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
Break My Mind
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell the man at the ticket stand that you've changed your mind
Well let me run on out and tell the cab to keep his meter flying
Cause if you say goodbye to me babe you're gonna break my mind
Break my mind
Break my mind
Well I just can't stand to hear the big jet engines whine
Break my mind oh lord
Well if you leave you're gonna leave a babbling fool behind
Baby oh baby
Well let me take your suitcase off of that scale in time
Just tell the man that you suddenly developed a thing about high flying
Cause if you say goodbye to me you know you're gonna break my mind
Break my mind
Break my mind
Well I just can't stand to hear the big jet engines whine
Break my mind
Break my mind oh lord
Well if you leave you're gonna leave a babbling fool behind
Break my mind
Break my mind
Well I just can't stand to hear the big jet engines whine
Break my mind
Break my mind oh lord
Well if you leave you're gonna leave a babbling fool behind
Well if you leave you're gonna leave a babbling fool behind
The Carter Family's song "Break My Mind" is a heartbreaking plea for a loved one not to leave. The lyrics express the desperation of a partner who is afraid of being left behind. The song is an elegantly crafted example of country music at its finest, with a catchy melody and lyrics that are both simple and poignant.
The singer desperately pleads with their partner, calling them "baby" and begging them not to go. The singer is so afraid of being left behind that they try to stop their partner from leaving by telling the ticket man that they've changed their mind and asking the cab driver to keep the meter running. The singer can't bear the sound of the big jet engines taking their partner away, and they know that if their partner leaves, they will be left "a babbling fool behind."
Line by Line Meaning
Baby oh baby
Addressing someone he deeply cares for.
Tell the man at the ticket stand that you've changed your mind
Ask the person to take a U-turn from leaving him behind and to undo their decision for separation.
Well let me run on out and tell the cab to keep his meter flying
Willing to go any length to retain the person, telling the cab driver to speed up.
Cause if you say goodbye to me babe you're gonna break my mind
The heartbreak that he may have inflicted after the person leaves him would be traumatizing.
Break my mind
The phrase emphasizes how his mind and sanity would be shattered into pieces if the separation occurs.
Well I just can't stand to hear the big jet engines whine
Relating his emotional pain to physical pain by saying that he can't stand the sound of the jet engines that signify separation.
Break my mind oh lord
Repeating the phrase to stress how devastating the loss would be.
Well if you leave you're gonna leave a babbling fool behind
Admitting that he would be a complete mess if the person leaves him.
Well let me take your suitcase off of that scale in time
Trying to stop the person from weighing their options and to choose him instead.
Just tell the man that you suddenly developed a thing about high flying
A white lie made to convince the person to stay, by saying that they have a sudden fear of flying.
Break my mind oh lord, well if you leave you're gonna leave a babbling fool behind
Repeating the same lines to conclude how he would be devastated if the person leaves him behind.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GARY LOURIS, MARK JOHN OLSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind