Easy from Now On
A very distinctive high school teacher introduced me to Emmylou Harris during my first year of college. I received several CDs during that time that furthered my musical education, including 1977’s Luxury Liner. I fell in love with her voice, which her Spotify bio characterizes as “crystalline.” Emmylou, who calls herself “a really good ex-wife,” is the ultimate vocalist to sing about heartbreak. She gives a performance so assured and tonally clear that it assumes the role of a kiss-off absent any bitterness. Some clever turns of phrase help that along, of course. Written by country royalty—Susanna Clark (“I’ll Be Your San Antone Rose”) and Carlene Carter, daughter of June Carter Cash—“Easy from Now On” contains gems like “riding high in a fandangled sky” and “quarter moon in a ten cent town.” I am also enamored with the poetic justice of:
Lovin' him was a one way street
But I'm gettin' off where the crossroads meet.
This metaphor reminds me of a line from the 2009 poem, “Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell,” about the self-discipline required to exit such situations: “leaving is not enough; you must / stay gone. train your heart / like a dog. change the locks even on the house he’s never / visited.” The songstress is forever changed by this love and by the leaving.
Upon first listen, one might interpret her grieving process and conviction (“It’s gonna be easy from now on”) literally. She is so completely let down by her partner that a detour of one-night stands while “raw as a whip” feels straightforward and, possibly, more fulfilling than her dead-end relationship. But she knows better, and so do we. (Disclaimer: I am as sex-positive as they come, so please do not interpret this as a moral judgment. Like she wails in “I’ll Be Your San Antone Rose,” we both already know how it goes. Plus, she alludes to feeling regret in her “month of Sundays” confession.)
Her “thirst” cannot be quenched because she is still haunted by the memory of her lover. As the song goes on, it seems she is using the “easy from now on” mantra to convince herself not to care so much or so deeply in the future. She can put up a tough front, be the first to leave in the morning. I, however, prefer the idea that “the wild card up her sleeve” is being done for good with the “no-good man” rather than wielding a defense mechanism to prevent herself from getting hurt again. It feels more empowering that way, if not as true to life. Dealer’s choice. If she can give up the ghost (literally), something or someone better may just come along. And even if it does not, one can always come home to oneself. From “Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell” again: “you take / a lover who looks at you / like maybe you are magic. make / the first bottle you consume / in this place a relic, place it / on whatever altar you fashion / with a knife and five cranberries.”
Bayles, Rick. “I Write the Songs - Susanna Clark.” Americana UK, 24 Mar. 2023, https://americana-uk.com/i-write-the-songs-susanna-clark, Accessed 12 May 2025.
McConnell, Marty. “Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell.” 2009. Marty Out Loud. https://martyoutloud.com/fridakahlotomartymcconnell. Accessed 13 May 2025.