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.

Beyond the Rive Bend
Hazel Dickens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a path that leads back through my memories
And how often I've walked it these days
Where I find sweet piece among the flowers
On the grassy banks beyond the river bend

But it's only a memory
Yes it's only a memory my friend
Yes it's only a memory

I can never go back home again

Down by the river
Down by the old river bend
Down by the river
The sweet fragrance of flowers

Oh it seems life troubles and trials
Get harder and harder to mend
Oh how sweet it would be to sit down
On the grassy banks beyond the river bend

But it's only a memory
Yes it's only a memory my friend
Yes it's only a memory
I can never go back home again

Down by the river
Down by the old river bend

Down by the river
The sweet fragrance of flowers

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hazel Dickens's song "Beyond the River Bend" reflect the universal sentiment of nostalgia and the yearning for home. The singer reflects on a path through their memories that they have walked often in recent days. This path grants them solace and tranquil beauty, as they find "sweet peace among the flowers on the grassy banks beyond the river bend." However, amidst the idyllic imagery, the singer recognizes the harsh reality that they can never go back. The tranquil beauty of this memory is only that, a memory. The repetition of the statement "it's only a memory" emphasizes the finality of the situation, that the singer's home is forever in the past.

As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges the difficulties they face in their present life, and how they long to return to the "grassy banks beyond the river bend" to escape their troubles. However, they can only do so in their memories, as the idyllic home will never be physical reality again. The sweet fragrance of flowers evokes a sense of comfort and peace, which is lost in the harshness of reality.

Overall, "Beyond the River Bend" is a poignant song that touches on the universal themes of home, nostalgia, and the harsh reality of life. The lyrics capture the sentiment of many who long for a simpler time and a return to a place that cannot be regained.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a path that leads back through my memories
I often walk down memory lane

And how often I've walked it these days
I frequently reminisce these days

Where I find sweet piece among the flowers
I find solace among the flowers

On the grassy banks beyond the river bend
On the peaceful banks beyond the river's curve

But it's only a memory
However, it's just a memory

Yes it's only a memory my friend
Yes, my friend, it's only a memory

Yes it's only a memory
Once again, it's just a memory

I can never go back home again
I can never return home

Down by the river
By the river

Down by the old river bend
By the familiar bend in the river

Down by the river
By the river once again