A Quiet Benediction of Love, Memory, and Reverence in Song
When Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois stepped onto the stage to perform “May This Be Love” at the 2025 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala, the moment felt less like a formal tribute and more like a shared act of remembrance. Important details deserve to be placed first. “May This Be Love” is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix, originally released in 1967 on the landmark debut album Are You Experienced. That album reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music. The song itself was never issued as a single and never chased chart positions. Its power has always lived elsewhere, in its quiet poetry and spiritual restraint.
At the Gala, which exists to honor recordings of lasting historical and cultural significance, the choice of this song spoke volumes. Daniel Lanois, a producer known for his atmospheric sensibility and deep respect for musical lineage, approached the piece with reverence rather than reinvention. Emmylou Harris, whose career has been defined by emotional honesty and interpretive grace, delivered the lyrics with a restraint that allowed their meaning to breathe. Together, they transformed a late 1960s reflection into something timeless and inward looking.
The story behind “May This Be Love” is inseparable from Jimi Hendrix himself. Recorded during the intense sessions for Are You Experienced, the song revealed a side of Hendrix often overshadowed by his revolutionary guitar work. While the album introduced the world to explosive tracks like “Purple Haze” and “Foxy Lady,” this song offered a pause. It was a gentle invocation, almost prayer-like, shaped by Hendrix’s fascination with spirituality, Eastern philosophy, and the fragile nature of human connection. The lyrics are simple, yet they carry a sense of surrender. Love is not demanded or defended. It is wished for, quietly, as one might hope for peace or understanding.
Musically, the song is built on subtlety. The guitar work floats rather than asserts itself. The rhythm feels suspended, as if time has slowed. This restraint is precisely what drew Emmylou Harris to the piece decades later. Throughout her career, particularly in reflective works like Wrecking Ball, produced by Daniel Lanois, Harris has shown a deep affinity for songs that sit between longing and acceptance. Her voice does not dominate. It listens. In this performance, every phrase felt considered, as though each word carried the weight of years lived and lessons learned.
Daniel Lanois’s role cannot be understated. His production philosophy has always favored atmosphere over spectacle. At the Gala, his arrangement honored the original spirit of Hendrix’s recording while gently reframing it. There was space in the music. Space for memory. Space for reflection. This approach mirrored the purpose of the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, which celebrates recordings not for their momentary success but for their enduring influence.
The meaning of “May This Be Love” has only deepened with time. What once sounded like the introspection of a young artist now resonates as a meditation on humility and grace. It does not promise permanence. It does not resolve uncertainty. Instead, it acknowledges vulnerability and chooses hope anyway. In the context of the Gala, the song became a bridge between generations, reminding listeners that the most lasting music often speaks softly.
For those who have lived alongside these songs for decades, this performance offered something rare. It did not attempt to recreate the past. It honored it. The collaboration between Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois affirmed that great songs are not confined to their era. They continue to evolve, gathering meaning as voices change and time moves forward. In that quiet hall, surrounded by history, “May This Be Love” felt less like a performance and more like a blessing, spoken gently, and received with gratitude.