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
I Have No-One to Love Me
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just about the hour of three
When my darling started leaving
To sail on that deep blue sea
He promised to write a letter
He promised to write to me
And I haven't heard from my darling
My mother is dead and buried
My papa's forsaken me
And I have no one to love me
But the sailor on the deep blue sea
Oh, Captain, can you tell me
Can you tell me where he may be
Oh, yes, my little maiden
He's drownded in the deep blue sea
Farewell to friends and relations
It's the last you'll see of me
I'm going to end my trouble
By drowning in the deep blue sea
The Carter Family’s song “I Have No-One to Love Me” is a melancholic lament about a young woman’s heartache over her lover’s departure on a voyage. The song is sung from the perspective of the woman, as she reflects on her loneliness and longing. She describes how her lover promised to write to her, but she has not received any letters from him. The woman’s despair is compounded by the fact that she has no one left in her life; her mother has died, her father has abandoned her, and her lover is lost at sea.
Despite her sorrow, the woman remains hopeful and turns to a captain for answers about her lover’s whereabouts. The captain reveals that her lover has drowned in the sea. Consumed by her grief and despair, the woman decides to end her life by drowning herself in the deep blue sea, bidding farewell to her friends and loved ones. The song is a poignant commentary on the depths of human loneliness and the devastating effects of losing someone we love.
Overall, The Carter Family’s “I Have No-One to Love Me” is a poignant and elegantly written song that captures the essence of heartache and despair. Through the powerful use of imagery, the song transports the listener to a place of intense emotional pain, as the woman sings about her lost love and her deep sense of loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
It was on last Sunday evening
The story takes place on a specific time and day
Just about the hour of three
The story specifies the exact time of day
When my darling started leaving
The singer's lover is leaving
To sail on that deep blue sea
The lover is leaving to go on a journey
He promised to write a letter
The lover made a promise to write
He promised to write to me
The lover made a promise to write specifically to the singer
And I haven't heard from my darling
The singer has not received any communication from the lover
Who sails on that deep blue sea
The lover is still on the journey at sea
My mother is dead and buried
The artist's mother has passed away
My papa's forsaken me
The artist's father has left them
And I have no one to love me
The singer is feeling unloved and abandoned
But the sailor on the deep blue sea
The only source of love and affection for the artist is the sailor
Oh, Captain, can you tell me
The singer is seeking answers from the captain
Can you tell me where he may be
The singer wants to know the whereabouts of the lover
Oh, yes, my little maiden
The captain is addressing the singer in a patronizing way
He's drownded in the deep blue sea
The captain informs the artist that the lover has drowned
Farewell to friends and relations
The artist is saying goodbye to everyone in their life
It's the last you'll see of me
The singer is implying that they will not be coming back
I'm going to end my trouble
The singer has decided to put an end to their pain
By drowning in the deep blue sea
The artist plans to commit suicide by drowning in the sea
Contributed by David B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JcKramer1991
It was on last Sunday evening
Just about the hour of three
When my darling started to leave me
To sail on that deep blue sea
He promised to write a letter
He promised to write to me
And I haven't heard from my darling
Who sails on that deep blue sea
My mother is dead and buried
My papa's forsaken me
And I have no one to love me
But the sailor on the deep blue sea
Oh, Captain, can you tell me
Can you tell me where he may be
Oh, yes, my little maiden
He's drowned in the deep blue sea
Farewell to friends and relations
It's the last you'll see of me
I'm going to end my trouble
By drowning in the deep blue sea
yoshio morita
1st and 2nd place in the Carter Family repertoire
It's a competing masterpiece. Even so it sounds good.
Thank you for the good song.
anthony lee
the great family and the great wildwood flower