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
The Wandering Boy
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody's boy is wandering alone
No one to guide him and keep his footsteps right
Somebody's boy is homeless tonight
Out in the hallway there stands a vacant chair
Yonder's the shoes my darling used to wear
Empty the cradle, the one that's loved so well
Bring back my boy, my wandering boy
Far, far away, wherever he may be
Tell him his mother, with faded cheeks and hair
At their old home is waiting him there
Oh, could I see him and fold him to my breast
Gladly I'd close my eyes and be at rest
There is no other that's left to give me joy
Bring back my boy, my wandering boy
Well I remember the parting words he said
We'll meet again where no sad tears are shed
There'll be no goodbyes in that bright land so fair
When, done with life, I'll meet you up there
Bring back my boy, my wandering boy
Far, far away, wherever he may be
Tell him his mother, with faded cheeks and hair
At their old home is waiting him there
In The Wandering Boy, The Carter Family tells the tale of a mother who is pining for her son who has traveled far away from home and is now wandering alone in the cold world. The song opens with the heartbreaking words of a mother who is missing her son as she imagines him wandering alone without guidance in the world. The mother reflects on how the void that has been created after her son left, leaving her all alone. It is said that when a child comes in one's life, one's whole world changes, and the absence of a child can leave a person feeling incomplete. The mother is deeply longing for her boy to return home, where they used to live together with happiness and joy.
One can feel the mother's pain and the sorrow that she is going through as she describes the vacant chair in the hallway and the shoes her son used to wear, which are now empty. She remembers him fondly, and as she looks at the cradle which once held her beloved son, she wishes that he would return so that she could hold him close to her heart. She tells him, wherever he might be, that his mother is waiting for him, with all her love and affection. In the final verse, the mother remembers the promise her son had made before leaving, that they will meet again, where there is no sadness or goodbyes, and it is their faith that they will be reunited in heaven.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the cold world and far away from home
Someone's son is alone in the world and far away from his home
Somebody's boy is wandering alone
A boy is wandering aimlessly without anyone to guide him
No one to guide him and keep his footsteps right
There is no one to assist him in making the right choices
Somebody's boy is homeless tonight
The boy has nowhere to go and nowhere to sleep at night
Out in the hallway there stands a vacant chair
There is an empty chair that symbolizes the absence of someone dear
Yonder's the shoes my darling used to wear
The shoes left behind are a reminder of someone beloved who is gone
Empty the cradle, the one that's loved so well
The empty cradle represents the loss of a loved one
How I miss him, there's non can tell
The heartache of the loss is indescribable
Bring back my boy, my wandering boy
The mother's plea to have her son back and safe
Far, far away, wherever he may be
No matter how far he has gone, the mother wants her son back
Tell him his mother, with faded cheeks and hair
The mother is tired and aged from the burden of worry and longing
At their old home is waiting him there
The mother is still waiting for her son to return to their old home
Oh, could I see him and fold him to my breast
The mother's desire to embrace her son and hold him close
Gladly I'd close my eyes and be at rest
The mother's peace and rest would come from having her son back safe with her
There is no other that's left to give me joy
The mother's joy and happiness would come from having her son back
Well I remember the parting words he said
The mother's reminiscence of the last words her son said before leaving
We'll meet again where no sad tears are shed
The promise of a reunion in a better place, without sorrow or tears
There'll be no goodbyes in that bright land so fair
There will be no need for goodbyes in a happy place
When, done with life, I'll meet you up there
The mother's hope in being reunited with her son in the afterlife
Contributed by Isaiah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gene The Machine
I've always preferred this version to the late 30's remake. The melody seems to flow better 🙂
Johnny Rebuffatti
God Bless the Carter Family.