Blue Horizon: Back to Memphis

Written by Elizabeth Stephen, performed by Blue Horizon
Album: Blue Horizon, 2001

Listen:

Blue Horizon's "Back to Memphis," dedicated to Rick, has a similarly spiritual feel and poetic lyrics that could have been written only by a woman–in this case, Elizabeth Stephen who, together with Jason Imbesi, is one half of the group. Like Fradon, Stephen has said that she could "feel his presence around me," particularly when she was writing. Though, unlike Fradon, Stephen never had the opportunity to meet Rick, she had a passion for him nonetheless: "If I never saw you, you'd still live in my dreams, calling out from stages and music magazines," she sings. I can just imagine Rick's blushing face upon hearing the words: "If I were a painter, you'd be green and gold, carved out of matches, but broken out of stone." She continues with the wistful, "You could have been my lover, taught me everything I know, but now we are your children, your flowers in the snow." It's a dreamy, melancholy song rife with longing.
—Carol Caffin

This song was written for Rick Danko, the bassist, fiddler, guitarist and vocalist for The Band. He is a great influence as a vocalist, violinist and as a person. I never had the opportunity to meet Rick, although after his death I read that he was very accessible to fans and would go out of his way to meet them and make them feel comfortable. I also read that in late 1998, the year we moved to Boston, he busked in South Station near the commuter rail lines. I would have given anything to have had the opportunity to watch him play and to meet him. Rick died on December 10, 1999 and although I never met him, I can feel his presence around me, particularly when I am composing. "Back To Memphis" was one of the easiest songs to write, both melodically and lyrically and is one that I am very proud of because I believe that Rick would have liked it.
— Elizabeth Stephen

Lyrics

If I never saw you
You'd still live in my dreams
Calling out from stages
And music magazines
 
If I were a painter
You'd be green and gold
Carved out of matches
But broken out of stone
 
Taken from the fire of your fiddle
Words of unspoken, blinding truth
If I couldn't see it, I was lost in my youth
But I'm going back to Memphis - after you.
 
If I could have seen you
With blood on your bones
Poison in your fingers
But music in your soul
 
You could have been my lover
Taught me everything I know
But now we are your children
Your flowers in the snow
 
But all you ever wanted was to see the heart of the city, oh
And all you ever got was hand to mouth
So I know you'll be walking for a long, long time
Cause you're going back to Memphis - heading South.
 
Brothers till the night came
And whispered in the pines
Tempting me with secrets
To play a game with time
 
Now I feel you in the walls
And I know you're in the air
And it's just like I can touch you
You're living everywhere
 
But all you ever wanted was to be in the heart of the city, oh
And all you ever got was handed out
So I know we'll be walking for a long, long time
Cause we're going back to Memphis - heading South
Going back to Memphis - heading South.