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
Heart Is Right
Carlene Carter Lyrics
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When I'm down at heart
And fills me with a hope that we can start
To change the way we feel
With just a glimpse
Of something real
Every night
We hold on tight
If your heart is right
You can't go wrong
You can't go wrong
When the world is wicked
And worse for wear
Love's the ticket
To anywhere
It's a journey deep inside
Lift you up into
The wild blue sky
A better life
Is clear in sight
So come along
If your heart is right
You can't go wrong
You can't go wrong
What a complicated
Work of art
This power driven thing
We call the heart
It runs on pure emotion
Stronger than a ragin' ocean
Heaven knows how it flows
On and on
If your heart is right
You can't go wrong
You can't go wrong
If your heart is right
You can't go wrong
If your heart is right
You can't go wrong
You can't go wrong
You can't go wrong
If your heart is right
You can't go wrong
In the song "Heart Is Right" by Carlene Carter, the lyrics speak about the power of love to lift us up when we are feeling down. The song expresses the idea that love can change the way we feel and even change the course of our lives. The lyrics emphasize that having the right attitude and a good heart are important in navigating life successfully. Love is portrayed as a journey that takes us inside ourselves and lifts us up into the "wild blue sky" where we can see a better life.
Carter also sings about the complexity of the heart as an emotional organ that flows like a "ragin' ocean." The song seems to suggest that love is the key to calming this powerful force and finding direction in life. Despite the world being full of wickedness and weariness, love is presented as a universal solution that can take us anywhere. The chorus repeats the idea that if our heart is right, we can't go wrong, suggesting that having a well-intentioned heart is the ultimate guide to making the right choices in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Love lifts me up
Love brings me out from a sad and low place.
When I'm down at heart
When I am emotionally low and discouraged.
And fills me with a hope that we can start
Love gives me a positive outlook that we can initiate change.
To change the way we feel
To alter our emotions and moods.
With just a glimpse
With just a brief glance or moment.
Of something real
Of something that is genuine and not fake or phony.
Every night
Each night without exception.
We hold on tight
We embrace each other firmly and refuse to let go.
Love makes us strong
Love makes us emotionally and spiritually resilient and powerful.
If your heart is right
If your emotions and intentions are pure and good.
You can't go wrong
You cannot fail or be unsuccessful.
When the world is wicked
When the world is full of evil and sin.
And worse for wear
And in a bad and weakened condition.
Love's the ticket
Love is the solution or answer for our problems.
To anywhere
To any situation or circumstance in life.
It's a journey deep inside
It's an inner journey into our hearts and souls.
Lift you up into
Elevate and raise you into.
The wild blue sky
The vast, open, and limitless expanse above us.
A better life
A life that is improved and better than before.
Is clear in sight
We can see and visualize a better life ahead of us.
So come along
Join us and experience the journey of love and hope.
What a complicated
What a complex and intricate.
Work of art
Creation of a masterpiece.
This power driven thing
The heart is a force to be reckoned with.
We call the heart
We name or refer to the heart in this manner.
It runs on pure emotion
It operates on undiluted feelings and sentiments.
Stronger than a raging ocean
More resilient and intense than a tumultuous sea.
Heaven knows how it flows
It is unclear and unknown how the heart functions.
On and on
Continuously and endlessly.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carlene Carter, Howie Epstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind