The brothers adopted the name Louvin Brothers in the 1940s as they began their career in gospel music. Their first foray into secular music was the minor hit "The Get Acquainted Waltz", recorded with Chet Atkins. Other hits included "Cash on the Barrelhead" and "When I Stop Dreaming". They joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955 and stayed there until breaking up in 1963.
Their songs were heavily influenced by their Baptist faith and warned against sin. Ira Louvin was notorious for his drinking, womanizing, and short temper. He was married four times; his third wife Faye shot him four times in the chest and twice in the hand after he allegedly beat her. Although seriously injured, he survived. When performing and drinking, Ira would sometimes become angry enough on stage to smash his mandolin; otherwise his style was heavily influenced by Bill Monroe.
As of 1963, Charlie was making enough money that he was able to start a solo career, and Ira also went on his own.
Ira died on June 20, 1965, at the age of 41. He and his fourth wife, Anne Young, were on the way home from a performance in Kansas City when they came to a section of construction on Highway 70 outside of Williamsburg, Missouri where traffic had been reduced down to one lane. A drunken driver struck their car head-on, and both Ira and Anne were killed instantaneously.[4] At the time, a warrant for Ira's arrest had been issued on a DUI charge.
Country-rock band The Byrds recorded the Louvin-penned "The Christian Life" for their 1968 release Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
In 2001, the Louvin brothers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The tribute CD Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers, produced by Carl Jackson and Kathy Louvin and released in 2003, won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
Although the brothers are still remembered today for their musical talent, they are also remembered for the unusual cover used for their 1959 album, Satan Is Real. Designed by Ira Louvin, the cover features the brothers standing in a rock quarry in front of a 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) plywood rendition of the Devil as several hidden tires soaked in kerosene burn behind them as fire and brimstone. While some reviewers count this as being one of the "greatest iconic album covers of all time", the cover can also be found today on several Web sites celebrating unusual or bizarre album covers. The cover has also become an Internet meme on a number of Web sites such as Fark.com, where it has been posted in discussion threads as an example of religious views of the era.
The opening bars of the album's title track "Satan is Real" can be heard at the beginning of Hank Williams III's "Medley: Straight to Hell / Satan is Real", on his Straight to Hell album of 2006. It is also excerpted in Will Ferrell's 2009 one-man Broadway show, You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush.
Mary of the Wild Moor
The Louvin Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the wind blew across the wild moor
Poor Mary came wandering with a child in her arms
And she stopped at her own father's door.
Oh, father, oh father, she cried
Come down and open the door
Or this child in my arms, will perish and die
From the winds that blow across the wild moor.
Oh why did I leave this fair spot
Where once I was happy and free
This wide world to roam, with no friends or no home
And no one to have pity on me.
But the father was deaf to her cry
Not the sound of her voice, did he hear
For the watch dogs did howl and the village bells tolled
And the winds blew across the wild moor.
Oh, how the old man must have felt
When he opened the door, the next morn'
And found Mary dead, but the child still alive
Clasped close in it's dead mother's arms.
In anguish, he pulled his gray hair
And the tears, down his cheeks, they did pour
When he saw how that night, they had perished and died
From the winds that blow across the wild moor.
The old man, his life, pined away
And the child, to it's mother, went soon
And no one they say, lives there to this day
And the old house, to ruin, has gone.
But the villagers point out the spot
And the willows droop over the door
Where poor Mary died, once a sweet village bride
From the winds that blow across the wild moor.
The Louvin Brothers’ song, “Mary of the Wild Moor,” is a tragic story about a young woman named Mary who returns to her father’s doorstep in the middle of the winter, seeking shelter and help for her infant child. Despite her pleas, her father refuses to answer her cries for help, leaving her and her child to perish in the harsh conditions of the wild moor. The lyrics reflect Mary’s regret for ever leaving home and the loneliness she feels as she wanders aimlessly with no friends or family to turn to.
Although Mary’s father eventually discovers her and her child the next morning, it is too late. Mary has died, but her child is still alive, wrapped tightly in her arms. The old man is filled with grief and guilt, knowing he could have saved his daughter and grandchild. He spends the rest of his life in mourning, while the child eventually passes away, leaving no one to remember the tragedy except for the villagers, who point to the spot where Mary died and the willows that droop over the door of her family’s abandoned home.
The song has been interpreted as a cautionary tale about the importance of family and the consequences of turning one’s back on those in need. It also speaks to the harsh realities of life and the fragility of human existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Was on one cold winter's night
This event happened on a freezing winter night.
And the wind blew across the wild moor
The strong wind was blowing across the wild moor where Mary was wandering.
Poor Mary came wandering with a child in her arms
Mary was wandering across the wild moor holding her child, looking for help.
And she stopped at her own father's door.
She hoped to find help at her father's house and stopped in front of the door.
Oh, father, oh father, she cried
Mary called out to her father for assistance and begged him to open the door.
Come down and open the door
She begged her father to come downstairs and open the door to help her and her child.
Or this child in my arms, will perish and die
Mary feared that her child might die if they were ignored and not given shelter from the cold winter winds.
From the winds that blow across the wild moor.
The winds blowing across the wild moor posed a serious threat to the safety of Mary and her child.
Oh why did I leave this fair spot
Mary regretted leaving her home where she was once happy and content.
Where once I was happy and free
Mary longed to return to the times before leaving, a time where she was happy and free.
This wide world to roam, with no friends or no home
Leaving her home caused her to feel lonely and without a support system.
And no one to have pity on me.
Mary felt like no one understood or cared about her struggles and hardships.
But the father was deaf to her cry
The father did not respond to Mary's cries for help.
Not the sound of her voice, did he hear
The father was ignoring Mary's desperate cries for assistance and failed to hear her.
For the watch dogs did howl and the village bells tolled
The barking of the watch dogs and the tolling of the village bells drowned out Mary's cries for help.
And the winds blew across the wild moor.
The strong winds were still present, which was no help to Mary and her child.
Oh, how the old man must have felt
The father must have felt great regret and guilt when he realized what happened to Mary and her child.
When he opened the door, the next morn'
The next morning, the father must have opened the door and found Mary and her child in front of it.
And found Mary dead, but the child still alive
The father found Mary dead, and the child was still alive but clinging to her lifeless body.
Clasped close in it's dead mother's arms.
The child was still being held tightly by its deceased mother, Mary.
In anguish, he pulled his gray hair
The father was filled with sorrow and regret and pulled out his own hair.
And the tears, down his cheeks, they did pour
The father wept heavily, and tears streamed down his face.
When he saw how that night, they had perished and died
The father realized that Mary and her child had died tragically and horribly on the cold and windy night.
From the winds that blow across the wild moor.
The winds across the wild moor had ended Mary's life and the child's hope of being cared for.
The old man, his life, pined away
The tragic event drained the father of his will to live, his health began to decline.
And the child, to it's mother, went soon
The child later passed away and was reunited with its mother.
And no one they say, lives there to this day
No one lives there now and perhaps the place is known to be cursed or haunted.
And the old house, to ruin, has gone.
The old house has now fallen to ruin and disrepair.
But the villagers point out the spot
The village folk still remember the location and story of Mary's tragic end.
And the willows droop over the door
The weeping willow trees morosely bend over the ruined doorway where Mary perished.
Where poor Mary died, once a sweet village bride
The spot where Mary lost her life for lack of help was previously where Mary was once a happy young bride.
From the winds that blow across the wild moor.
Mary's tragic end was permanently etched in their minds and tied inexorably to the windy moor that caused her demise.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Four - Q
Louvin Brothers had the best harmonies in the history of country music. These songs of tragedy make the harmonies even more haunting. First time I heard this one, I was floored. Nowadays, no one remembers who these guys were. I was even in Nashville and asked around and no one knew who they were. That's a shame. They were part of Nashville history. Country Music's golden era. Now, country music is second rate rock n' roll. Real country is gone forever.
Geoffry Gyravf
whitey g I frequent Nashville quite a bit and yeah, you won't hear the Louvin Brothers in any bars on Broadway. It's a tourist town now and I don't understand why or how some of my friends live there.
Jerry Van
I remember them...
Anshu Pathania
M from india , I read the novel " satan is real ", n came to know about these legends !!
Miriam Bucholtz
Sixty years ago my older brother and I sang this song and several others by the Louvin Brothers. My brother got a mandolin one year for Christmas and we both taught ourselves how to play it. Thanks for bringing back the memories of singing these songs again.
Debra Soiseth
This one will bring a tear to a glass eye.
Jennifer Wintz
This is absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much for posting. I'm always searching out these old songs. 🎵
Joyce LeBaron
I'm just starting to read Charlie's book and he says this is the first song they learned from their mother when they were little kids. His father used to make them sing it for company and at first they were so bashful they'd sing it from under the bed!
Fmaj7b5
Let us not forget 'The Blue Sky Boys'.
Jason Smith
Billy strings preformed this song live at marymore park in settle this past weekend