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
Little Darling
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little darling pal of mine
Many a night while you lay sleeping
Dreaming of your rambler's life
Lay a poor boy brokenhearted
My little darling, oh, how I love you
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little darling pal of mine
Many a day with you I've rambled
Countless hours with you I've spent
Thought I had your heart forever
But I find it only lent
My little darling, oh, how I love you
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little darling pal of mine
There is just three things I wish for
That's a casket, shroud, and grave
When I'm dead, don't weep for me
Just kiss those lips that you betrayed
My little darling, oh, how I love you
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little darling pal of mine
The Carter Family’s “Little Darling Pal of Mine” is a melancholy song about unrequited love. The singer expresses deep affection towards the listener and expresses his difficulty in coping with the fact that the listener loves someone else. The lyrics reveal the singer’s frustration and heartbreak as he struggles to move on from the listener’s love. The song is a poignant expression of love, rejection, and the pain of unrequited affection.
The lyrics of “Little Darling Pal of Mine” are simple and evocative. The song is about the singer’s love, which is unrequited. He expresses his love for the listener, but acknowledges that she loves someone else. The singer is heartbroken and knows that he cannot change the listener’s heart. The song captures the sadness that comes with unrequited love, the longing of wanting to be with someone who does not feel the same way, and the pain of knowing that the person you love is in love with someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
My little darling, oh, how I love you
I have deep affection for you, my dear
How I love you none can tell
The extent of my love for you is indescribable
In your heart you love another
You have given your love to someone else
Little darling pal of mine
You are my dear friend even if you don't love me the same way
Many a night while you lay sleeping
During the nights you slept tranquilly
Dreaming of your rambler's life
Dreaming about your free-spirited lifestyle
Lay a poor boy brokenhearted
I lay there, heartbroken
Listening to the wind outside
Hearing the wind howl in the night
Many a day with you I've rambled
I have spent many days wandering around with you
Countless hours with you I've spent
Endless amounts of time I have enjoyed with you
Thought I had your heart forever
Believed that your love for me would last a lifetime
But I find it only lent
Sadly, your love for me was a temporary feeling
There is just three things I wish for
I only desire three things
That's a casket, shroud, and grave
When I die, I want only a coffin, funeral clothes, and a burial place
When I'm dead, don't weep for me
Do not cry for me when I pass away
Just kiss those lips that you betrayed
Rather, give me one last kiss, even though you broke my heart
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: A.P. CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Muffs 55mercury
My first Carter Family 78 that I found in 1997. Country music is not on the top of my interests but from the very opening notes I was hooked on this trio and their 1927-32 recordings and have since found 9 more of their 78s.
Bram Dourleijn
I love this song..thank you for sharing this great version...I'm a busker and love to play this one greetings from Holland, Bram
Efrem Wilder
This song will live forever.
Madness In Living Color
Masterpiece. That’s all I have to say
julie glover
my husband used to sing this to me 30yrs ago ! he died christmas 2012, god bless you my pal of mine, ni night roy xxxx
dougie mccormack
i just love it and the singing fantastic
WildeNotesMusic
Listening to the Carters' "When The World's On Fire," I realize that its first 4 lines of melody are identical to "This Land Is Your Land" but the last 4 lines are the same tune as "Little Darling, Pal Of Mine."
Pearlie Ford
So lovely, priceless none like them
D. T. Miller
One of the very few Carter Family recordings featuring Mother Maybelle on the Dobro.
K.M. Slattery
T M Is there any record of her playing a dobro? I just noticed that this song and Moonlight both have "slide “ guitar. Maybelle was something else!😊