He was exposed to traditional music through his mother Ruth Crawford-Seeger and father Charles Seeger, who worked with musicologists John and Alan Lomax.
He was an accomplished musician; a distinctive singer who played autoharp, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mouth harp, mandolin, and dobro.
His influence on the folk scene is described at some length by Bob Dylan in his book, Chronicles.
A week before his 76th birthday, Seeger died at his home in Lexington, Virginia on August 7, 2009, after stopping cancer treatment.
Memory Of Your Smile
Mike Seeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't know where I'm going or where I been.
Nobody that I meet realizes
That I'm trying but I know I just can't win.
And the memory of your smile
It nearly drives me wild
Ain't nothing ever gonna ease my mind.
I counted so on you
I'm lost from a love I'll never find
The first stanza of Mike Seeger's song Memory Of Your Smile talks about the singer walking from one bar to another aimlessly, lost in his own thoughts. He doesn't know where he's heading or where he's been. He is struggling with his emotions and is making an effort to distract himself by moving around. However, nobody that he meets understands the turmoil he's in. He is trying hard to cope with the pain of a broken heart, but nothing seems to work.
The second stanza talks about the memory of the woman he loved, and her smile is driving him wild. The pain of losing her love is so intense that it has become unbearable. He thought she was true to him, and he had put all his faith in her, but she let him down. He is lost and hopeless, and he knows that he'll never find a love like hers again.
Overall, the song is about the pain of losing someone who meant the world to you. The memory of their smile, their touch, their presence becomes unbearable, and you can't help but feel lost and hopeless. Despite the singer's efforts to move on, the memory of his lost love haunts him wherever he goes.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm walking from one bar to another,
I'm wandering aimlessly, moving from one drinking establishment to the next.
And I don't know where I'm going or where I been.
I'm lost and disoriented, unsure of both my destination and my past.
Nobody that I meet realizes
I'm surrounded by people, but no one understands the pain and struggles I'm going through.
That I'm trying but I know I just can't win.
I'm putting in effort to overcome my problems, but I feel like success is just out of reach.
And the memory of your smile
The recollection of your joyful expression from the past.
It nearly drives me wild
Thinking about you brings on intense emotions and makes me feel out of control.
Ain't nothing ever gonna ease my mind.
There's no way to alleviate the agony I'm feeling inside.
I thought you'd be true
I believed that you were committed and loyal to me.
I counted so on you
I depended heavily on you and trusted you completely.
I'm lost from a love I'll never find
I'm still searching for a love that I've already lost and will never be able to recapture.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARTER STANLEY, RUBY RAKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind