Video: Emmett Carlisle singing Suwannee Harmony at SuwRK Songwriting Contest

Emmett Carlisle, from Gainesville, Florida, just outside the Suwannee River Basin, sang “Suwannee Harmony,” and won a prize for Best Florida Folk, at the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Saturday, June 23, 2018, at the Salty Snapper, Valdosta, GA.

Emmett Carlisle
Emmett Carlisle (Bret Wagenhorst)

As he sang, “just like the river, together we flow.”

Here’s the video:


Video: Emmett Carlisle singing “Suwannee Harmony” at SuwRK Songwriting Contest
Video by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),

This was the First Annual, and we have made many notes for next year, such as triple-check the sound from the lead singer’s microphone, need a follow spot on the singer, let’s place the camera where people are not walking in front of it, oh, and announcers rehearse the finalists’ names.

Emmett Carlisle wrote in his bio:

I am working on my 8th CD of original songs, many about the History, Environment and Characters of Florida. I play at most of the Festivals including the Florida Folk, Will Mclean, Lake County Folk Festival and others.

He wrote his song, “Suwannee Harmony,” February 1, 2017. He says the song is:

The story of living in Harmony with the Suwannee River from the days the Timucuan lived on her shores to the modern day Home on the Suwannee.

At the contest he added that the guitar builder is Gary Hawkins, and Hawkins named his house Suwannee Harmony.

Here are the lyrics:

She’s old and she’s crooked, weathered by time
   and I love her, she’s still on my mind.
She comes down from Georgia, gently she flows
   to the Gulf Of Mexico.
The Suwannee remembers, a long time ago
   when Tribes of Timucuan lived on her shore
They were singin’ a song, about living free
   with the Suwannee Harmony.
      You sing it high, I’ll sing it low
      Just like the river, together we flow
      That’s the Suwannee Harmony

My friend built his home on the banks of the Suwannee
   now he builds guitars for people like me
To play by the River, by the old Cypress Tree
   at the Suwannee Harmony.
      You sing it high, I’ll sing it low
      just like the river, together we flow
      That’s the Suwannee Harmony……The Suwannee Harmony.

He also published a facebook video of a band playing the song.

We will be publishing videos of the rest of the songs and the rest of the contest finals.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!