The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #78325 Message #1408155
Posted By: Jim Dixon
13-Feb-05 - 12:10 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro (Mother Maybelle)
Subject: Lyr Add: STRUMMING MY GUITARO (Harlan Howard)
Here's how I hear it, but I must admit that penultimate line has me stumped. I've listened to it over and over, and it doesn't even sound like English.
STRUMMIN' MY GUITARO Harlan Howard As sung by Mother Maybelle Carter
A married man will bring you shame, For he'll go home tomorrow. I'd rather spend my nights alone Strummin' my guitaro, strummin' my guitaro. I've been in love a dozen times. I'll love again tomorrow, But now my weary heart and mind Must hide with my guitaro, hide with my guitaro.
A single man will take your heart And in its place leave sorrow. Though someone else can have my part, I'll caress my guitaro, caress my guitaro. I've been married. I've been single. They both led to sorrow. But I ?? Strummin' my guitaro, strummin' my guitaro, strummin' my guitaro.
Here's a description of an album which makes specific reference to the guitaro, copied from a Library of Congress page:
Sara & Maybelle Carter. Bear Family Records BCD 15471. CD. Reissues of two albums recorded for Columbia in 1966 by Sara and Maybelle, two members of the original Carter Family, whose pioneering style helped to define early country music in the 1930s. Selections 1-12 are the contents of the Historic Reunion album made by Sara and Maybelle. Their harmony singing is augmented by bass vocals from A.P. Carter's son Joe; the Carters accompany themselves on guitar, autoharp, and an autoharp-like instrument called the guitaro. Selections 13-24 are the contents of the Living Legend album made by Maybelle six months earlier with accompaniment by session musicians on guitar, bass, and drums. Repertoire on both albums is a mixture of gospel and other songs they recorded commercially as a family in the 1930s, instrumental tunes, an original song by Johnny Cash (Maybelle's son-in-law), and others. Twenty-page booklet has notes by Charles Wolfe, photos, and a discography by Richard Weize. Historical / Country