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
Worried Man Blues
The Carter Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
I'm worried now but I won't be worried long
I went across the river, and I lay down to sleep
I went across the river, and I lay down to sleep
When I woke up, had shackles on my feet
Twenty nine links of chain around my leg
And on each link, the initial of my name
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
I'm worried now but I won't be worried long
I asked that judge, tell me, what might be my fine
I asked that judge, tell me, what might be my fine
Twenty one years on the R C Mountain line
The train arrived, sixteen coaches long
The train arrived, sixteen coaches long
The girl I love is on that train and gone
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
I'm worried now but I won't be worried long
If anyone asks you who composed this song
If anyone asks you who composed this song
Tell 'em t'was I, and I sing it all day long
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
I'm worried now but I won't be worried long
The Carter Family's song, Worried Man Blues, is a somber tune that speaks of a man's troubles and fears. The repetition of the first line emphasizes the weight of worry and how it can dominate one's life. The lyrics describe the story of a man who crosses a river and finds himself in chains when he wakes up. The number of chains on his leg corresponds to his name's initials, highlighting the personal and unjust nature of his imprisonment.
The man asks the judge about his fate, and the answer he receives is bleak - twenty-one years on the R C Mountain line. The train that arrives is sixteen coaches long, including the girl he loves, who leaves without him. Despite his despair, the singer maintains an underlying sense of hope. He sings that he is worried now, but he won't be worried long.
Worried Man Blues is a poignant acknowledgment of one's troubles, but it also offers a message of endurance and resilience. It speaks of how one can rise above the challenges of life and find a way to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
It takes a worried man to sing worried song
One has to be anxious to sing an anxious tune
I'm worried now but I won't be worried long
I am troubled at present time, but it won't persist
I went across the river, and I lay down to sleep
I passed the river and then slept
When I woke up, had shackles on my feet
When I woke up, I found I was bound in chains
Twenty nine links of chain around my leg
There are twenty nine chains constricting my leg
And on each link, the initial of my name
There are letters from my name on every chain link
I asked that judge, tell me, what might be my fine
I inquired of the justice, what is the extent of my penalty?
Twenty one years on the R C Mountain line
Twenty one years of hard labor on the R C Mountain line is what I was told
The train arrived, sixteen coaches long
The train pulled up, consisting of sixteen coach cars
The girl I love is on that train and gone
The girl I yearn for is on that train and absent
If anyone asks you who composed this song
If someone inquires about the originator of this ballad
Tell 'em t'was I, and I sing it all day long
Instruct them that it was me, and that I hum it throughout the day
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: A.P. CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@izellamcqueen4583
My grandson playes and sing all of caryter songs. He is 26. I love this music.
@nathanielrossi9659
Excellent grandson my sister
@edwardk6464
I'm 21 and play the carter family on guitar! 😆 my favorites to play are this one and the East Virginia Blues
@toffee4544
I'm 12 and I recognize most of their songs from the first few guitar notes
@edejan
Words can't describe how excellent this song is! The performance is so bold, the harmonies classic folk, the instrumentation simple and driving. The sound on this clip is really clear too! Thanks for this upload. I never get tired of the Carters.
@cricketbat09
This is authentic roots music. It oozes passion.
@thepincushionman7063
You ain't kiddin
@MrZiggy-sk2wg
music used to have passion and soul in it, hopefully it will again some day
@1039sflem
You can hear the history of our Country in this music. This is who were are and I am so glad to hear it.
@brianchaplin9085BEC.
Simplicity Sells The Carter Family is proof of That!!!!