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 Winding Stream
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It must not be too wide
Where waving leaves from maple trees
Do meet from either side
The water must be deep enough
To float a small canoe
With no one else but you
My waking dream
The splendor of
That winding stream
Flower in my canoe
Her eyes they look me through
A maiden fair with golden hair
Is very much like you
The sparkling trout beneath the bank
Does leave his hiding place
Kingfisher from the bough above
So eager to give chase
The spreading branches overhead
The sunrise peeping through
When looking, dear, at you
Do not disturb
My waking dream
The splendor of
That winding stream
Flower in my canoe
Her eyes they look me through
A maiden fair with golden hair
Is very much like you
"The Winding Stream" is a wistful ode to the beauty of nature and the joy of shared experience, sung by the legendary Carter Family in their signature down-home style. The song expresses a deep longing for a particular type of stream - a winding one, with just the right level of size and depth to accommodate a canoe for two. The lyrics are filled with vivid descriptions of the stream's surroundings, from the maple trees that lean over its banks to the trout that dart beneath its surface. To the singer, this stream represents a place of peaceful solitude and intimate connection, where the distractions of the world can be left behind in favor of the simple pleasures of nature and companionship.
Beyond its appreciation for nature's beauty and the joys of shared experience, "The Winding Stream" also seems to convey a sense of longing for something lost or unattainable. The song's closing lines see the singer comparing a "maiden fair with golden hair" to the "Flower in my canoe" and lamenting her absence, suggesting that this beloved stream is tied to a specific memory or person who is no longer present. The song's overall tone is one of bittersweet nostalgia, capturing a moment of pure contentment and yearning for the return of what has been lost.
Line by Line Meaning
O give to me a winding stream
I long for a serene, winding stream
It must not be too wide
But not so large that I cannot fully experience its beauty
Where waving leaves from maple trees
I want to encounter the beauty of autumn, with leaves from maple trees swaying in the wind
Do meet from either side
The trees should meet on each side along the stream
The water must be deep enough
The stream should be deep enough to float a canoe
To float a small canoe
And I want to effortlessly float down the stream with you
With no one else but you
Without any distractions, just you and me alone
Do not disturb
Do not interrupt
My waking dream
This is both a conscious and subconscious experience that I am having right now
The splendor of
The magnificence of
That winding stream
The stream, described with such intimacy, that I am communing with
Flower in my canoe
I am taking in the beauty of a flower in my canoe
Her eyes they look me through
The woman I am with is staring deeply into my eyes
A maiden fair with golden hair
She is a beautiful woman with blonde hair
Is very much like you
...similar to what I see when I look upon you with admiration
The sparkling trout beneath the bank
I see a trout glinting in the sun under the bank of the stream
Does leave his hiding place
This beautiful fish is no longer hiding from me, but comes out in to the open water.
Kingfisher from the bough above
There is a kingfisher sitting on a branch above me
So eager to give chase
The bird is looking to hunt for fish and is waiting with a keen eye for its target
The spreading branches overhead
Overhead, there are beautiful and perfectly spaced tree branches
The sunrise peeping through
I see warm rays of sunlight peeking through the leaves
When looking, dear, at you
All of this beautiful imagery is even more special when I look at you with love in my heart
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@carterfamilychannel
This channel was created to help keep The Carter Family music alive, and share with the world! please help me do this for as long as possible :) and please feel free to help support the channel with a donation, https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=8TNJ64TWNH9M2 any questions you have i am always happy to answer :) as the songs and footage are so old, time is spent to remastered them to the best possible quality.
@jackcasey7037
My grandmother said this is the song her mother sang to her when she was a baby (back in the 40s). Nana’s gone, but I still love the song.
@carterfamilychannel
Nice memories :) this song always reminds me of a lullaby
@jackcasey7037
It does. Nana sang it to her children 30 years later… and 30 years after that, my cousins and I heard it.
@muffs55mercury61
I like hearing about memories like that.
@jackcasey7037
@@muffs55mercury61 it’s a wonderful song. I just had it playing in the car not more than half an hour ago. I’ve found it’s either a lullaby or a love song depending on how you look at things.
@ElizabethPoet
I love this one! Thank you!
@muffs55mercury61
Thanks for posting. Carter Family 78s on Victor label can be pricey as many were cut during the lowest depths of the Depression and thus did not sell very well so it's nice to hear before I buy.
Favorite song: Wildwood Flower (Victor 40000)