Where did the name Empress of Dirt come from?
Way back in 2005-2006 I had a blog called Pioneer Woman With Cell Phone, known as ‘Pioneer Woman‘ for short.
Little did I know that just as I was letting go of the Pioneer Woman name another person would take the name and become incredibly successful. Hello, Ree Drummond!
I was ready to change the focus of my blog and decided on the gardening niche.
Even all those years ago it was hard to think up unique blog names that were not already claimed.
But I allowed serendipity to lead the way.
One day I was driving somewhere, completely preoccupied with the name hunt, and the song Hurt (written by Nine Inch Nails, performed by Johnny Cash) came on the radio.
The song really got to me. There was something so profound and vulnerable in the way Johnny sang it.
And the line, You can have it all, my empire of dirt, just grabbed me.
And I immediately thought, Empress of Dirt. That’s it. That’s the name.
It was nothing more than an in-the-moment impulsive choice—but one I was sure had deeper roots to explore.
While I hesitate to impose my interpretation of the lyrics, I will say my main takeaways include:
We’re just stewards of this earth
and
you can’t take it with you when you go.
Both are thoughts you’ll find weaving through content here on this site.
You can have it all. My empire of dirt.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt â™›