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
Lonesome Homesick Blues
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got them bad babe, down in my shoes
I left someone there that I might lose
That's why I've got these old homesick blues
It makes me homesick to hear your name
And hold you dear, in my arms again
I'm a gonna ride that old lonesome train
You told me once dear, you loved me so
And it's on my mind dear, every where I go
I'll soon be knowing if it is so
Or has your love for me grown cold
Oh, listen to that old lonesome train
It's a gonna carry me back again
To the one that told me their love was true
I'll spend the rest of my days with you
I've been away babe a long, long time
Now I'm riding down this old railroad line
And the one I love there, I hope to find
To ease this lonesome blue heart of mine
The Carter Family's song Lonesome Homesick Blues is a poignant reflection on the singer's feelings of loneliness, heartbreak, and longing. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to cope with the distance between themselves and someone they love, and that they fear losing that person forever. The repeated refrain "I've got the lonesome homesick blues" reinforces the sense of sadness and despair that the singer is feeling.
The lyrics also reveal a sense of hope and determination, as the singer vows to ride the "old lonesome train" back to the person they left behind in Maces Spring. They long to be reunited with this person, to hold them close, and to spend the rest of their days together. The final verse suggests that the singer is close to their destination, and that they hope to find the person they love waiting for them with open arms.
Overall, Lonesome Homesick Blues is a powerful expression of the human experience of love, loss, and longing. The song is a testament to the enduring power of music to capture the deepest emotions of our hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the lonesome homesick blues
I'm feeling extremely unhappy and melancholic, because I've left someone dear behind whose absence makes me homesick.
I've got them bad babe, down in my shoes
My sadness is so pervasive that it feels like it's reached the very soles of my feet.
I left someone there that I might lose
I had to leave a special person behind, and I fear that I might lose them forever.
That's why I've got these old homesick blues
My constant longing for the person I left behind is making me feel this way.
It makes me homesick to hear your name
Even hearing the name of the person I left behind is enough to stir up feelings of homesickness and longing.
And hold you dear, in my arms again
I long to be reunited with the person I love so I can hold them in my arms once again.
I'm a gonna ride that old lonesome train
I'm going to take a train ride that will only add to my sense of loneliness and heartache.
To the one I left back in Maces Spring
My destination is the place where the person I left behind still remains, hoping to find them there.
You told me once dear, you loved me so
I remember the time you said you loved me deeply, and that message still rings in my mind.
And it's on my mind dear, every where I go
I can't get you out of my head, no matter where I am or what I'm doing.
I'll soon be knowing if it is so
Soon enough, I'll find out whether your love for me is still as strong or if it has faded with time.
Or has your love for me grown cold
I'm worried that you may have fallen out of love with me while I was away.
Oh, listen to that old lonesome train
The sound of the train is only making me feel more lonely and hopeless.
It's a gonna carry me back again
The train will take me back to where I started, but I don't know if I'll find what I'm looking for there.
To the one that told me their love was true
I'm going back to the person who once said they loved me sincerely and wholeheartedly.
I'll spend the rest of my days with you
If I can find you and your love is still true, I promise to spend the rest of my life by your side.
I've been away babe a long, long time
I've been separated from you for a significant period of time, and it feels like an eternity.
Now I'm riding down this old railroad line
I'm on a train journey that symbolizes my struggle with feelings of isolation and helplessness.
And the one I love there, I hope to find
The only thing I want from this journey is to find the person I love and bring an end to my lonesome blues.
To ease this lonesome blue heart of mine
I hope that you can take away the pain in my heart and restore joy and happiness to my life once again.
Writer(s): Maybelle Carter
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Giuseppe Montego
a Maybelle written original, I believe.
aus Blue
thanks billbilladaadaa a
billbilladaadaa a
Thanks to you