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
Cowboy Jack
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a heart so brave and true
He learned to love a maiden
With eyes of heaven's own blue
They learned to love each other
And named their wedding day
When a quarrel came between them
He joined a band of cowboys
And tried to forget her name
But out on the lonely pa-rairie
She waits for him the same
One night when work was finished
Just at the close of day
Someone said, sing a song, Jack
We'll drive those cares away
When he reached the pa-rairie
He found a new-made mound
His friends they sadly told him
They laid his loved one down
They said as she was dying
She breathed her sweetheart's name
And asked them with her last breath
To tell him when he came
Your sweetheart waits for you, Jack
Your sweetheart waits for you
Out on the lonely pa-rairie
Where the skies are always blue
"Cowboy Jack" is a ballad by The Carter Family, about a cowboy who falls in love with a girl with "eyes of heaven's own blue," only to break up with her because of a fight, and later learns she has died. The song speaks about the loneliness of the cowboy and the sadness and regret he feels after learning that the love of his life died waiting for him to return. The lyrics in the last stanza suggest that she died with his name on her lips and longing for his return.
The song portrays the themes of love, loss, and uncertainty, in a way that emotively resonates with the listener. The story of a love affair that was cut short by a fight, only for the singer to later learn of his lover's death, is a tale that many can identify with. The cowboy, who tried to forget his love by joining a band of cowboys, is haunted by his past, and the last verse suggests that he can never move on from her. The song is a reminder that life is brief, and if we fail to reconcile with our mistakes, the consequences may last a lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
He was just a lonely cowboy
He was a cowboy who spent most of his time alone
With a heart so brave and true
He was brave and honest, always staying true to his values
He learned to love a maiden
He fell in love with a young woman
With eyes of heaven's own blue
She had blue eyes that were as bright as the sky
They learned to love each other
They both fell deeply in love with each other
And named their wedding day
They set a date for their wedding
When a quarrel came between them
When they had a disagreement
And Jack, he rode away
Jack left and rode away on his horse
He joined a band of cowboys
He became a member of a group of cowboys
And tried to forget her name
He attempted to erase her name from his memory
But out on the lonely pa-rairie
However, on the barren plains
She waits for him the same
The young woman still waits for him to return
One night when work was finished
One evening when their work had ended
Just at the close of day
At sunset
Someone said, sing a song, Jack
One of his friends asked him to sing a song
We'll drive those cares away
They hoped that singing would make them feel better
When he reached the pa-rairie
When he returned to the plains
He found a new-made mound
He found a new burial site
His friends they sadly told him
His friends informed him with sorrow
They laid his loved one down
They had buried his loved one
They said as she was dying
Before she passed away
She breathed her sweetheart's name
She mentioned Jack's name in her final moments
And asked them with her last breath
And requested before she died
To tell him when he came
To inform Jack when he returned
Your sweetheart waits for you, Jack
His beloved was still waiting for him
Your sweetheart waits for you
She was waiting for Jack to come back to her
Out on the lonely pa-rairie
On the barren plains
Where the skies are always blue
Where the sky always maintains its blue color
Contributed by Amelia E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gregory Luce
Nobody did tragic like the Carter Family. Thanks for posting this—I hadn’t heard it before.
Melinda Pruss
My grandad used to sing this song for us, years ago when I was a kid. I always loved it, so sad and beautiful.
catherine yronwode
I had been whistling this off and on for three weeks (i couldn't recall all the lyrics) and finally came here to hear it, in the hope that singing along and firming up the lyrics would give me a chance of driving it out of my mind, but, alas, it is now more firmly embedded in my head than ever -- "out on the lonely pa-rarie, where the skies are always blue." Such a sad, sad song with a catchy melody.