The original group consisted of Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter (A.P.; 1891-1960), his wife, Sara Dougherty Carter (autoharp and guitar; 1898-1979), and Maybelle Addington Carter (guitar; 1909-1978). Maybelle Carter (later popularly known as Mother Maybelle Carter) was married to A.P.'s brother Ezra (Eck) Carter. All three were born and raised in southwestern Virginia where they were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing. Maybelle Carter's distinctive and innovative guitar playing style quickly became a hallmark of the group.
The Carters got their start on July 31, 1927 when A.P. convinced Sara and Maybelle (pregnant at the time) to make the journey from Maces Springs, Virginia to Bristol, Tennessee to audition for record producer Ralph Peer who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded.
In the Fall of 1927 the Victor recording company released a double-sided 78 rpm record of the group performing "Wandering Boy" and "Poor Orphan Child". In 1928 another record was released with "The Storms Are on the Ocean" and "Single Girl, Married Girl". This one proved very popular.
They stopped touring and recording in 1943.
In 1987, the three daughters of Maybelle Carter - June Carter (also known as June Carter Cash, following marriage to Johnny Cash), Helen Carter and Anita Carter, along with June Carter's daughter Carlene Carter, appeared as the Carter Family and were featured on a 1987 television episode of Austin City Limits along with Johnny Cash.
The Carters were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970 and were given the nickname "The First Family of Country Music". In 1988, the Carter Family was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and received its Award for the song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring A.P., Sara, and Maybelle. In 2001, the group was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. In 2005, the group received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Carter Family III carries on the tradition. The group consists of A.P. Carter and Sarah Carter’s grandson Dale Jett, Maybelle Carter’s grandson John Carter Cash and his wife Laura Cash.
For more details, see the Carter Family biography at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carterfamily/peopleevents/p_carters.html
Are You Lonesome Tonight
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memories cling to that bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Like the rose on the vine I am clinging to you
As I did when we drifted apart
I am wishing you back to that little shack
Does the chair in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you miss me and wish I was there?
Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again?
Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight?
I have counted the days, I've counted the nights
I've counted the months and the years
I have counted on you since we drifted apart
Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight?
The Carter Family's song ''Are You Lonesome Tonight'' is a touching love song that conveys the deep longing of a lover for their lost love. The lyrics start with the question ''Are you lonesome tonight?'' which is a rhetorical question intended to elicit a positive response from the listener. The singer is asking if the person they love is missing them, if they regret the time when they drifted apart, and if their memories also cling to the happy times shared together. The lyrics are imbued with a melancholic tone that underscores the singer's sorrow and unfulfilled desire to reunite with their lover.
The refrain "as the rose on the vine I am clinging to you" is particularly poignant because it implies that the singer is still holding onto the hope of reuniting with their love, even though they are separated. The reference to the little shack and the time when the singer kissed their love and called them 'sweetheart' conveys a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time when love was all that mattered. The wistful tone of the song is heightened in the line, "Does the chair in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you miss me and wish I was there?" which evokes the image of an empty space where the lost love once sat.
Overall, the song is a powerful testament to the pain of lost love and the yearning for its return. The Carter Family's evocative vocals and the haunting melody make it a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me I say?
Are you feeling lonely at this moment? Do you long for my presence, as I do?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Do you regret the distance between us?
Does your memories cling to that bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do you remember that special day when we shared a beautiful moment together?
Like the rose on the vine I am clinging to you
As I did when we drifted apart
I am wishing you back to that little shack
Where I kissed you and called you sweetheart
Just like a rose needs a vine for support, I still need you even though we drifted apart. I'm hoping we can go back to that small house where I first showed you my affection.
Does the chair in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you miss me and wish I was there?
Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again?
Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight?
When you sit alone in your living room, does it feel like something is missing? Do you yearn for me to be there with you? Is your heart aching? Should I return to you, my love? Are you feeling lonely tonight?
I have counted the days, I've counted the nights
I've counted the months and the years
I have counted on you since we drifted apart
Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight?
I have been keeping track of the passing time since we've been apart. I am relying on you, as I always have, despite our distance. So, dear, are you still feeling lonely, even now?
Writer(s): A.P. CARTER
Contributed by Zoe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mjollnir50
I've listened to them for decades, and still I tend to forget how wonderfully strong Maybelle's guitar is.
R W Sachs
Part of American Folk song history and wonderfully interpreted. Straight from the heart.
Patrick Chambers
This is gorgeous...and if you never understood how much Elvis Presley changed music...this song by itself will tell you a lot.
iagmule
this song has helped me through great pain. im glad its back up, thank you for posting this
mousetowndude
Excellent! This is the seed that sprouted music that had timeless lyrics and made performers of later generations look good when better audio devices were the norm. If the Carter family and some of the others greats of that day would have had the benefit of the new audio recording equipment we have nowadays, well... you know..
Carmen Hardy
Yes but then we wouldn't have This. Music that could soothe the most tortured souls.
pradeep senaratne
awesome,love it....
R W Sachs
Part 2 Does the chair in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you miss me and wish I was there? Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again? Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight? I have counted the days, I've counted the nights I've counted the months and the years I have counted on you since we drifted apart Tell me, darling, are you lonesome tonight?
SAEZ Virginia
I don't like country music at all, but I have to confess that this is the most original cover version of the so famous song "Are You Lonesome Tonight". Thanks a lot for sharing :)
Carmen Hardy
Haha this is not a cover. It's the real thing the original.