CD REVIEW: Iris DeMent - "My Life"

The voice of Arkansas native, Iris DeMent, conjures up the image of a pretty girl, (which she is) standing on the wooden front porch of a mountain home, her head thrown back, singing her heart out. The voice is a classic Appalachian type, strong and true. It is a country voice, totally absent of affectation. Ms. DeMent accompanies herself on guitar and piano, with backup musicians on dobro, bass, mandolin, cello, fiddle and drums.

I don't really consider myself a country music fan primarily, so I ask myself, what is it about Iris DeMent? Why do I find her music so appealing? The CD, "My Life" is filled with songs of love, life, childhood memories and faith. Her music hits a real nerve. She is not pretending to be something she isn't, she is not coated in glitz, she comes across like a decent human being that one would want for a friend.

I first heard Iris DeMent performing her song, "My Life", a few years ago on the TV show, "Austin City Limits". This song is one of the sweetest observations about life that I've ever heard. It made me cry then, and still does nearly every time I hear it.

"My Life", by Iris DeMent

"My life, it don't count for nothin'
When I look at this world, I feel so small
My life, it's only a season
A passing September no one will recall

(chorus)
But I gave joy to my mother
I made my lover smile
And I can give comfort to my friends
when they're hurting
I can make it seem better for a while

My life, it's half the way traveled
And I still have not found my way out of this night
My life, it's tangled in wishes
And so many things that just never turned out right."

Then, while driving somewhere listening to the Sunday night edition of "The Folk Sampler", on NPR, Mike Flynn played her version of the song, "Mom and Dad's Waltz". I almost went off the road on this one.

"Mom & Dad's Waltz", by Lefty Frizzell

"I'd walk for miles, cry and smile
For my mama and daddy
I want them, I want them to know
How I feel, my love is real, for my mama and daddy
I want them to know I love them so.

And in my heart, joy tears start
'Cause I'm so happy
And I pray every day for ma and pappy
And each night
I'd walk for miles, cry and smile
For my mama and daddy
I want them to know, I love them so."

What is so striking about Ms. DeMent is her completely truthful, uncynical style. Who sings about loving their parents in this era?

In the liner notes of the album, she tells a story about her father who once played the fiddle. There is a family photo of her parents with about nine children, of whom she seems to be one of the smallest. I once heard her when she was a guest on an edition of Prairie Home Companion last year. She told Garrison Keillor that she was the youngest in a family of fourteen. (Here we go again with the question of family planning -- I vote NO again. In fact, I'd like to do a study someday about accomplished people. How many of them were the first or second child and how many were the fifth, seventh or twelfth? Ah, but that's another column.)

It is refreshing to hear a singer-songwriter who writes about life with humility and faith. God bless you, Iris. (My mother's name was Iris.) I am going to continue listening. Thanks for contributing to the beauty in the world.