbreak Hill   Heaven Ain't Ready For You Yet   Heaven Ain't Ready For You Yet   Heaven Only Knows   Hello Stranger   Here I Am   Here I Am (Reprise)   Here We Are   Here, There and Everywhere   Herere & Everywhere   Hickory Wind   High Powered Love   High Sierra   Hobo's Lullaby   Hobo's Meditation   Hobo's Lullaby   Hobo's Meditation   Hold On   Hometown Blues   Hot Burrito #2   Hour Of Gold   How High The Moon   How She Could Sing the Wildwood   How She Could Sing The Wildwood Flower   I Ain't Living Long Like This   I Ain't Living Long Like This   I Don't Have To Crawl   I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now   I Don't Want To Talk About It Now   I Don't Have To Crawl   I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now   I Dug Up A Diamond   I Dug Up a Diamond [DVD]   I Feel The Blues Movin' In   I Feel The Blues Movin' In   I Guess Things Happen That Way   I Had My Heart Set On You   I Hear A Call   I Love to Tell the Story   I Never Will Marry   I Saw The Light   I Still Miss Someone   I Take The Chance   I Think I Love Him   I Will Dream   I'll Be Your Baby Tonight   I'll Be Your San Antone Rose   I'll Be Your San Antonio Rose   I'll Go Stepping Too   I'll Never Fall In Love Again   I'll Never Love Another   I'm Movin' On   I've Always Needed You   I've Had Enough   I'll Be Your Baby Tonight   I'll Be Your San Antonio Rose   I'll Go Stepping Too   I'll Never Fall In Love Again   Icy Blue Heart   If I Be Lifted Up   If I Could Be There   If I Could Only Win Your Love   If I Need You   If I Needed You   If I Needed You (Featuring Don Williams)   If I Needed You (With Don Williams)   If This Is Goodbye   If This Is Goodbye [DVD]   If You Were A Bluebird   Immigrant Eyes   In His World   In My Dreams   In My Hour Of Darkness   In the Garden   Invitation to the Blues   It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go\/Abraham Martin   It's A Hard Luck (Wherever You Go)   It's Not Love, But It's Not Bad   It's Only Rock 'N Roll   It's Only Rock and Roll   It's Not Love, But It's Not Bad   It's Only Rock 'n Roll   J'ai Fait Tout   J\u00b4ai Fait Tout   J'ai Fait Tout   J´ai Fait Tout   Jai Fait Tout   Jambalaya   Jambalaya (On The Bayou)   Jersusalem Tomorrow   Jerusalem Tomorrow   Jordan   Juanita   Jupiter Rising   Just Someone I Used To Know   K-S-O-S   Keep on the Sunny Side   Kern River   Lacassine Special   LaCassine Special*   Leavin' Louisiana in the Broad Daylight   Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight   Light Of The Stable   Light of The Stable - Christmas   Light Of The Stable-Christmas   Like An Old Fashioned Waltz   Like Strangers   Little Bird   Little Drummer Boy   Lodi   Lonely Girl   Lonely Street   Long May You Run   Long Tall Sally Rose   Lost His Love, On Our Last Date   Lost On The River   Lost Unto This World   Love And Happiness   Love Hurts   Love Hurts (Featuring Gram Parsons)   Love Hurts [*]   Love Is   Love Still Remains   Love That Will Never Grow Old   Love's Gonna Live Here   Love's Gonna Live Here   Lover's Return   Lover's Return   Lovin' You Again   Lovin' You Again   Loving The Highway Man   Luxury Liner   Making Believe   Making Plans   Mama's Hungry Eyes   Mama's Hungry Eyes   Man is an Island   Mansion On The Hill   Mary Danced with Soldiers   May This Be Love   Maybe Tonight   Me and Willie   Michaelangelo   Michelangelo   Millworker   Miss The Mississippi And You   Mister Sandman   Montana Cowgirl   Moon Song   Movin' On   Movin' On   Mr. Sandman   My Antonia   My Baby Needs A Shepherd   My Baby Needs A Shepperd   My Blue Tears   My Dear Companion   My Father's House   My Father's House   My Songbird   Mystery Train   Never Be Anyone Else But You   New Cut Road   New Orleans   Night Flyer   No Regrets   Nobody   Nobody's Darlin' But Mine   Nobody's Darlin' But Mine   Not Enough   O Evangeline   O Little Town of Bethleham   O Little Town Of Bethlehem   Oh Atlanta   Oh Carolina   Old Rugged Cross   Old Yellow Moon   On Our Last Date   On The Radio   On the Sea of Galilee   One Big Love   One Of These Days   One Paper Kid   Ooh Las Vegas   Open Season on My Heart   Orphan Girl   Our Shangri-La   Our Shangri-La [DVD]   Pain Of Loving You   Pancho & Lefty   Pancho & Lefty   Plaisir d'Amour   