The trio's recording for MWC (Music World Creations, founded by the band's manager, Mel Shaw) of Dodson's "Carry Me" was a major Canadian hit in 1971. It was followed the same year by his "Sweet City Woman", an international hit. As a result The Stampeders received the 1971 Juno Award as vocal and instrumental group of the year. Other hits included "Devil You" (1971) and "Hit the Road Jack" (1975), both popular in the USA, as well as "Monday Morning Choo Choo" and "Then Came the White Man" (1972), and "Oh My Lady" and "Minstrel Gypsy" (1973).
The Stampeders were one of the top touring bands in Canada during the 1970s and appeared in TV specials on the CBC and Global networks. They also toured widely in the USA (where, in 1974, they were the only Canadians to perform at the American Song Festival, held at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., seen on ABC TV) and performed in Brazil in 1972 and in Europe in 1972 and 1973. They were especially popular in the Netherlands, where they along with Beach Boy Carl Wilson won an Edison Award in 1973 for their first European LP (a combination of their first two Canadian LPs).
In 1976 a second drummer and a three-man brass and reed section were added. In December of that year, however, Dodson left to pursue a solo career, subsequently establishing the Marigold label in Toronto and enjoying some success in the 'adult contemporary' market with "Give You That Love", "Cruel Emotion", "No Time to Say Goodbye" (1984) and "Lookin' Back" (1985). Berly left The Stampeders in 1978, at which point King switched to guitar and was joined by his brother Roy (bass guitar) and two other musicians; the band continued for a time as The Stampeders Featuring Ronnie King. The Stampeders continue to tour every summer.
Carry Me
The Stampeders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carry me
Home to Birmingham
To my Sarah-Ann
To where I grew a man
Mmm-mmm carry me
I don't wanna fight no more
I just wish it would end
Mmm-mmm
[Chorus]
Here I'm tied down and homesick
And that old wind just blows so freely
Why can't it take me along
Mmm-mmm carry me
With you ramblin' wind
It's the place you've been
I wish I was home again
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm
[Chorus]
Here I'm tied down and homesick
And that old wind just blows so freely
Why can't it take me along
Mmm-mmm carry me
Home to Alabama
To Sarah's homemade jam
To old red
Mmm-mmm carry me
With you ramblin' wind
It's the place you've been
I wish I was home again
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm
The Stampeders' "Carry Me" is a heartfelt song that speaks about the longing for home and the desire to be carried away from the war. The song begins with the singer asking to be carried back home to Birmingham where he grew up, to be with his beloved Sarah-Ann. It's evident that he has experienced the horrors of war and just wants to escape, to be away from it all. The idea of home represents safety and comfort, a place where he can find solace and be at peace. The lyrics evoke the feeling of homesickness and the yearning to be reunited with loved ones.
As the song progresses, we sense the pain and anguish of the singer, who is tied down and homesick, unable to break free. He wishes for the wind to carry him along, taking him to places he's been and longs to be again. The wind, a symbol of freedom and change, represents the possibility of a better life, a chance to start anew. The chorus repeats twice, emphasizing the singer's feeling of being stuck and longing for release.
Overall, "Carry Me" speaks about the human desire for connection and belonging. It's a beautifully written song that captures the essence of homesickness and the longing for peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm
The opening sounds of the song
Carry me
A plea to be taken away from the current situation
Home to Birmingham
The desired destination where the singer grew up
To my Sarah-Ann
The artist's loved one waiting for them at home
To where I grew a man
A place of personal growth and maturity for the artist
Mmm-mmm carry me
The repeated plea to be carried away
Away from this old war
A desire to leave conflict behind
I don't wanna fight no more
The artist is tired of conflict and wants peace
I just wish it would end
The frustration with the ongoing strife
Mmm-mmm
A musical interlude
[Chorus] Here I'm tied down and homesick
The singer feels trapped and longing for home
And that old wind just blows so freely
The artist is envious of the freedom of nature
Why can't it take me along
A desire to escape with the wind
Mmm-mmm carry me
The repeated plea to be carried away
With you ramblin' wind
The wind becomes personified and a potential ally for escape
It's the place you've been
The wind represents a path to a different place and experience
I wish I was home again
The longing for the safety and comfort of home
Home to Alabama
The desired destination changed to another location
To Sarah's homemade jam
A specific detail about the desired home
To old red
Another detail about the desired home
Mmm-mmm carry me
The repeated plea to be carried away
With you ramblin' wind
The wind remains a symbol for escape
It's the place you've been
The idea that the wind has traveled to different, exciting places
I wish I was home again
The longing for the safety and comfort of home remains strong
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm
The closing sounds of the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BarneyR
Ah great, I thought my comments would just be placed right where the intro chords are listed... so let me expound further.
To be honest, this song doesn't exactly have a verse-chorus-verse (even if the "Here I'm tied down and homesick" section has the identical lyrics each time it's played), as the "Carry me" lyrical/vocal hook would therefore be in the "verse" (which would also provide the complete cadential resolution, as the "Here I'm tied down and homesick" basically ends in a half-cadence). To be more precise, it's more of a verse-verse-bridge-verse (similar to Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" in song structure, for a well-known example).
Intro: A D A D
Verse: A D A D A D Bm D E
Verse (repeated): A D A D A D (F#m/C#) Bm D E
Bridge: A D A D D (F#m/C#) Bm D E
Verse (shortened): A D A D A Bm
Intro (repeated before "solo"): A D A D
Solo: B E E B B E E B B E E B B E E
Bridge: A D A D D (F#m/C#) Bm D E
Verse: A D A D A D Bm D E
Verse (shortened): A D A D A Bm
Intro (repeated before "solo"): A D A D
Solo: B E E B B E E B B E E B B E E B B E E B... (faded)
BarneyR
Bb Eb Bb Eb
@leafsrule2116
Still listening to this band 47 Years later never get tired of listening to their music makes me proud to be Canadian
@kevinCarnahan-of8uk
I'm with you! Goes back to the day when"blowing a tranny" was strictly an automotive issue 😂😂😂👍
@GinLand684
🙌
@keithorr6878
I played this song over the military radio in Vietnam in 1970. It was an instant hit.
@ianstuart5660
Given the song's meaning, very understandable! Even as a 5 year old, I understood. Still love this song!
@keithorr6878
Brought tears to my eyes when I heard my hometown band when I was in Vietnam in the war years.
@TheMapkiss
You are a Canadian who fought in Vietnam?
@Lava1964
There were more of them than you might think.@@TheMapkiss