Tracy Grammer saw Dave Carter perform three songs at a songwriter's showcase shortly after she moved to Portland, Oregon in 1996. "Here were stories that could stand alone as poetry, sung with compassion, intelligence, and a hint of Texas twang,” Grammer says. “I knew instantly that I was in the presence of greatness; I knew I had received my calling in life.” They met on their way out the door and by late 1997 had entered into a mutual "marriage in music."
Their unique strengths and diverse backgrounds came together in powerful synergy. Carter conjured mystical, romantic, true fictions while Grammer complemented his expert guitar, banjo, and voice with beautifully intoned violin, mandolin and emotionally potent vocals. Building on Carter's impressive songwriting wins at Kerrville, Wildflower and Napa Valley, the duo recorded their first album, When I Go, in Grammer's kitchen. The simple, no-frills recording garnered the unknown duo a full-page feature article in the Los Angeles Times, naming Carter "a major lyrical talent" and declaring their self-released album a "discovery of the year."
The duo signed to Massachusetts-based label Signature Sounds in 2000 and released two chart-topping albums of what they called “postmodern, mythic American folk music.” In addition to heavy airplay across AAA, Americana and folk radio stations, the duo was highly celebrated by the press. The Boston Globe declared that "If the voice of modern folk is changing - it is going to sound a lot like Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer.” The flood of praise resulted in a full calendar of concert dates and an invitation to join folk icon Joan Baez on her spring 2002 east coast tour as both featured artists and band members. Grammer found herself in the spotlight as the instrumental soloist and backing vocalist, while Carter's compositions were being performed alongside songs by Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Merle Haggard and Steve Earle -- an incredible endorsement by one of the foremost curators and interpreters of modern American songwriting.
Then, on the morning of Friday, July 19, in a room at the duo’s favorite hotel in Hadley, Massachusetts, Carter returned from a run complaining of chest pains. Soon thereafter, he died in Grammer's arms from a massive heart attack, just three weeks shy of his 50th birthday.
Grammer embraced the musical community's collective loss, anchoring musical tributes at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (which continues to honor Carter annually) and the official Portland memorial tribute, which featured Joan Baez, Richard Shindell and others.
Grammer continues to perform Carter’s songs and has produced three solo and two duo albums since Carter’s death, including the critically acclaimed tribute CD Flower of Avalon with John Jennings as co-producer and Mary Chapin Carpenter contributing backing vocals and liner notes. In 2012 Red House Records releases Little Blue Egg, an album of previously-unreleased Dave & Tracy recordings. The CD includes eleven tracks, with five additional songs to be released throughout 2012 as part of a year-long celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of Carter’s death and what would have been his 60th birthday.
Tanglewood Tree
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a forest at dawn
Fair while the mockingbird sings, but she soon lifts her wings
And the music is gone
Young lovers in the tall grass with their hearts open wide
When the red summer poppies bloom
But love is a trackless domain and the rumor of rain in the late afternoon
When the long shadows cast
Thin as a vagrant young vine, it encircles and twines
And it holds the heart fast
Catches dreamers in the wildwood with the stars in their eyes
And the moon in their tousled hair
But love is a light in the sky, and an unspoken lie
And a half-whispered prayer
I'm walkin' down a bone-dry river but the cool mirage runs true
I'm bankin' on the fables of the far, far better things we do
I'm livin' for the day of reck'nin countin' down the hours
I yearn away, i burn away, i turn away the fairest flower of love, 'cause darlin . . .
Love is a garden of thorns, and a crow in the corn
love's garden of thorns, how it grows, black crow in the corn hummin' low
And the brake growing wild
brake nettle so pretty and wild and thistles surround the edge of the
Cold when the summer is spent in the jade heart's lament
dark hour as the sun moves away, lamenting a lost summer day''
For the faith of a child
who nurtures the faith of a child when nothing remains to cover her eyes?
My body has a number and my face has a name
my body has a number, maybe my face has a name
And each day looks the same to me
each hour like each hour before
But love is a voice on the wind, and the wages of sin
this longing is a voice on the wind, she cultivates the wages of sin
And a tanglewood tree
in a tanglewood tree
The opening stanza of "Tanglewood Tree" by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer is an ode to the complexity of love. Love may appear to be a beautiful and lush tree, set against the backdrop of a verdant forest, but it can be fickle and transitory, disappearing as quickly as it arrived. The song is about the various forms love can take, from the intense passion of young lovers in the tall grass to the perseverance of an old root that twines tightly around the heart. Love is often compared to nature, described as a light in the sky, an unspoken lie, and a half-whispered prayer. It's a force that's alive and ever-changing, and the song asks us to appreciate its many forms and manifestations.
