He Never Came Back
The Carter Family Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

An old Jane about 49 came in to view the town
She registered up at Smith's Hotel as Miss Ada Brown
She said she was just 25 and that she was in love
With a young lad about 16, she called him her turtledove

The wedding day at last arrived, the birds did merrily sing
He touched her up for a hundred to go out and buy the ring
He never came back, no, he never came back
He's been gone for a year or more
That sassy young thing better have that ring
When we meet on that beautiful shore

I went down to a restaurant as hungry as a bear
And a raving thief I did, I grabbed the bill of fare




The waiter said, now what for you, a piece of steak, I said
He taken my order and bowed his head and slowly walked away

Overall Meaning

The Carter Family's song "He Never Came Back" tells a tragic story of a 49-year-old woman who comes to town disguised as a 25-year-old woman named Miss Ada Brown. She claims to be in love with a young man of 16 who she calls her "turtledove." The two were planning to get married and had set a date for their wedding. On the day of the wedding, the young man was entrusted with a hundred dollars to go out and buy the wedding ring. Unfortunately, he never returned. He had vanished without a trace and was never seen or heard from again.


The sorrowful chorus of the song states that "He never came back, no, he never came back. He's been gone for a year or more. That sassy young thing better have that ring when we meet on that beautiful shore." The grieving woman is holding on to the hope that her beloved will return, but the lyrics suggest that it is unlikely. The song is a cautionary tale about deception, heartbreak, and the consequences of misplaced trust.


Overall, "He Never Came Back" is a poignant and emotional song that tells a sad tale of love that was never meant to be. It serves as a reminder of how fragile relationships can be, and how important it is to be truthful and transparent with those we care about.


Line by Line Meaning

An old Jane about 49 came in to view the town
An elderly woman around age 49 arrived in town


She registered up at Smith's Hotel as Miss Ada Brown
She checked into Smith's Hotel using the name Miss Ada Brown


She said she was just 25 and that she was in love
She claimed to be 25 years old and said she was in love


With a young lad about 16, she called him her turtledove
She claimed to be in love with a 16-year-old boy, whom she referred to as her 'turtledove'


The wedding day at last arrived, the birds did merrily sing
On their wedding day, the birds were singing happily


He touched her up for a hundred to go out and buy the ring
He borrowed $100 from her to buy the wedding ring


He never came back, no, he never came back
The boy never returned, and is still missing


He's been gone for a year or more
The boy has been missing for over a year


That sassy young thing better have that ring
The woman better still have the wedding ring the boy borrowed the money for


When we meet on that beautiful shore
When they meet again in the afterlife


I went down to a restaurant as hungry as a bear
I was very hungry and went to a restaurant


And a raving thief I did, I grabbed the bill of fare
I jokingly took the menu from the waiter as if I were a thief


The waiter said, now what for you, a piece of steak, I said
The waiter asked what I wanted to eat, and I requested a steak


He taken my order and bowed his head and slowly walked away
The waiter took my order and walked slowly away




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BOB BOGLE, NOLE EDWARDS, MELVIN TAYLOR, DON WILSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@BB-iw4tp

I can't describe how much I love this song. 

@frymahhide1982

love the lyrics, love how Sarah sings it, I play this over and over

@jukejackie1

Love love their sound...awesome Tune!

@christopherbrian8638

Hi 😊

@billbrown8006

Love this song great singing

@jamesmurphy-walsh8966

This song evokes something in me like I’ve lived in these times in a past life it is so comforting.

@rondatxny

Love this song!

@charleyseegers4468

I grew up listening to the carter family , this was one of the first songs i learned to play guitar and sing..

@BB-iw4tp

I'm back here listening to this again. Love it so much, eyes are streaming.

@lisahatfield9327

Mine are too ❤💔❤

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