Carter Family-Gold Watch and Chain

Darling, how can I stay here without you
I have nothing to cheer my poor heart
This old world would seem sad, love, without you
Tell me now that we're never to part
Oh, I'll pawn you my gold watch and chain, love
And I'll pawn you my gold diamond ring
I will pawn you this heart in my bosom
Only say that you love me again
[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]
Take back all the gifts you have given
But a ring and a lock of your hair
And a card with your picture upon it
It's a face that is false, but it's fair
Oh, I'll pawn you my gold watch and chain, love
And I'll pawn you my gold diamond ring
I will pawn you this heart in my bosom
Only say that you love me again
[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]
Tell me why that you do not love me
Tell me why that your smile is not bright
Tell me why you have grown so coldhearted
Is there no kiss for me, love, tonight
Oh, I'll pawn you my gold watch and chain, love
And I'll pawn you my gold diamond ring
I will pawn you this heart in my bosom
Only say that you love me again
[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]
Oh, I'll pawn you my gold watch and chain, love
And I'll pawn you my gold diamond ring
I will pawn you this heart in my bosom
Only say that you love me again

[@jerryv.397]

The Carter Family Should Be Designated "A National Treasure".

[@danthorstad4132]

They already are!

[@youngc570]

AP was the greatest songwriter and lyricist. No one wrote with such psychological depth and nuance. Defined American music in the 20th century.

[@johnmaisonneuve9057]

When I listen to the Carter’s it is a reminder what we have lost - incredible beautiful music.

[@kengeorge1923]

Say whatever you want, this group represented their places of birth and word pronounciation and music style like no other group ever has, or ever will do!

[@Interandd]

7 heaven. No words. God bless them!

[@yeezhah]

I always loved the way the Carter Family sang this song.

[@thesoupdragonat121]

The Carter Family, original and very best. My dear departed and long lost friend loved this and sang alomg to the 45 rpm in her little Highgate (London UK) apartment. I still have the 45 records, much loved.

[@Interandd]

Mama i cała reszta do pochwały w niebiosach! Wspaniałe wykonanie. Sława IM. Wieczysta. Nieporównywalne!

[@danthorstad4132]

Music the way it was always meant to be

[@babb798]

it nice to hear , not just listen but really hear the story of love in a person .

[@TheJohnBeattie]

Thanks for clearing up. Great music. Great history. Hopefully Americans will restore things for common folk on all levels.

[@tonylupo1764]

Maybelle was the mother of Helen ,June and Anita Carter, the famous Carter Sisters and along with their mom, were pioneers and legends of American Entertainment in their own right. The Girls started singing with AP Sara and their Mother in 1938 (Anita) and Helen in1933 as a 6 year old. June was the late bloomer and started with them at 10 years old in 1939 when all the Girls were with AP Sara and Mother Maybelle along with their cousin Jeanette (APsand Saras Daughter} The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle as they were billed recorded for RCA Victor in 1949 and recorded for Columbia as a group for years. They all had successful solo careers for various labels as well. Anita Carter has the most beautiful voice and was a lot of peoples favorite singer including Johnny Cash and me. Helen was a great vocalist as well with a beautiful voice. Helen was the best musician of the daughters and arranged a lot of their vocal arrangements. Helen is one of if not the greatest accordion player that ever played that 35 lb. instrument. June was the most well known because she had the personality that craved attention and was the front-person for the band. She was a great comedian and loved to laugh and make people laugh.They played for 7 years as the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle on 3 different radio stations before WSM radio hired them in 1950. Check out Anita Carters "Appalachian Angel" 7cd set on Amazon from Bear Family records. Fantastic. Helen has a few albums that you can find "This One's for You Mama" and "The Helen Carter Collection are both great listens. Also her 50's and 60's released records are on You Tube as well.

[@gregl6527]

Tony....Thank you again for all the info. And also all the work you've done on your own channel in bringing us this music. Anita's voice is stunning .

[@ELVIS4221]

IS THIS NOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MELODY EVER

[@ELVIS4221]

OH HOW I LOVE THEM SO

[@9lontoonieful1]

My Mom really loved the Carter Family Music!

[@thepincushionman7063]

I love them :)

[@jimdollinger]

such talent.

