Though her recording career had begun in the late 1970s with her eponymous debut album, it was with 1990's I Fell in Love that Carter's career really took off, with the album and title song topping the US country albums and singles charts, respectively. The album, which featured straight-ahead, retro-sounding country (her prior work had combined country, rock and roll and pop sounds), was among the first successes of the 1990s "neotraditionalist" movement in country. 1993's Little Love Letters featured the hit "Every Little Thing", which was accompanied by one of the top-rated music videos of the year.
Carter's winning stream ended with 1995's Little Acts of Treason, which, while critically well received, failed to achieve the commercial success of the Carter's two previous releases.
She also found limited amounts of fame with the song "It takes one to know me", which was released on the albums "Johnny Cash the Legend" and "Johnny and June duets". Originally recorded in 1977 with a full string backing group, it was lost in a tape collection in Hendersonville and uncovered in 2003. It was then remastered by her brother John Carter Cash. In the remastered version, John added his and his wife Laura's backing vocals and a guest appearance from Carlene herself - more than 35 years after she wrote and recorded the song.
She was played by Victoria Hester in the movie Walk the Line.
The track 'Every Little Thing' is also featured in the pinball machine 'Red and Ted's Road Show' released by Williams Electronic Games in 1994. Carter also does the voice of one of the main characters in the pinball game
Come On Back
Carlene Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In every dive from here to memphis
Lookin' for something to fill the hole
In your poor little heart
And keep out the cold
Why does love have to hurt so bad
To drive a man downtown every night
Something's real wrong
In the morning when i wake up
You'll still be gone
[Chorus]
Come on back to the one who really loves you
Baby come on back to me
Come on back to the one who really cares
Baby come on back to me
Out chasing shadows on the dark side of town
You can't hold what you can't catch
It's a bitter business this running around
When the penny drops it's a lonely sound
Women are fools when it comes to you
They gotcha doin' things you can't undo
Like a chain of heartaches around your neck
Give 'em enough rope and they'll hang you yet
[Chorus: x2]
Why does love have to hurt so bad
To drive a man downtown every night
I tell ya something ain't right
Something's real wrong
In the morning when i wake up
You'll still be gone
[Chorus: x2]
In Carlene Carter's song Come On Back, the lyrics refer to someone who has been out in the world looking for a way to fill a hole in their heart and to escape the coldness they feel. This person has been going from dive to dive, chasing shadows in the dark side of town. The singer of the song questions why love has to hurt so much that it drives a person to this lifestyle every night. The song suggests that love can be difficult and can leave one feeling lonely, but the singer is still pleading with this person to come back to her.
The chorus of the song repeats the plea for the person to come back to the singer, who really loves and cares for them. It suggests that the person has been with other women who have led him down a path of heartache, and now they have a chain of heartaches around their neck. The chorus repeats the same plea for this person to come back, highlighting the singer's loyalty and love.
The song explores the themes of love, heartbreak, and loyalty. It suggests that love can be difficult and can drive a person to make bad decisions, but the singer still believes in the power of love to bring this person back to her. The song has a melancholic tone, with the lyrics and music conveying the sadness and loneliness of the singer and the person she is singing about.
Line by Line Meaning
You been out there layin' low
You've been hiding and staying out of sight
In every dive from here to memphis
You've been visiting every rough or low-quality establishment around this area up until Memphis
Lookin' for somethin' to fill the hole
Searching for something to fulfill and satisfy the emptiness inside you
In your poor little heart
In your emotionally deprived and sorrowful heart
And keep out the cold
And to stop yourself from feeling lonely
Why does love have to hurt so bad
Why does love have to cause so much emotional pain
To drive a man downtown every night
To compel a man to go to the lowest places and spend his nights there
I tell ya somethin' ain't right
This behavior seems wrong and unhealthy
Something's real wrong
Something is terribly wrong
In the mornin' when I wake up
The next day when I wake up
You'll still be gone
You'll still be away and missing
Come on back to the one who really loves you
Return to the person who genuinely loves you
Baby come on back to me
Darling, come back to me
Come on back to the one who really cares
Come back to the individual who genuinely cares
Baby come on back to me
Darling, come back to me
Out chasin' shadows on the dark side of town
You're pursuing intangible and elusive things in the shadier areas of town
You can't hold what you can't catch
You cannot hold onto something that you cannot capture or obtain
It's a bitter business this runnin' around
It's a harsh and unpleasant endeavor, this aimless wandering
When the penny drops it's a lonely sound
When the realization hits, it's a desolate and lonely feeling
Women are fools when it comes to you
Women tend to act foolishly in regards to you
They gotcha doin' things you can't undo
They have caused you to do things that you cannot undo or take back
Like a chain of heartaches around your neck
Similar to a chain made of heartbreak hanging around your neck, it's a heavy burden to carry
Give 'em enough rope and they'll hang you yet
Give them enough freedom and they will eventually get you into trouble or cause your downfall
Chorus: Come on back to the one who really loves you, Baby come on back to me, Come on back to the one who really cares, Baby come on back to me
Refrain: Return to the person who genuinely loves and cares for you, darling, come back to me
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENNY CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind