Maybelle Carter (May 10, 1909 - October 23, 1978), popularly known as Mothe… Read Full Bio ↴Maybelle Carter (May 10, 1909 - October 23, 1978), popularly known as Mother Maybelle Carter, was an American country musician and a member of The Carter Family, a singing group who had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, southern gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. She had three daughters, Helen Carter, Valerie June Carter (later known as June Carter Cash, following June's marriage to Johnny Cash), and Anita Carter. When the original Carter Family trio stopped recording together in 1943, Maybelle Carter formed Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters with her three daughters. They toured during the 1950s and 1960s.

She was born Maybelle Addington on May 10, 1909 near Nickelsville, Virginia, USA. She was the guitarist, and also played autoharp and banjo, in The Carter Family, a seminal country group formed in 1927 by her brother-in-law, A. P. Carter.

She was widely respected and loved by the Grand Ole Opry community of the early 1950s, and was popularly known as Mother Maybelle. Maybelle and her daughters toured during the 1950s and 1960s as Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters, frequently touring with Johnny Cash (her son-in-law from 1968 on); Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters were regular featured performers on Cash's weekly network variety show from 1969-71. Maybelle also briefly toured with former Carter Family member, Sara Carter, during the 1960s folk music revival.

Maybelle Carter died in 1978 after a few years of poor health, and was interred in Hendersonville Memory Gardens, Hendersonville, Tennessee.

She was the subject of her granddaughter Carlene Carter's 1993 song "Me and the Wildwood Rose".

In 2002 she was ranked #8 in CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music. In 2005, she was portrayed by Sandra Ellis Lafferty in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

Never on Sunday
Maybelle Carter Lyrics

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Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday
A Monday, a Monday is very, very good
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday
A Tuesday, a Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday
A Thursday, a Friday and Saturday is best
But never, never on a Sunday
A Sunday, a Sunday, 'cause that's my day of rest

Most any day you can be my guest
Any day you say, but my day of rest
Just name the day that you like the best
Only stay away on my day of rest

Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day
A wet day, which everyone you choose
Or try to kiss me on a gray day, a May day
A pay day, and see if I refuse
And if you make it on a bleak day

A freak day, a week day, why you can be my guest
But never, never on a Sunday

Overall Meaning

Maybelle Carter's "Never on Sunday" is a playful tune with a catchy melody, but the lyrics reveal a deeper meaning of self-care and boundaries. The singer is open to receiving affection and attention from their loved one on any day of the week, but there is one day that they hold sacred: Sunday, their day of rest. The Sunday represents a day for personal reflection and relaxation, a time to recharge and prepare for the upcoming week. The singer emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and sticking to them, even when it comes to love and intimacy.

By insisting that they do not want to be kissed on Sunday, the singer asserts their independence and reminds their loved one that they are not always available. This is a lesson that can be universally applied in relationships and self-care. It is vital to learn to say no to things that do not serve your well-being or goals, and to prioritize your rest and relaxation.

Never on SundayMaybelle Carter Lyrics

Never on Sunday
Maybelle Carter Lyrics