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
Wilwood Flower 1935
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
And the myrtle so bright with it's emerald hue
The pale emanita and the hyssop so blue
I will dance, I will sing and my laugh shall be gay
I will charm every heart, in his crown I will sway
I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay
But he taught me to love him and promised to love
And to cherish me over all others above
My poor heart is wondering no misery can tell
He left with no warning, no word of farewell
Well you told me you love me and called me your flower
That was blooming to cheer you through life's dreary hour
I live to see him regret life's dark hour
He's gone and neglected this pale wildwood flower
The Carter Family's song Wildwood Flower is a mournful ballad of lost love and heartbreak. The song begins with the singer describing how she will adorn herself using nature's beauty, mixing her raven black hair with red roses and white lilies, and bright green myrtle and blue hyssop. She sings about how she will dance and sing, bringing joy to those who hear her. However, her joy soon turns to sorrow, as she wakes to find that her lover, who she once idolized, has turned into clay, devoid of any warmth or love. She recalls how he taught her to love him and promised to cherish her above all others, causing her heart to wonder in misery. The final verse reveals the cruelty of her lover's departure without so much as a goodbye, leaving her alone, like a neglected wildwood flower.
Throughout the song, the singer's emotions are conveyed through the metaphor of flowers and how they represent the beauty and fragility of love. The song is an excellent example of the Carter Family's music, blending traditional country and Appalachian folk with a message of love, loss, and human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
I will twine, I will mingle my raven black hair
I will entwine my black hair with the red roses, white lilies, bright myrtle, emanita so pale and blue hyssop
I will dance, I will sing and my laugh shall be gay
I will dance, sing and make merry, spreading happiness all around me
I woke from my dreaming, my idol was clay
I woke up from my dream to realize that the person I held in high regards was not worthy of it
All portions of loving had all flown away
All my love for him has vanished into thin air
But he taught me to love him and promised to love
He made me fall in love with him by promising to love me back
And to cherish me over all others above
He promised me that he will value and give me more importance than anyone else in his life
My poor heart is wondering no misery can tell
My heart is in a state of confusion and pain that cannot be expressed in words
He left with no warning, no word of farewell
He left me without even a hint of warning or a goodbye
Well you told me you love me and called me your flower
You professed your love to me and referred to me as your flower
That was blooming to cheer you through life's dreary hour
You said that I was your cheerleader in times of gloom and sadness
I live to see him regret life's dark hour
I hope to see him regret the time he spent in misery and sadness
He's gone and neglected this pale wildwood flower
He has left me alone, forsaken and forgotten like a wildflower in the woods
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEANA KAY CARTER, CHARLES HARMON JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Karl vonKlutz
A.P. Carter has a lovely voice for mountain music...
Starla brazzel
This is slower tempo than than the 1928 version. Love AP and Maybelle harmonies here.
charles mccormick
Like my aunt Betty use to say: Thank You a Bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck mother Maybell !
charles mccormick
Mother Maybelle used lead style notes and rhythm style strum fills in between notes. (Combination of lead and rhythm ) Theres only 1 guitar in this song.
Zappaphonic Records
Sara used the autoharp to fill out the sound
Kike Heeb, Chink, jigaboo
1928 is better