Put on your throwback hat for a minute. Do you remember the 1970s hit song "Delta Dawn"? The first lines go like this: "Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on? / Could it be a faded rose from days gone by? / And did I hear you say he was a-meeting you here today /To take you to his mansion in the sky?"
Videos by Wide Open Country
What does "Delta Dawn" mean? KInda sounds like a Southern belle yearning for her long-lost beau of yesteryear, doesn't it? Romance gone awry.
It was recorded by three celebrated female vocalists, among others - Bette Midler, Tanya Tucker, and perhaps most famously by Helen "I Am Woman" Reddy.
Did you ever wonder what is the story behind "Delta Dawn"? It's a tragic, melancholy one that we want to bring to your attention. It makes the intriguing words of this tune even more haunting. Let's take a deep dive to find out more....
What Is The Song "Delta Dawn" About?
The Mom Of One Of 'Delta Dawn's Songwriters Was Behind It
Who wrote "Delta Dawn"? The song was authored by two people, Larry Collins and Alex Harvey. Harvey's mom was reportedly the lady who got his imagination cranking for this tune.
From what Harvey said of her, she seems like a footloose, enigmatic soul who preferred to do her own thing: She hailed "from the Mississippi Delta and she always lived her life as if she had a suitcase in her hand but nowhere to put it down."
Harvey acknowledged that "Folks in a small town don't always understand people like that." A hairdresser in Brownsville, Tennessee, maybe his mother just didn't fit the mold there.
Alex Harvey Finally Chose To Describe The Song's Genesis
It's A Painful Tale
Per American Songwriter via Chicken Soup for the Soul: Country Music, Alex Harvey said that as a teenager, he was a member of a band. That band won a competition and they were slated to appear on television in Jackson, Tennessee.
His mom wanted to attend, but Harvey, knowing that she tended to drink too much at times, preferred she not be there and said so to her. Teens can be self-conscious about their parents; it sounds like Harvey was even more so.
After that taping session, Harvey learned that his mother lost her life in a car crash. He assumed that she committed suicide, despondent over his refusal to let her come to the taping. Harvey was crushed by remorse and bereavement. He turned to music as a form of therapy and solace for his overwhelming emotions.
Years Later, 'Delta Dawn' Sprung To Life
Long after this tragedy, Harvey was awake late one night, just strumming on his guitar. Suddenly, he had a vision. "I looked up and I felt as if my mother was in the room. I saw her very clearly. She was in a rocking chair and she was laughing."
Following that supernatural moment, some of the lyrics of "Delta Dawn" coalesced in Harvey's mind: "She's forty-one and her daddy still calls her, 'baby'/ All the folks around Brownsville say she's crazy..."
All this happened at the home of his pal, Larry Collins. The pair completed writing "Delta Dawn" in 20 minutes. A hit was born!
Writing 'Delta Dawn' Was Cathartic For Harvey
The song changed Harvey's life for the better. It helped him deal at last with his sadness and regret.
"I really believe that my mother didn't come into the room that night to scare me, but to tell me, 'It's okay,' and that she had made her choices in life and it had nothing to do with me. I always felt like that song was a gift to my mother and an apology to her. It was also a way to say 'thank you' to my mother for all she did."
'Delta Dawn' Was Recorded By A Slew Of Renowned Singers
It Attracted Plenty Of Talented Performers
Many male and female country music mainstays have recorded "Delta Dawn." This speaks to the popularity, versatility, and lasting appeal of the tune.
Some of those who lent their powerhouse voices to it over the years include Waylon Jennings, Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, the Statler Brothers, Sonny James, Dottie West, Teresa Brewer, and Tammy Wynette. Whew!
Who sang "Delta Dawn" first? Not surprisingly, it was Alex Harvey himself. His version of this song that was especially close to his heart came out in 1971, although it is definitely not the most famous rendition.
Here's a fun trivia fact. Per Billboard, actress Courteney Cox sang "Delta Dawn" in character as Monica Geller on an episode of Friends!
Three Artists Who Famously Recorded 'Delta Dawn'
Tanya Tucker Recorded It When She Was 13
In 1972, at the age of just 13, Tanya Tucker, a budding country music virtuoso, released her first album, Delta Dawn. She clearly had the singing chops of a mature performer at a remarkably young age.
A September 23, 1972 review in Cashbox via Wikipedia trilled, "We've already seen Tanya Tucker breeze up the country and pop singles charts with "Delta Dawn," establishing herself as country music's first thirteen-year-old superstar. Now this album will establish her versatility, a talent necessary for longevity, since even thirteen-year-olds grow up someday."
"Delta Dawn" sure has staying power. Great songs of the moment morph into classics with the passage of time, and this one has. Tucker was joined on stage by Little Big Town to perform it at the CMA Awards in 2023. The audience was happily singing along, swaying to the music, and loving every minute of it.
Bette Midler, a/k/a The Divine Miss M
Per kboeradio,com, "Tracy Nelson also sang backup on [Alex]Harvey's recording, and performed 'Delta Dawn' in her live act. After hearing Tracy Nelson sing it at the Bottom Line in New York City, Bette Midler added the song to her repertoire."
The rest, as they say, is history.
Midler must have taken a real shine to the tune. She put it on her The Divine Miss M album. Before she could release her single of "Delta Dawn," Helen Reddy beat her to it - by only two days in June 1973!
Helen Reddy, Hear Her Roar!
Billboard opined, "Helen Reddy in 1973 was an artist at the very pinnacle of her success. Everything she had worked for and dreamed of came her way." True.
It can be credibly said that Helen Reddy was the reigning Queen of Pop during the 1970s. She owned the year 1973. Two of her signature songs skyrocketed to the coveted top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 - "I Am Woman" and of course, "Delta Dawn."
For a while, the song elbowed aside another mega hit from the No. 1 perch, Marvin Gaye's sensuous "Let's Get It On."
Helen Reddy's "Delta Dawn" was a familiar staple on radio stations throughout that summer. It helped define the era in pop music.
