About the song
“Tulsa Queen” by Emmylou Harris is a captivating country-rock ballad that tells the tale of a woman’s journey through life’s trials and tribulations. Featured on Harris’s album “Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town,” released in 1978, this song showcases her distinctive voice and emotive storytelling.
Written by Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, “Tulsa Queen” paints a vivid picture of a woman named Tulsa Queen, whose life is marked by both hardship and resilience. The song’s evocative lyrics and melancholic melody draw listeners into her world, capturing the essence of longing and nostalgia.
Despite not achieving significant commercial success as a single, “Tulsa Queen” received acclaim from critics and fans for its heartfelt lyrics and Harris’s soulful delivery. Its inclusion on the album “Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town” contributed to the album’s success, reaching number three on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
In addition to its critical acclaim, “Tulsa Queen” has been covered by various artists and remains a favorite among Harris’s fans. Its timeless appeal and universal themes of love, loss, and redemption continue to resonate with listeners, making it a standout track in Harris’s extensive discography.
Emmylou Harris’s heartfelt rendition of “Tulsa Queen” stands as a testament to her talent as a singer-songwriter and her ability to convey emotion with honesty and authenticity.
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Lyrics
I heard the train
In the Tulsa night
Calling out my name
Looking for a fight
She’s come a long, long way
Got a longer way to go
So tell me how a train from Tulsa
Has got a right to know
She sings a song
So sad and high
And the Tulsa queen
Don’t ever lie
And she don’t care where she goes
Don’t care where she’s been
And the Tulsa queen ain’t crying
‘Cause I won’t see you again
And I want to ride
Like a Tulsa queen
Calling out to you
As she calls to me
As far away from Tulsa
As these ten wheels can be
Lately I speak
Your name too loud
Each time it comes up
In a crowd
And I know it when I do
The Tulsa queen and you
Are gone…