Pledging My Love   Prayer In Open D   Precious Love   Q: Anthony - Where Will I Be   Queen Of The Silver Dollar   Racing In The Street   Rain [*]   Raise The Dead   Red Dirt Girl   Red Dirt Girl [DVD]   Red Red Rose   Red Staggerwing   Red Staggerwing [DVD]   Red, Red Rose   Restless   Return Of The Grievous Angel   Rhythm Guitar   Ricky Scaggs Plug   Right Now   Rock N' Roll Music   Rollin' And Ramblin'   Rollin' and Ramblin' (The Death of Hank Williams)   Romeo and Juliet   Romeo and Juliet [DVD]   Root Like a Rose   Rose Of Cimarron   Roses In The Snow   Rosewood Casket   Rough & Rocky   Rough and Rocky   Satan's Crown Jewel   Satan's Jewel Crown   Satan's Jeweled Crown   Save The Last Dance For Me   She   Silent Night   Sin City   Sin City [*]   Sister's Coming Home   Sisters Of Mercy   Six White Cadillacs   Sleepless Nights   Slow Surprise   Smoke Along The Track   Snake Song   Snowin' On Raton   So Far Away   So Sad   So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)   So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) (Live)   So You Think You're A Cowboy   Softly and Tenderly   Solar Energy Speech   Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)   Someday My Ship Will Sail   Someone Like You   Something Draws Me to You   Son Of A Rotten Gambler   Song To John   Sorrow In The Wind   Spanish Dancer   Spanish Is A Loving Tongue   Spanish Johnny   Speedway at Nazareth [DVD]   Star Of Bethlehem   Star Of Bethlehem (Featuring Neil Young)   Still Water   Strong Hand   Strong Hand (for June)   Sweet Chariot   Sweet Dreams   Sweet Dreams [From Casino]   Sweet Dreams Of You   Sweet Old World   Sweet Spot   Sweetheart Of The Pines   Sweetheart Of The Rodeo   Sweethearts Of The Pines   Telling Me Lies   Tennessee Rose   Tennessee Waltz   Thanks To You   That Lovin' You Feelin' Again   That Lovin' You Feelin' Again -- with Roy Orbison   That's All It Took   The Angels Rejoiced Last Night   The Ballad Of Sally Rose   The Best We Could Do   The Bottle Let Me Down   The Boxer   The First Noel   The Last Cheater's Waltz   The Last Cheaters Waltz   The Light   The Maker   The New Soft Shoe   The Old Country Baptizing   The Other Side Of Life   The Pearl   The Price I Pay   The Price You Pay   The Road   The Ship On His Arm   The Sweetheart Of The Rodeo   There's a Light   They'll Never Take His Love From Me   Thing About You   This Is To Mother You   This Is Us   This Is Us [DVD]   Those Memories Of You   Till I Gain Control Again   Timberline   Time in Babylon   To Daddy   To Keep Your Memory Green   To Know Him Is To Love Him   To Know Him Is To Love Him -- with Dolly Parton & ...   To Ohio   Today I Started Loving You Again   Together Again   Too Far Gone   Tougher Than The Rest   Tragedy   Tulsa Queen   Two More Bottles Of Wine   Valerie   Walk Through The Bottamland   Walk Through the Bottomland   Walk Through This World with Me   Walls Of Time   Waltz Across Texas Tonight   Waltz of the Magic Man   Wayfaring Stranger   We Believe In Happy Endings   We Believe In Happy Endings (Featuring Earl Thomas...   We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds   We Shall Rise   We'll Sweep Out The Ashes   We'll Sweep Out The Ashes (In The Morning)   Western Wall   What Could Have Been   Wheels   Wheels Of Love   When He Calls   When I Paint My Masterpiece   When I Stop Dreaming   When I Was Yours   When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold   When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again   When They Ring Those Golden Bells   When We're Gone Long Gone   Where Could I Go But To The Lord   Where the Soul Never Dies   Where Will I Be   White Line   White Shoes   Who Will Sing For Me   Why Worry   Wild Montana Skies   Wild Montana Skies (Featuring John Denver)   Wildflowers   Wildwood Flower   Wildwood In the Pines   Woman Walk The Line   Wrecking Ball   You Been On My Mind   You Don't Knock   You Don't Know Me   You Don't Know Me - Emmylou Harris   You Never Can Tell   You Never Can Tell, C'est La Vie   You'll Never Be The Sun   You're Free To Go   You're Gonna Change   You're Learning   You're Running Wild   You're Supposed To Be Feeling Good   You've Been on My Mind   Your Long Journey

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