Today’s post was written by Paul.
I was surprised that I couldn’t find any trace of today’s song on YouTube by Lester Flatt. I checked secondhandsongs.com and couldn’t find it. When I couldn’t find it there, I concluded that I must be searching for the wrong song.
I came back to YouTube and tried various versions of the title. I finally found it by searching for “If I had My Life to Live Over,” which seems like an odd line to select for the title, but perhaps they were trying to avoid confusion or association with other songs. At any rate, I found the very recording that I had heard back in the 90’s. Turns out, it was a track on an album put out by Benny Martin, the great fiddler, and Martin chose to feature Flatt as the singer on that track.
Listen closely, and you should be able to hear the teeth whistle I mentioned in the video. Someone, probably Josh Graves, played some nice dobro on the recording. You can see it here.
As you will find if you listen to the recording of Benny Martin and Lester Flatt, I accidentally omitted the middle verse. I typed that verse below:
I left my home down in old Caroline.
I rambled around from time to time.
I waited too late to start back home
For the ones I loved have done passed on.
That verse touches on a theme, topic, or situation that appears in many old folk and Appalachian songs: staying away too long and regretfully finding that one’s parents have passed during your absence. That may seem strange to modern listeners, but once upon a time, people living in rural areas had no way to call and check on the elders they left behind at the old homeplace.
A good example of the same situation is found in Don Reno’s song, “Little Mountain Road.” My favorite cover of that song is by Crowe and McLaughlin. There are many more examples, like Acuff’s “Not a Word from Home” and Mac Wiseman’s “I Wonder how the Old Folks are at Home.”
Acuff released the original recording of “Not a Word from Home,” but the Louvins have the quintessential recording, featuring some of the highest tenor ever sung well. You can hear it here.
I cannot imagine leaving my parents behind and having no clue how they were faring, but once upon a time, I guess it was common practice, perhaps out of necessity to find gainful employment, etc.
Hope you enjoyed the song and the details about my recent trip with Doyle Dykes.
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016).
The Wilson Brothers Words of Life Album released in the 70s.
Thank you Paul!
If I could live my life over, yeah that’s been the story of most my life, not all, but most. As I was told many years back, could’ve , should’ve , would’ve, can’t change a thing and never will. I’ve learned to just be content with my life and be thankful I had a life to live. God took a lot of my lemon decisions and turned them into lemonade, and for this I am eternally grateful. Good singing no matter what the song choice is. Thanks for sharing your talents with us, Paul.
Paul, I enjoyed today’s post and feel I learned a lot in many different ways. I’m happy you were able to make that trip. From the story of the song you added at the service it seems there was a special reason you went on this trip that was a blessing to someone else. And you thought you shouldn’t participate in that service! Wow! At my age I sometimes “go with the flow”, meaning if my plans change I try to take advantage and not let it bother me because I never really know the reason and sometimes it could be to avoid something bad or gain something good for me or someone else. I look forward to the future videos you mention. Thanks again for sharing your talent and thoughts.
Thank you for the great music, Paul! I always look forward to your Sunday posts. ❤️
Prayers for all in need and those who are lonely and far from family.
Sunday Blessings, Paul. For so many, at a certain age, ‘life’ and ‘other places’ call, and ‘home’ and all things familiar are left behind and we think ‘home’ will remain the same for such a time as we choose to return, only to find that when we eventually do make it back, the ones we loved and all we knew are no longer there. Life is always evolving, changing, giving and taking.
Norman I pray for you everyday. I will soon be 73 and many family members have now passed on in both mine and my wife’s families. I am including extended family. I loved and was as close to my wife’s family as I was to my own. We enjoyed many, many good times together. I think this is one of the reasons family is so important to me. As for you living your life over, I think if we were truthful all of us have regrets in our lives and wish we relive at least some of it.
My father in law,Moe Jaffe,also wrote a song titled “If I Had My Life To Over”. It has been recorded by artists as diverse as Slim Whitman,Doris Day,Lou Rawls and Eddie Arnold.
You may be familiar with another of Moe’s songs, “I’m My Own Grandpa.”
Hi Paul. I never got an email for today’s post, so I did a search and found it. I wouldn’t change a thing in my past. It wasn’t perfect and some things were awful, but they all got me to where I am today. I Praise GOD for where I stand with HIM today. TY for the video.
Barbara, sorry about that! It might have gone into your spam or junk folder? If it doesn’t show up tomorrow let me know and I’ll see if I can figure it out 🙂
thank you Paul, for a long time I’ve been wishing I could live my life over, God bless you and have a great day
Paul, you remind me of the song “Rank Stranger” (not exact title I think). One line is, “No mother nor Dad, not a friend could I see.” And the chorus is, ” I found they were all rank strangers to me.” I agree that sounds very odd. But think about the westward movements. At first they were not so far as to sever family ties such as in moving to Kentucky or Tennessee. But especially between about 1800 and 1880 or so the distances became so long and travel so slow that going ‘back home’ was not practical. And in that time was also the upheaval of the Civil War when families were shattered. We do what we think we have to and endure the costs, I reckon.
Ron that is the correct title. I have heard many different ones sing this song. A song that I have always liked by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs is “Father’s Table Grace” it is about a son leaving home and his Father praying for him.
Randy, I looked up Father’s Table Grace. Thank you for mentioning it. It touched my heart. That is the prayer parents pray for their children isn’t it. None of mine are old enough to be on their own yet, but one day I know they will go (hopefully just down the road a little ways) and this is what I pray for them. Such a beautiful prayer.
For the first 10 years of my life 1954-64 many of us in the rural area we lived in did not have phones. Being close enough to family to stay in touch and often see them was one of the most important decisions my wife and I made in our married life. We always had everything we needed but not always wanted. No amount of money we could have made somewhere else was not worth giving up being with our families.
good morning Randy, I’d like to be closer to my family, we’re in our 50s and 60s now, brother Bennie passed away back in April, everybody walked down a different road, we are split up and far apart, nobody comes around, I wish we had stayed closer, lived closer together, I have a younger brother in his 50s , he’s at the old home place, God bless him there’s no tell him what kind of shape it’s in, there’s no telling what kind of shape he’s in, thank you for sharing, have a great day