Song texts of the original Carter Family

(Texts listed here for study purposes only.)

Finding songs: Click on the first letter of the title. (Letters with no links have no songs.)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

The Original Carter Family, Alvin Pleasant Carter, his wife Sara, and her cousin Maybelle, were a major influence in the development of American country music. Through hundereds of recordings, personal appearances, and radio programs carried on dozens of stations, they reached devoted fans across the country and the world.

Their music, a composite of traditional ballads, blues songs, gospel numbers, heart songs, and instrumentals shaped and reflected the tastes of the rural south. Sara's supurb alto voice, combined with A.P.'s song writing and collecting, were enhanced by Maybelle's innovative and formative guitar lead style.

The song texts here are intended for study and comparison to later country and bluegrass versions.

Standing: AP and Sara - Seated: Maybelle

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