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.
Scars from an Old Love
Hazel Dickens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All his sweet love has started to show
I know that I need him, but trustin his love
But the scars from an old love haven't quite healed enough
Yes the battle is over, but healing takes time
Leave it all them old memories behind
I know that I love him, need him so much
Yes the battle is over, and the victor has fled
Wounded and dying, one lonely heart bled
Now love sounds her bugle, playing loves old sweet song
While the scars from an old love haven't quite all gone
Yes the battle is over, but healing takes time
Leave it all them old memories behind
I know that I love him, need him so much
But the scars from an old love haven't quite healed enough
In the song Scars from an Old Love by Hazel Dickens, the singer sings about a dilemma she is facing - loving someone new while still carrying the emotional scars from a past love. She acknowledges the sweetness of her new love's affection and her need for him, but also confesses that the wounds caused by her old love haven't fully healed yet. The lyrics evoke a sense of vulnerability and hesitation that come with the fear of getting hurt again in a new relationship.
The song captures the idea that emotional healing is a gradual process, and even when we think we have moved on, the scars from a past love can still linger. The lyrics also offer a message of hope - that love can still triumph over pain, and even if the scars don't completely go away, we can still find love and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I held him as close as I dared to go
I showed him affection, but I still kept some distance.
All his sweet love has started to show
He's beginning to express genuine love for me.
I know that I need him, but trustin his love
I want to be with him, but I'm hesitant to fully trust him.
But the scars from an old love haven't quite healed enough
I still have emotional wounds from a previous relationship that haven't fully healed.
Yes the battle is over, but healing takes time
Our relationship struggles are over, but it takes time for emotional wounds to heal.
Leave it all them old memories behind
We should move on from past relationship struggles and focus on our current love.
I know that I love him, need him so much
I care deeply for him and feel a need to be with him.
But the scars from an old love haven't quite healed enough
Despite my love for him, I still carry emotional pain from a previous relationship.
Yes the battle is over, and the victor has fled
Our past relationship struggles are over, but the emotional scars remain.
Wounded and dying, one lonely heart bled
The emotional pain of past relationships has left me feeling hurt and alone.
Now love sounds her bugle, playing loves old sweet song
Despite past pain, love is calling us to move forward and embrace our current love.
While the scars from an old love haven't quite all gone
Although I am learning to love again, I still have some emotional wounds that need more time to heal.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HAZEL DICKENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind