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.
Only the Lonely
Hazel Dickens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only lonely
Only the lonely will know
I spent a lifetime
Searching for some kind
Of contentment here in my soul
Only sometimes
In a place to come in from the cold
Lost and lonely
Longing for only
One ray of light
In this dark wheel of time
Hearts that's forsakin'
Left silently breakin'
Shipwrecked and lost
On life's stormy sea
Repeat chorus 4 times
In Hazel Dickens's song "Only the Lonely," she sings about the search for contentment and the feeling of being lost and alone. The opening lines set the tone with a repetition of "Only the lonely," emphasizing that unless you have experienced the feeling of loneliness, you cannot fully understand it. The singer sings about spending a lifetime searching for contentment and only finding a little bit of sunshine, and even then, it is only occasional. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is lost and yearning for just a glimpse of hope to hold onto.
As the song continues, the theme of loneliness persists. The image of being shipwrecked on life's stormy sea and silently breaking hearts convey a sense of helplessness and despair. The line "Hearts that's forsakin'" is particularly powerful, as it speaks to the experience of being abandoned or rejected by someone, leaving the heart in a state of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Only the lonely
The feeling of loneliness is known only by those who experience it
Only lonely
Being lonely is not something to be shared or burden others with
Only the lonely will know
The experience of being lonely can only be understood by those who live it
I spent a lifetime
It took many years to realize
Searching for some kind
Looking for any sort
Of contentment here in my soul
Inner peace or happiness in my life
Just a little sunshine
Only brief periods of happiness
Only sometimes
Not always
In a place to come in from the cold
A shelter from the harshness of life
Lost and lonely
Feeling utterly alone and adrift
Longing for only
Desiring only one thing
One ray of light
A glimmer of hope or happiness
In this dark wheel of time
In the difficult and unending cycle of life
Hearts that's forsakin'
Abandoned and neglected hearts
Left silently breakin'
Shattered without making any noise
Shipwrecked and lost
Stranded and without direction
On life's stormy sea
Navigating through the difficult and unpredictable waves of existence
Contributed by Noah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.