My Life (Iris DeMent album)

Untitled

My Life is the second album released by singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. Released in 1994 on Warner Bros., it peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

The album was dedicated to her father, Patric Shaw DeMent, who died in 1992.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Chicago Tribune
Christgau's Consumer Guide	A+
Entertainment Weekly	A
Los Angeles Times
Rolling Stone
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10

Spin ranked My Life as the 3rd best album of 1994. Writing in Spin, Eric Weisbard described the album as "...unbreakable gentleness as a modern epiphany about rural values."

Track listing

All songs by Iris DeMent except as indicated.

Side one

1. "Sweet Is the Melody" – 3:41
2. "You've Done Nothing Wrong" – 4:22
3. "Calling for You" – 3:18
4. "Childhood Memories" – 4:38
5. "No Time to Cry" – 6:49

Side two

1. "Troublesome Waters" (Maybelle Carter, Ezra J. Carter, Dixie Deen) – 5:15
2. "Mom and Dad's Waltz" (Lefty Frizzell) – 2:37
3. "Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day" – 5:01
4. "The Shores of Jordan" – 3:18
5. "My Life" – 3:30

Personnel

• Iris DeMent – vocals, acoustic guitar, harmony vocal, piano on "My Life"
• Richard Bennett – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• John Catchings – cello
• "Cowboy" Jack Clement – acoustic guitar
• Charles Cochran – piano, keyboards
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Mark Howard – acoustic guitar
• Roy Huskey, Jr. – upright bass
• Kenny Malone – percussion
• Pat McInerney – drums
• Phil Parlapiano – accordion on "You've Done Nothing Wrong"
• Al Perkins – dobro
• Pete Wasner – keyboards, piano
• Joy White – harmony vocal on "Childhood Memories"
• Linda Williams – harmony vocal on "The Shores of Jordan"
• Robin Williams – harmony vocal on "The Shores of Jordan"