Emmylou Harris Made Don Gibson’s Classic Song, “Sweet Dreams,” Her Own

In 1975, Emmylou Harris achieved massive success when she released “Sweet Dreams” as the third single off her second studio album Elite Hotel – which became her first No. 1 country album and helped her earn the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance.

Harris’ rendition of “Sweet Dreams” also ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

Emmylou Harris Put A Twist On The Song

Written by Don Gibson, “Sweet Dreams” tells the story of a woman who knows she needs to move on from her former lover, who no longer loves her. She knows she needs to begin living her life anew and start loving someone new – however, she instead finds herself having sweet dreams about him.

It was first recorded by Gibson in 1955 and has since been a country standard, with other notable versions by Faron Young, Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, and Tammy Wynette. In 1960, Gibson established himself as a country music superstar and released a new version as a single.

But it was Emmylou Harris‘ version that was the most successful. She beautifully sings it like it was her own.

Her crystalline voice makes it feel like she is lullabying the listener to sleep. The misery of unrequited love and the struggle of escaping from the memory of someone she loves even when she’s sleeping is evident in her voice – it will absolutely bring some chills to your spine.

“Sweet Dreams” remains today as one of the best Emmylou Harris songs, helping her rank among the most significant recording artists in the history of country music.

You can listen to “Sweet Dreams” by Emmylou Harris in the video below.