Careless Love

Hi,

Below is my painting of Careless Love, a song that is a blues, jazz and bluegrass standard.



Careless Love 30" by 40" Acrylic on canvas. C 2008. WC Handy, father of the blues, claimed he learned the song back in 1892. His version 1921 "Loveless Love" recorded by Bessie Smith and his 1925 folk version paved the way for jazz and blues recordings. Collected as early as 1909 the song was popular among Country musicians in the late 1920s and 30s. Careless Love was recorded by Dock Boggs, Riley Puckett, and also Ernest Stoneman.

My painting begins on the left side above the lyrics with the lovers (in the trees) meeting in a densely wooded background. Their profiles emerge from two tree trunks. The entire cabin scene shows the result; the young girl who is now pregnant, stares in the distance as her lover (on far right) passes the cabin door and won’t come in. While their hound dog lies impassively on the porch and her father sits in a rocking chair whittling wood, her mother raises a shotgun towards the young man who hasn't taken responsibility for his actions.

If you are intersted in buying my original paintings or very affordable prints $40 for a "12 by 16" glossy color print with backing (ready to be hanged) please e-mail me: richiematt@aol.com

One touch I added was a bee pollinating a daisey (left bottom). The lyrics which are difficult to read are the standard lyrics sung in the mountains by a woman (I'll post the man's lyrics as well):


Careless Love

Love, oh love, my careless love,
Love, oh love, my careless love.
Love, oh love, oh careless love,
Oh look what careless love has done.

Once I wore my apron low,
Once I wore my apron low.
Once I wore my apron low,
I could not keep you from my door.

Now my apron strings won't pin,
Now my apron strings won't pin.
Now my apron strings won't pin,
You pass my door and won't come in.

I love my mama and papa, too,
I love my mama and papa, too.
I love my mama and papa, too,
I'd leave them just to go with you.

You’ve gone and broke this heart of mine,
You’ve gone and broke this heart of mine.
You’ve gone and broke this heart of mine,
It'll break that heart of yours sometime.


These are similar the the lyrics sung by Jean Ritchie. Now here are the man's lyrics that I used to sing:

Love, oh love, oh careless love,
Love, oh love, oh careless love.
Love, oh love, oh careless love,
Oh look what careless love has done.

Sorrow, sorrow to my heart,
Sorrow, sorrow to my heart,
Sorrow, sorrow to my heart,
Since I and my true love did part.

I wish that lonely train would come,
I wish that lonely train would come,
I wish that lonely train would come,
Gotta go back where I come from.

Compare this to Careless Love in 1929 by Byrd Moore & His Hotshots [Clarence Ashley and Clarence Greene].

CARELESS LOVE

Love, oh love, how can it be
Love, oh love, how can it be
Love, oh love, how can it be
To love someone that don't love me

I wish that eastbound train would run
I wish that eastbound train would run
I wish that eastbound train would run
And carry me back where I come from

I used to be a brakeman on a train
I used to be a brakeman on a train
I used to be a brakeman on a train
But now I wear a ball and chain

Never put a stranger from your door
Never put a stranger from your door
Never put a stranger from your door
If you do, you'll reap just what you sow

Byrd Moore & His Hotshots recorded this on October 23, 1929 in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it was issued as Columbia 15496-D in February 1930. Transcription from reissue on Various Artists 'A Collection of Mountain Songs' County LP 504. Byrd Moore & His Hotshots had recorded the song in 1928 for Gennett in Richmond, Ind, and that was issued as Gnt 6824 in June 1929.

In the next blog we'll look at the history of the song and some other versions,

Richard