The Carter Family was a country music group that performed and recorded bet… Read Full Bio ↴The Carter Family was a country music group that performed and recorded between 1927 and 1943. Their music had a profound impact on later bluegrass, country, pop and rock musicians, as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s.

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

When This Evening Sun Goes Down
The Carter Family Lyrics

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When this evening sun goes down
Then in heaven I will be found
I will end life's other side
When I cross the great divide

When this evening sun goes down
When I wear my starry crown
When I'll see a smiling face

And rest in amazing grace

He will wipe away my tears
He will blind me to all my fears
Then in joy I'll ever be bound
When this evening sun goes down

When this evening sun goes down
When they lay me 'neath the ground

When we'll meet, weep, and mourn
Then I'll be in my heavenly home

Overall Meaning

The Carter Family's song "When This Evening Sun Goes Down" is a spiritual song that reflects the beliefs and hopes of the Christian faith. It is a song about the afterlife and the singer's anticipation of their death and the joy they believe they will experience in heaven. The first two lines of the song suggest that the singer believes they will go to heaven when they die at the end of the day. The next two lines communicate the idea that the singer will end up on the other side of life, and that they will cross the great divide to get there.

The second verse focuses on the rewards the singer expects to receive in heaven. They mention receiving a starry crown, which is a symbol of the reward given to the faithful in heaven. They also talk about seeing a smiling face and resting in amazing grace, which are both examples of the joy and peace believers expect to find in heaven. The third verse speaks to the idea that God will remove all fear and concerns from the singer's life, wiping away any tears and bringing them to a place of permanent joy and peace in heaven. The final verse mentions the mourning process that will take place after the singer dies, but it ends on a hopeful note, stating that the singer will find their heavenly home.

When This Evening Sun Goes DownThe Carter Family Lyrics

When This Evening Sun Goes Down
The Carter Family Lyrics