In 1951, Anita scored two Top Ten hits with "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts" with Hank Snow at No. 2 and "Blue Bird Island" at No. 4. She reached the Top Ten again in 1968 with "I Got You" with Waylon Jennings at No. 4 and recorded several folk albums in the late 1960s. In 1962, Anita recorded a song co-written by her sister June called "Ring of Fire". After hearing the record, her future brother-in-law Johnny Cash reportedly dreamed of hearing Mexican horns on the record and told Anita that if her song did not hit in five or six months he would record it "the way I feel about it." After the song failed to make the charts, Cash recorded it in March 1963 with the horns and the Carter Sisters (along with mother Maybelle Carter). The revised song went on to gain wide international popularity and became one of the biggest hits of his career.
Anita married fiddler Dale Potter in 1950 (div.), session musician Don Davis in 1953 (divorced and then re-married), and Bob Wootton (lead guitarist for Johnny Cash's band The Tennessee Three) in 1974 (divorced). She had two children, Lorrie Frances and John Christopher.
Anita Carter died at the age of 66 after several years of poor health, a year after eldest sister Helen and four years before middle sister June.
That's What It's Like To Be Lonesome
Anita Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your voice gets choked so you can't speak
Every day seems like a week
And that's what it's like to be lonesome
You get too blue to stay at home
But in a crowd you're still alone
Everyone has a hope that's died
Everyone cries a tear inside
Everyone has a cross to bear
But I've got more than my share
Your mind is built with memories
Your heart cries out for sympathy
An empty blue eternity
The lyrics of Anita Carter's song "That's What It's Like To Be Lonesome" describe the pain and emptiness one feels when experiencing profound loneliness. The opening lines paint a picture of a person who is visibly upset, with tears rolling down their cheek and a choked voice that prevents them from speaking. The sense of time is distorted, with each day feeling like a week, emphasizing the heaviness of their solitude.
The lyrics express the paradoxical nature of loneliness. The person longs to escape their blue state of mind but finds that even in a crowd, they still feel alone. This loneliness becomes overwhelming to the point where they lose the will to continue. The song hints at the universal experience of pain and sorrow, as everyone has hopes that fail, cries internal tears, and carries burdens in life. However, the singer suggests that their own experience of loneliness surpasses what is considered their fair share, implying an even deeper level of isolation and sadness.
The lyrics also explore the internal landscape of a lonely person's mind and heart. Their mind becomes a repository of memories, perhaps reflecting on happier times that exacerbate their feelings of emptiness. Their heart longs for sympathy and understanding, highlighting the desperate need for emotional connection. The final line, "an empty blue eternity," captures the depth and timeless nature of their lonesomeness, suggesting that it feels like an eternal, empty void.
Overall, Anita Carter's "That's What It's Like To Be Lonesome" delves into the overwhelming emotional experience of loneliness, highlighting the intense pain, isolation, and longing for connection that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Tears keep rolling down your cheek
Continuous streams of tears flow down your face
Your voice gets choked so you can't speak
Your voice becomes tight and constricted, hindering your ability to communicate
Every day seems like a week
Each day feels unbearably long and stretched out
And that's what it's like to be lonesome
This is the experience of profound loneliness
You get too blue to stay at home
You become overwhelmed with sadness to the point where staying at home is unbearable
But in a crowd you're still alone
Even amidst a gathering of people, you still feel isolated and lonely
You lose the will to carry on
You no longer have the motivation or desire to continue living
Everyone has a hope that's died
Each individual has experienced the loss of a cherished aspiration
Everyone cries a tear inside
Internally, everyone sheds tears of sadness
Everyone has a cross to bear
Every person carries their own burdens and hardships
But I've got more than my share
However, I have been burdened with an excessive amount of difficulties
Your mind is built with memories
Your thoughts and consciousness are constructed with a multitude of recollections
Your heart cries out for sympathy
Your emotional core yearns for understanding and compassion
An empty blue eternity
A vast expanse of emptiness filled with profound sadness and melancholy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
barrygioportmorien1
A great singer who never got her due...Her Niece, Carlene, June's daughter, has a voice a lot like hers, I am surprised she hasn't covered these excellent songs by Anita.
TheCaptainSato
One of Great female Country singer and her beautiful voice.!!! I've never heard Anita's version before. Thank you for nice posting. ... Capt.Sato
joe smith
Anita, you passed much too soon.
We all miss you and the joy you gave to so many people
whispperson
Love this lady.
Ramsey propteries
LEAVING US SO SOON GOD MUST HAVE LOVED HER VOICE SO MUCH HE TOOK HER HOME TO SING FOR HIM ALONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mrblindfreddy9999
anita makes the others look like amateurs
spazhat
1 zzz
Antonio Roberto Filho
Nana m