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17 messages

Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro (Mother Maybelle)

11 Feb 05 - 02:39 PM (#1406191)
Subject: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: Ebbie

I stumbled across this long-forgotten song and don't remember all the words. I don't know that I ever knew all the words. I did find it in The Record Lady but there are a couple of lines I can't make out. Does some savvy Mudcat know? Here's what I have:

Strumming my Guitarro

A married man will bring you shame
'Cause he'll go home tomorrow
I'd rather spend my nights alone
Strumming my guitarro, strumming my guitarro

          I've been in love a dozen times
          I'll love again tomorrow
          But now my weary heart and mind
          Must ??   my guitarro, ?? my guitarro

A single man will take your heart
And in its place leave sorrow
So someone else can have my part
I'll caress my guitarro, caress my guitarro

         I've been married, I've been single
         They both led to sorrow
         But I ??
         Strumming my guitarro, strumming my guitarro

11 Feb 05 - 04:46 PM (#1406314)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: DonMeixner

The Guitaro is an instrument from Oscar Schmidt that used Autoharp chording machinery on a zither body that you held like a Guitar. You can see them now and then on EBay and they fetch pretty good Money.

Maybelle endorsed the Guitaro for Oscar Schmidt and she is famous for the Auto Harp.

Don

11 Feb 05 - 06:35 PM (#1406455)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: Ebbie

Ah. I hadn't thought of that. I was thinking kind of in terms of 'guitar- oh'. Maybelle certainly played the autoharp, not a guitar, in that song.

So, Don, do you know the song? I want to sing the song in our group but those two crucial missing lines would prevent me.

11 Feb 05 - 08:21 PM (#1406610)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: GUEST,Sleepless Dad

I'm pretty sure that there is a website devoted to the lyrics of the Carter Family. And I'm pretty sure I've seen a link in a Mudcat thread. You might do a search for it. I'm sure it will show up.

12 Feb 05 - 12:15 AM (#1406825)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: DonMeixner

Sorry Ebbie, I don't.

Harpgirl, our resident Autoharp expert and historian may know it though.

D

12 Feb 05 - 12:37 AM (#1406845)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: Peace

Ebbie,

It was written by Howard Harlan: "Strumming my Guitaro"

I will go dig s'more.

12 Feb 05 - 12:40 AM (#1406851)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitarrro- Mother Maybelle
From: Peace

Try an e-mail to here. Might find where to look or a place to locate the lyrics.

sara@harlanhoward.com

13 Feb 05 - 12:10 PM (#1408155)
Subject: Lyr Add: STRUMMING MY GUITARO (Harlan Howard)
From: Jim Dixon

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 picture of a guitaro.

Here's another, with description.

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

14 Feb 05 - 11:30 AM (#1409365)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: Chris in Wheaton

So - where is Maybelle's Guitaro? Are the any mp3 clips of the sound on the web?

Very interesting.......... Chris

14 Feb 05 - 12:14 PM (#1409421)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: masato sakurai

Yes, Chris. As Ebbie says, 'Strummin' My Guitaro' (Mother Maybelle Carter) is at The Record Lady's All-Time Country Favorites (Real Country Page 20).

14 Feb 05 - 03:02 PM (#1409615)
Subject: I think I hear this??
From: GUEST,Gene

Strumming my Guitarro

A married man will bring you shame
[For] he'll go home tomorrow
I'd rather spend my nights alone
Strumming my guitarro, strumming my guitarro

          I've been in love a dozen times
          I'll love again tomorrow
          But now my weary heart and mind
          [Just?] cry with my guitarro, cry with my guitarro]

A single man will take your heart
And in its place leave sorrow
So someone else can have my part
I'll caress my guitarro, caress my guitarro

         I've been married, I've been single
         They both led to sorrow
         [But I'll admit the nights get cold]
         Strumming my guitarro, strumming my guitarro

15 Feb 05 - 08:29 PM (#1411277)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: Jim Dixon

"But I'll admit the nights get cold"

Yes! exactly right.

Funny how hearing it the right way suddenly makes everything fall into place.

15 Feb 05 - 08:52 PM (#1411299)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: Ebbie

So right! Amazing! Thank you.

15 Feb 05 - 09:07 PM (#1411319)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: GUEST,gene

i only had to listen to it a DOZEN times OR MORE...!

Duets, Trios & Quartets give me the most trouble

15 Feb 05 - 10:55 PM (#1411403)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: Ebbie

Ah - another illusion shattered. I pictured you with the ears of an owl. :)

But thanks for sticking with it.

22 Dec 10 - 02:16 PM (#3059474)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro- Mother Maybelle
From: Sandy Mc Lean

The Carter's Guitaro

25 Feb 23 - 12:11 PM (#4166127)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Strumming My Guitaro (Mother Maybelle)
From: GUEST,Mother Maybelle's Guitaro

I think I've worked out the missing lines:

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’ll admit the night was cold
Strummin' my guitaro, strummin' my guitaro, strummin' my guitaro.