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
Away out on the Old Saint Sabbath
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay down to take my rest
My knapsack for my pillow
And my gun across my chest
Please don't bury me on the lone pra-rairie
Please don't bury me on the lone prairie
You can bury me in the east, you can bury me in the west
My father, he lies sleeping
Beneath the deep blue sea
I have no father, no mother
There's none but Nell and me
Please don't bury me on the lone pra-rairie
Please don't bury me on the lone prairie
You can bury me in the east, you can bury me in the west
Please don't bury me on the lone prairie
My mother she lies sleeping
Beneath the churchyard sod
Her body lies there moldering
And her spirit has gone to God
Please don't bury me on the lone pra-rairie
Please don't bury me on the lone prairie
You can bury me in the east, you can bury me in the west
Please don't bury me on the lone prairie
The Carter Family's "Away out on the Old Saint Sabbath" is a mournful tune sung from the perspective of a protagonist who is about to die. The singer has laid down to rest with his knapsack as his pillow and his gun across his chest, indicating a life of travel and danger. In the first verse, the singer requests to not be buried on the lone prairie, implying a fear of being forgotten or left alone. The following verses indicate that his family members have already passed on, and he has no one left but "Nell," who is perhaps a friend or partner. The song repeats its plea to not be buried on the lone prairie, suggesting a deep-rooted fear of being alone even in death.
The song's lyrics touch on several common themes found in American folk music, such as the fear of being forgotten, the pain of losing loved ones, and the idea of home as a place of comfort and security. It also reflects the harsh realities of life on the frontier, where people often faced dangers such as illness, injury, and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Away out on the old Saint Sabbath
On a Sunday, I went far away from the city
Lay down to take my rest
I laid down to rest my body
My knapsack for my pillow
I used my knapsack as a resting place for my head
And my gun across my chest
I kept my gun close by, for safety
Please don't bury me on the lone pra-rairie
When I die, I don't want to be buried alone on the prairie
You can bury me in the east, you can bury me in the west
But I don't care where I'm buried, as long as it's not alone on the prairie
My father, he lies sleeping
My father is dead and buried
Beneath the deep blue sea
He was buried at sea
I have no father, no mother
I am an orphan, with no parents
There's none but Nell and me
Only Nell and I are left in our family
My mother she lies sleeping
My mother is also dead and buried
Beneath the churchyard sod
She was buried in a cemetery
Her body lies there moldering
Her body is decaying in the ground
And her spirit has gone to God
But her soul has gone to be with God
Contributed by Audrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.