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
Blackie's Gunman
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The best two gunman in the land
I could shoot the ace of diamonds
With a draw from either hand
With the dice I had no equal
Some of them are with us now
Most of them are sadly sleeping
Many a cowboy's game I've played in
Left that night with all their gold
As a sport I was broken
As a sport I let it go
I once loved a girl named Nellie
How we loved no tongue can tell
But I know, I'll never meet her
Oh, it was hard to say farewell
Her eyes were like the deep blue water
And her hair was golden curls
And her cheeks were crimson velvet
And her teeth were snow white pearls
Together we lived in a cottage
And our life, it was a dream
And the angels they watched o'er us
Made our life one happy dream
The Carter Family's song "Blackie's Gunman" tells the story of a notorious gunman who used to work for a man named Blackie. The song starts by introducing the listener to the singer who was known as the best two-gunned man in the land. Blackie's gunman was so skilled that he could shoot the ace of diamonds with a draw from either hand. He was also a skilled gambler, and many cowboys had played games with him, but he had always left with all their gold.
The song then takes a sad turn as the singer talks about his lost love, Nellie. They once loved each other deeply, but circumstances forced them to part ways. The singer describes Nellie's physical features as having deep blue water-like eyes, golden curls, crimson velvet cheeks, and snow-white pearl teeth. They once lived together in a cottage, and their life was like a dream, but they had to say farewell.
The song overall has a melancholic tone and speaks of a life of guns, gambling and love. It highlights the tough life of a cowboy in that era and the situations that were a regular occurrence in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I was known as Blackie's gunman
People knew me as the best shooter who worked for Blackie
The best two gunman in the land
Blackie and I were considered the best shooters in the country
I could shoot the ace of diamonds
I had amazing accuracy and could hit the smallest target
With a draw from either hand
I was ambidextrous and could shoot just as well with either hand
With the dice I had no equal
I was extremely good at gambling and couldn't be beaten
Some of them are with us now
Some of the people I used to gamble with are still alive
Most of them are sadly sleeping
Most of the people I used to gamble with have passed away
'Neath the weeping willow bough
They are buried under a weeping willow tree
Many a cowboy's game I've played in
I used to frequently participate in gambling games with cowboys
Left that night with all their gold
I often won large sums of money when I played with the cowboys
As a sport I was broken
Eventually, I stopped gambling as it had lost its excitement for me
As a sport I let it go
I quit gambling as a hobby
I once loved a girl named Nellie
I used to be in love with a girl called Nellie
How we loved no tongue can tell
Our love was so great that it cannot be described
But I know, I'll never meet her
Unfortunately, I'll never see her again
Oh, it was hard to say farewell
It was extremely difficult to say goodbye to her
Her eyes were like the deep blue water
Nellie had stunning, blue eyes
And her hair was golden curls
Her hair was made up of golden curls
And her cheeks were crimson velvet
Her cheeks were as red as velvet
And her teeth were snow white pearls
Her teeth were as white as pearls
Together we lived in a cottage
Nellie and I used to live together in a small home
And our life, it was a dream
Our life together was like a dream
And the angels they watched o'er us
We felt like angels were looking out for us
Made our life one happy dream
We were very happy and content with our life together
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.