[@shannondawn44]

The other lady is Sara Carter , who was A.P. Carter's wife . Sara did most of the lead singing . Maybell was married to A.P. Carter's brother Ezra Carter . and yes, Maybell and Ezra were the parents of June . Hope that helps :)

[@Sliptrail]

Perfect! Great job with the photos I especially love the outdoor ones. Thank you!

[@squarenecked]

Maybelle does great on the harmony vocals. AP is in there too, so nice mix on this one

[@buddyzroadie]

Thank you so much for posting this! Wonderful!!!

[@bettystephenson7094]

a great old song love it

[@9lontoonieful1]

Lovely!

[@letteringkwok9889]

So honest.

[@mikenowacki9729]

charming

[@ninathomas7896]

This great I learned to play the autoharp from this song and I love it.

[@catman916]

Has anyone noticed that this has the same melody as "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes." Both songs are credited to A.P Carter. I know that A.P. collected melodies. He must have really liked this one enough to create songs with different lyrics.

[@2ndMounier]

Reggie, You got the relationships wrong. Maybelle and Sara were not sisters. AP and Eck Carter were brothers. The girls were cousins and married the Carter brothers.

[@100perdido]

It is confusing. My sister married the brother of our aunt's husband. Or to put it another way, our mother's sister married a guy and my sister married his brother. So that makes my sister's brother in law her uncle so she's the niece of her brother in law. Figure that one out.

[@algabo2335]

sadly this wonderful music has been lost to the garbage called music today

[@TheBasenjiman]

A.P.Carter was married to Sara Carter. Mother Maybelle was married to Ezra J.Carter. A.P. and Ezra were brothers.

[@misssweetlena]

yes maybell is junes mother.. the other lady is maybell's sis.. i think her name was Lily

[@januthin]

Does anyone know MM's fingering on this? She's playing in B flat major, but the low note is F, so if she's not in G position while barring at the 3rd fret, how else can you play the riff? Because that's a tough stretch and she had little fingers!

[@Ridger1978]

She very, very rarely fingered in the G position.... It was either C or F.

[@Fozzymaple]

Maybelle was probably playing in C position at the nut with the guitar tuned down a step.

[@losthills]

She mostly played in C, but tuned her guitar up or down to match the autoharp.

[@100perdido]

I don't know. I'm not that advanced a player but Mike Seegar did a Homespun Tapes lesson called Guitar Styles of The Carter Family which might be helpful.

[@american37]

You can see from the pictures that landscaping back then wasn't what it is today. Great tune, however.

[@63DW89A]

What you are seeing in these Carter Family photos from the 1920's & 30's is farmland on a working farm as it appeared at that time. There are remote rural areas in Scott County, Virginia today in Feburary 2015 that still look much the same those original Carter Family photos. The same can be said of the mountain areas of NC & TN. Those mountain areas aren't nearly as isolated today. In the 1920's/30's, Interstate Highways did not exist and the U. S. Highways were mainly lines on a map drawn in November 1926 showing proposed routes!

[@american37]

I suppose so. But really that close to the house nowadays?

[@63DW89A]

american37 When the pictures of the Carters were being taken in the late 1920's , the Clinch Mountains of Virginia had barely been settled 100 years. Not unusual for an unoccupied log cabin from the first family members to settle to still be standing on the family farm. What better backdrop for the Carter Family's traditional music than an original settler's log cabin? Sarah, Maybelle and A.P would have known and talked with the children of Revolutionary War veterans or the children of Long Hunters who had traveled with Daniel Boone through the Moccasin Gap in the Clinch Mtns following the Warriors Path of the Cherokee and Shawnee on to the Cumberland Gap and then into Kentucky. I think that foundation is the source of the deep soul, spirit and raw, intensely real sound that makes the original Carter Family style so unique and distinctive. No other group I've ever heard sounds like the original Carters! Once an Original Carter Family song is heard it stays in the mind long beyond the more modern covers of the same song.

[@TheJohnBeattie]

What is the family connection re the second woman ? Not Maybell but the other lady. Can't figure it out. And is Maybell June's mum ? Thanks for help .

[@peytonlandan3172]

John Beattie her name is Sara and Sara was Maybells cousin

[@lemanwilson1281]

2ndMounier AP Carters brother was named Ezra not Eck. LemanHW

[@2ndMounier]

His Christian name was Ezra but he was known as Eck. AP was not called Alvin Pleasant Delaney when people spoke of or to him.

[@eddlanders9275]

Some called him Eck