As the song progresses, it turns into a reflection on the passing of time and the inevitability of death. The image of a bone-dry river gives the song a bleak, desolate quality, and the idea of "livin' for the day of reck'nin" suggests a deep desire for salvation. Despite this, the singer ultimately turns away from love, understanding that it's a garden of thorns, a place where crows lurk in the corn and nettles grow wild. The final lines of the song, however, suggest a deeper appreciation for love. Although each day may look the same, and life may seem monotonous, love is still present, like a voice on the wind or a tanglewood tree, blooming even in the midst of chaos and decay.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is a tanglewood tree in a bower of green
Love is complex and intertwined like a tanglewood tree surrounded by lush greenery
In a forest at dawn
This love metaphor exists in a tranquil natural setting at daybreak
Fair while the mockingbird sings, but she soon lifts her wings
Love may seem sweet and harmonious while it lasts but it can end suddenly
And the music is gone
When love ends, the beauty and joy that it once brought is also gone
Young lovers in the tall grass with their hearts open wide
Love is most intense and passionate in the early stages of a relationship
When the red summer poppies bloom
This usually happens in the summertime, when everything is vibrant and alive
But love is a trackless domain and the rumor of rain in the late afternoon
Love can be unpredictable and elusive, like a storm that may or may not come at the end of the day
Love is an old root that creeps through the meadows of sleep
Love can persist even in our dreams and subconscious mind
When the long shadows cast
This may be at dusk or in a state of darkness or uncertainty
Thin as a vagrant young vine, it encircles and twines
Love can be fragile and temporary, yet it has the ability to cling to one's heart
And it holds the heart fast
Love has the power to captivate and make us feel deeply
Catches dreamers in the wildwood with the stars in their eyes
Love can bring us to a place of wonder and enchantment
And the moon in their tousled hair
This imagery represents the romance and beauty that can come with love
But love is a light in the sky, and an unspoken lie
Love can be seen and felt, but it can also deceive or be unrequited
And a half-whispered prayer
Love can be something that we long for or hope for in secret
I'm walkin' down a bone-dry river but the cool mirage runs true
The artist may be feeling hopeless or empty, but they still cling to the idea of a better reality
I'm bankin' on the fables of the far, far better things we do
This could mean holding onto hope for a better future or idealizing past relationships and memories
I'm livin' for the day of reck'nin countin' down the hours
The singer may be waiting for some event in the future that they perceive as a turning point
I yearn away, i burn away, i turn away the fairest flower of love, 'cause darlin . . .
Despite their romanticized perspective, the singer may be avoiding love in reality
Love is a garden of thorns, and a crow in the corn
Love can be painful or deceptive, just like a garden can be filled with danger and pests
love's garden of thorns, how it grows, black crow in the corn hummin' low
This repetition emphasizes the theme of love's difficulties
And the brake growing wild
The brake is a type of shrub that can overgrow, representing a lack of control or chaos
brake nettle so pretty and wild and thistles surround the edge of the
This imagery continues to represent the wild, untamed nature of love
Dark hour as the sun moves away, lamenting a lost summer day
This expresses a sense of loss or regret during a time of change or endings
Who nurtures the faith of a child when nothing remains to cover her eyes?
This line may be talking about how love can give us hope and belief even when times are tough
My body has a number and my face has a name
The singer may be feeling disconnected or alone in their identity
Each day looks the same to me
This could represent a sense of stagnation or monotony in life
But love is a voice on the wind, and the wages of sin
Love can be something that haunts us or tempts us, and also has consequences
This longing is a voice on the wind, she cultivates the wages of sin
The artist recognizes the pull of love, and how it may lead to negative outcomes
And a tanglewood tree
This final line reminds us of the complexity and depth of love that was introduced in the beginning of the song
Contributed by Lincoln H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Richard Samsel
on Red (elegy)
Sweet Matia is a 9 mm pistol, not a woman. Kerosene is a natural cleaner. These lines foretell danger, followed by a switch to Mr Rogers. Dave Carter was a genius. Heard him several times. Talked to him once. He was extraordinarily gracious.