Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, - April 22, 2011, born Mercer County, West Vir… Read Full Bio ↴Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, - April 22, 2011, born Mercer County, West Virginia) an American bluegrass singer. She was the eighth child of an eleven-child mining family in West Virginia. Her music is characterized by not only her "high lonesome" singing style, but also by her provocative pro-union, feminist songs.
Poverty drove the Dickens to move to the Baltimore, Maryland area when Dickins was nineteen. There she met Mike Seeger, younger brother of Pete Seeger and founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers and became active in the Baltimore-Washington area bluegrass and folk music scene during the 1960s. During this time she also established a collaborative relationship with Mike Seeger's wife, Alice Gerrard, and as "Hazel & Alice" recorded two albums for the Folkways label: "Who's That Knocking (And Other Bluegrass Country Music) (1965)" and "Won't You Come & Sing for Me (1973)". In this regard, Dickens and Gerrard were bluegrass bandleaders at a time when the vast majority of bluegrass bands were led by men.

Dickens appeared in the documentary Harlan County, USA and also contributed four songs to the soundtrack of the same film. She has also appeared in the film Matewan.

Dickins continues to record and perform all of her life. Her voice is among the most powerful and moving of all bluegrass singers, male or female.

Hazel Dickens died April 22, 2011 at the Washington Home hospice in the District. She was 75 and had complications from pneumonia. Bless you old girl.

A Few Old Memories
Hazel Dickens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just a few old memories
Slipped in through my door
Though I thought I had closed it
So tightly before
I can't understand it
Why it should bother my mind
For it all belongs to another place and time

Just a few old keep-sakes
Way back on the shelf
No, they don't mean nothin'
Well I'm surprised they're still left
Just a few old love letters
With the edges all brown
And an old faded picture
I keep turned upside-down

Just a few old memories
Going way back in time
Well I can hardly remember
I don't know why I'm cryin'
I can't understand it
Well I'm surprised myself
First thing tomorrow morning
I'll clean off that shelf

Just a few old keep-sakes
Way back on the shelf
No, they don't mean nothin'
Well I'm surprised that they're left
Just a few old love letters
With their edges all brown

And an old faded picture
I keep turned upside-down

Overall Meaning

In Hazel Dickens's song A Few Old Memories, the singer is reminiscing about their past and reflecting on the presence of a few old memories that have made their way back into their life. The memories come in the form of keepsakes, love letters and old photographs that have been stored away on a shelf for some time. Despite the singer's attempts to leave their past behind, they can't help but be affected by these few old memories. They are taken aback by the emotional reaction they elicit and struggle to understand why they are bothering them so much.

As the song progresses, the singer becomes more reflective of the past and the emotions that they are experiencing. They acknowledge that these memories belong to another place and time and are surprised that they still seem to hold so much power over them. Eventually, the singer decides to take action and clean off the shelf in the morning. While they are unsure of why they are crying and what these memories truly mean to them, they are eager to confront their emotions and move forward.

Overall, A Few Old Memories is a poignant reflection on the power of nostalgia and the impact that the past can have on our emotions. The lyrics convey a sense of palpable sadness and longing for a time that has passed. Through the singer's struggle to understand their emotions, we are reminded of the complexities of memory and how it can often be difficult to reconcile our past with our present.

Line by Line Meaning

Just a few old memories
A small amount of reminiscences

Slipped in through my door
Entered my mind without invitation

Though I thought I had closed it
Despite thinking I had blocked it out

So tightly before
Completely shut off

I can't understand it
I don't comprehend

Why it should bother my mind
Why it affects my thoughts

For it all belongs to another place and time
Because it's all in the past

Just a few old keep-sakes
Merely some mementos

Way back on the shelf
Long left untouched

No, they don't mean nothin'
They carry no significance

Well I'm surprised they're still left
I'm astonished they haven't been disposed of