Boggs was born in Norton, Virginia and began working in the coal mines of Appalachia at the age of twelve. At around this time, Boggs became interested in the banjo. As was the case of many musicians and performers of his era, Boggs learned to play the banjo watching and listening to family members and other performers, drawing additional influence from local African American musicians.
Boggs, while playing a traditional-style of play, did not play in the knock-down, sometimes called clawhammer or frailing style, instead employing a three-finger method that involved picking upwards on the strings of the banjo and permitted him to execute crisp single-note runs in a manner similar to that of a fingerstyle guitarist. Nevertheless, Boggs' style should not be confused with the bluegrass style of playing otherwise known as Scruggs style, made famous by Earl Scruggs, which also involves up-picking the banjo strings.
In 1920 Dock Boggs became influenced by blues tunes. He heard music played and sung by African-Americans while working in the coal mines and around the railroads of Appalachia. In 1927 he attended an audition in Bristol, Tennessee with the Brunswick record company. He was offered a contract to record with Brunswick and as a result travelled to New York where he recorded eight sides: "Sugar Baby," "Down Home Blues," "Country Blues," "Sammie Where Have You Been So Long," "Danville Girl," "Pretty Polly," "New Prisoner's Song" and "Hard Luck Blues." After these sessions, Boggs never recorded for Brunswick again.
By 1933, Boggs had given up hope of making a living as a musician. He hocked his banjo and did not play again until the early 1960s when he was re-discovered by Mike Seeger of the New Lost City Ramblers. As a result of his relationship with Seeger, Boggs enjoyed a renaissance of sorts during the Folk Revival, and recorded again.
False Hearted Lover's Blues
Dock Boggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They'll bite the hand that feeds them, Spend all the money you can save; From your heartstrings weave silk garters, Build their dog house on your grave.
When my earthly stay is over, Sink my dead body in the sea; Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me.
Ragged clothes droppin′ from my body, The wolf growlin' 'round my door; The man who won my darling girl
Will feel the bite of my forty-four.
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body, A false lover is bearin′ on my mind; I′ve roamed the whole world over, Pressure on earth I cannot find.
When my earthly stay is over, Sink my dead body in the sea; Just tell my false hearted lover
If I meet my darling girl again, I'll tell her all about my troubles; Give her the false hearted lover′s blues
And leave her stranded on the pebbles.
All men take this timely warning, Which is for both young and old; Don't try to buy a woman′s love
With the last dollar of your gold.
Take warning, you fair young ladies, If your love and honor you've sold, The men will have no use for you
When your dark hair turns to gold.
When my earthly stay is over, Sink my dead body in the sea; Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me.
The lyrics of Dock Boggs's song "False Hearted Lover's Blues" tell the story of a man who has been let down time and time again by false lovers, with the chorus repeating the haunting line "False hearts have been my downfall." The singer describes how he has lavished attention and money on his lovers, only for them to betray him and leave him with nothing. He laments that he can find no peace in this world and that his only respite may come in his death, as he asks for his body to be sunk into the sea and for his false hearted lover to be informed so that even the whales may "fuss over" him.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses a sense of bitterness and resignation, as he feels that there is no escape from the pain that has been inflicted upon him. He warns others not to make the same mistakes that he did and to avoid trying to buy someone's love with money, as this will only lead to heartache. The repeated mention of the forty-four may signify a gun, suggesting that the singer may feel a sense of aggression towards those who have wronged him.
Overall, "False Hearted Lover's Blues" is a somber and introspective song that reflects upon the pitfalls of love and relationships. It conveys a sense of loss and disappointment while also offering a warning to others about the dangers of pursuing love at any cost.
Line by Line Meaning
False hearts have been my downfall,
My past relationships have caused me to fall down, emotionally.
Pretty women have been my craze;
I have an intense interest in beautiful women.
I′m sure my false hearted lover,
I strongly believe that my unfaithful partner will be the cause of my loneliness and death.
Will drive me to my lonesome grave.
Their betrayal will lead to my loneliness and eventual death.
They'll bite the hand that feeds them,
They will turn against the person who is taking care of them.
Spend all the money you can save;
They will spend all the money that you have saved up.
From your heartstrings weave silk garters,
They will use your emotions to manipulate and control you.
Build their dog house on your grave.
They will show no respect for you even after you pass away.
When my earthly stay is over,
When I die,
Sink my dead body in the sea;
Put my body in the ocean.
Just tell my false hearted lover
Inform the person who betrayed me
That the whales will fuss over me.
That even the whales will grieve for me more than my unfaithful partner.
Ragged clothes droppin′ from my body,
I will have nothing left and be in a poor state.
The wolf growlin' 'round my door;
I will be in a bad situation, with danger lurking nearby.
The man who won my darling girl
The person who stole my love
Will feel the bite of my forty-four.
They will suffer the consequences of their wrongdoings.
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body,
I have faced physical damage due to my addiction to corn whiskey.
A false lover is bearin′ on my mind;
My past unfaithful partner still haunts me mentally.
I′ve roamed the whole world over,
I have traveled to different places.
Pressure on earth I cannot find.
I cannot find peace or comfort on this planet.
If I meet my darling girl again,
In case I reunite with my past love
I'll tell her all about my troubles;
I will share my problems with her.
Give her the false hearted lover′s blues
I will share the same pain and suffering that I had to experience because of an unfaithful lover.
And leave her stranded on the pebbles.
I will abandon her to her own worries and problems.
All men take this timely warning,
All men should pay heed to this wise advice.
Which is for both young and old;
This advice is applicable to people of all ages.
Don't try to buy a woman′s love
Do not attempt to purchase someone's affection.
With the last dollar of your gold.
Do not give away all your wealth to impress someone.
Take warning, you fair young ladies,
Ladies should pay attention.
If your love and honor you've sold,
If you have traded your love and respect for something else,
The men will have no use for you
People will not value you anymore.
When your dark hair turns to gold.
When you grow old and lose your beauty.
Writer(s): S. Kelvigdam
Contributed by Camilla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hendrikniehaus7747
False hearts have been my downfall
Pretty women have been my craze
I'm sure my false hearted lover
Will drive me to my lonesome grave
They'll bite the hand that feeds them
Spend all the money you can save
From your heartstrings weave silk garters
Build their dog house on your grave
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
Ragged clothes droppin' from my body
The wolf growlin' 'round my door
The man who won my darling girl
Will feel the bite of my forty-four
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body
A false lover is bearin' on my mind
I've roamed the whole world over
Pressure on earth I cannot find
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
If I meet my darling girl again
I'll tell her all about my troubles
Give her the false hearted lover's blues
And leave her stranded on the pebbles
All men take this timely warning
Which is for both young and old
Don't try to buy a woman's love
With the last dollar of your gold
Take warning, you fair young ladies
If your love and honor you've sold
The men will have no use for you
When your dark hair turns to gold
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
@evansgate
False hearts have been my downfall, pretty women have been my craze
I'm sure my false hearted lover will drive me to my lonesome grave
They'll bite the hand that feeds them, spend the money that you saved
From your heartstrings and silk garters they'll build a doghouse on your grave
When my earthly stay is over, sink my dead body in the sea
You can tell my false hearted lover that the whales will watch over me
Baggy clothes are dropping from my body and wolves howl around my door
May the man who won my darling girl will feel the bite of my forty-four
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body and false hearted love is on my mind
I've roamed the whole world over, pleasures here on earth I cannot find
When my earthly stay is over, sink my dead body in the sea
You can tell my false hearted lover that the whales will watch over me
If I meet my darling girl again, I'll tell her about my troubles
I'd give her these false hearted lovers blues and leave her stranded in the shallows
I hope you take this timely warning, it is both for young and old
Don't try to buy a woman's love with the last dollar that you own
Take warning you young ladies, with your love and honor you have shown
For man will have no use for you when your dark hat turns to gold
When my earthly stay is over, sink my dead body in the sea
You can tell my false hearted lover that the whales will watch over me
@jean-micheldehalu6572
False hearts have been my downfall
Pretty women have been my craze
I'm sure my false hearted lover
Will drive me to my lonesome grave
They'll bite the hand that feeds them
Spend all the money you can save
From your heartstrings weave silk garters
Build their dog house on your grave
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
Ragged clothes droppin' from my body
The wolf growlin' 'round my door
The man who won my darling girl
Will feel the bite of my forty-four
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body
A false lover is bearin' on my mind
I've roamed the whole world over
Pressure on earth I cannot find
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
If I meet my darling girl again
I'll tell her all about my troubles
Give her the false hearted lover's blues
And leave her stranded on the pebbles
All men take this timely warning
Which is for both young and old
Don't try to buy a woman's love
With the last dollar of your gold
Take warning, you fair young ladies
If your love and honor you've sold
The men will have no use for you
When your dark hair turns to gold
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
@MrSwedblues
Wonderful! I love this Dock Boggs song!
@melissalee777
My great great uncle, thank you for sharing this original 20s recording!
@hendrikniehaus7747
False hearts have been my downfall
Pretty women have been my craze
I'm sure my false hearted lover
Will drive me to my lonesome grave
They'll bite the hand that feeds them
Spend all the money you can save
From your heartstrings weave silk garters
Build their dog house on your grave
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
Ragged clothes droppin' from my body
The wolf growlin' 'round my door
The man who won my darling girl
Will feel the bite of my forty-four
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body
A false lover is bearin' on my mind
I've roamed the whole world over
Pressure on earth I cannot find
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
If I meet my darling girl again
I'll tell her all about my troubles
Give her the false hearted lover's blues
And leave her stranded on the pebbles
All men take this timely warning
Which is for both young and old
Don't try to buy a woman's love
With the last dollar of your gold
Take warning, you fair young ladies
If your love and honor you've sold
The men will have no use for you
When your dark hair turns to gold
When my earthly stay is over
Sink my dead body in the sea
Just tell my false hearted lover
That the whales will fuss over me
@GBsavant
Thank you.
@MrBigRedgie
Sure that's "Pressure on earth I cannot find" not "Pleasure ... "?
@martinnibataan7046
*pleasure on earth I can not find
@MikeTheBarber63
it is art, pure and simple!
@evansgate
False hearts have been my downfall, pretty women have been my craze
I'm sure my false hearted lover will drive me to my lonesome grave
They'll bite the hand that feeds them, spend the money that you saved
From your heartstrings and silk garters they'll build a doghouse on your grave
When my earthly stay is over, sink my dead body in the sea
You can tell my false hearted lover that the whales will watch over me
Baggy clothes are dropping from my body and wolves howl around my door
May the man who won my darling girl will feel the bite of my forty-four
Corn whiskey has wrecked my body and false hearted love is on my mind
I've roamed the whole world over, pleasures here on earth I cannot find
When my earthly stay is over, sink my dead body in the sea
You can tell my false hearted lover that the whales will watch over me
If I meet my darling girl again, I'll tell her about my troubles
I'd give her these false hearted lovers blues and leave her stranded in the shallows
I hope you take this timely warning, it is both for young and old
Don't try to buy a woman's love with the last dollar that you own
Take warning you young ladies, with your love and honor you have shown
For man will have no use for you when your dark hat turns to gold
When my earthly stay is over, sink my dead body in the sea
You can tell my false hearted lover that the whales will watch over me
@Trifecta_With_A_Twist
Love that pickin' style.
@100tarasuk
great tune