[edit] Career
Henson's career started in his home state of Oklahoma, performing at clubs around Oklahoma City and Tulsa. His family was active in politics and raised buffalo on a ranch outside Oklahoma City. In the mid 1960s, Henson moved to Nashville and became a member of the vocal group The Kimberlys. After leaving the group, Henson started on his solo career, and in 1967, he signed with Monument Records, and he immediately scored in a big way with a song called "Skip a Rope". The song became a huge hit, spending six weeks at Number 1 on the country charts in 1968 and also making the Top 25 on the Pop charts.
[edit] After Skip a Rope and Later Career
After "Skip a Rope", Cargill continued to have Top 20 hits with such songs as "Row Row Row" (1968), "None Of My Business" (his only other Top 10) (1969), and "The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I Ever Heard" (1970). Later, he had a television show, Country Hayride, and performed for many years in Reno and Las Vegas. Johnny Cash was godfather to his oldest son, Cash.
After leaving Monument Records, Henson moved to Mega Records in 1971, where he scored several minor hits. In 1973, he made a strong comeback to the charts when he signed with Atlantic Records and scored 2 Top 30 hits in 1974 with "Some Old California Memory" and a version of Mac Davis' "Stop And Smell The Roses". In 1980, he formed his own record label Copper Mountain Records and he scored his last Top 30 hit that year with "Silence On The Line". In the late 1980s he retired to Oklahoma City and died on March 24, 2007
Husbands and Wives
Henson Cargill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two people each having so much pride inside neither side forgives
The angry words spoken in haste such a waste of two lives
It's my belief pride is the chief cause and a decline
In the number of husbands and wives
A woman and a man a man and a woman
Some can and some can't and some can't
Two broken hearts...
The lyrics of "Husbands and Wives" by Henson Cargill speak to the complexities of human relationships, particularly marriages. The song describes two individuals who are married and yet feel lonely, as if they are "houses where nobody lives." Both husband and wife are filled with pride, unwilling to forgive each other, and as a result, they speak angry words in haste. Cargill argues that pride is the chief cause of the decline in the number of husbands and wives, highlighting how the inability to let go of pride, forgive, and understand one another can lead to the breakdown of marriages.
The song also underscores the ways in which gender roles and societal expectations can impact marital relationships. The title of the song alone - "Husbands and Wives" - reflects the traditional perception of marriage as a partnership between a man and a woman. Additionally, the repetition of the phrase "a man and a woman" and "some can and some can't and some can't" signals the differing expectations and abilities that each person brings to a relationship. Ultimately, the song highlights the challenges of maintaining a healthy and fulfilling marriage, such as pride, unforgiveness, and social norms and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Two broken hearts lonely looking like houses where nobody lives
Two individuals who have suffered from heartbreak, feeling empty and abandoned like unoccupied homes
Two people each having so much pride inside neither side forgives
Two people who are too stubborn to apologize and forgive due to their excessive amount of pride
The angry words spoken in haste such a waste of two lives
The hurtful words said in the heat of the moment only lead to regret, and it is a waste of two lives to let anger control our actions
It's my belief pride is the chief cause and a decline
The singer believes that pride is the main reason for the decline in the number of successful marriages
In the number of husbands and wives
Refers to the decrease in the number of successful marriages, where both partners can coexist equally and happily
A woman and a man a man and a woman
Refers to the different sexes in a relationship, symbolizing the diversity of people who face these challenges
Some can and some can't and some can't
This line is repeated to emphasize the different levels of success some couples experience in their relationships, and how some simply cannot make it work.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron Taylor
on So Many Ways of Saying She's Gone
first time ive heard all these songs-wonderful