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Careless Love

from Love Call Me Home by Peggy Seeger

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(note by Elisabeth Higgins Null with Charles H. Baum)
Peggy says 'Careless Love' descends from an English song 'You've Been Careless Love,' and she sings it in 3/4 time or waltz rhythm. The result sounds quite different from the more familiar tune variants associated with early African-American blues tradition. There are few descriptions of American song variants pre-dating the twentieth century. The celebrated blues composer W.C. Handy (1873-1958) recalled that he heard in 1892 in Alabama and copyrighted his own version of it as 'Loveless Love' (recorded by Noble Sissle & his Sizzling Syncopators in 1921). Handy's version went on to become a jazz and blues standard.

In 1911, song collector Howard Odum collected another African-American version as 'Kelly's Love,' and 'Careless Love' is often called by that title in black tradition. Floating lyrics in many of the versions, black and white, resemble those found in English songs such as 'I Wish, I Wish' or 'Waly, Waly.'

Whatever name it goes by, the song is widespread in blues, jazz, old-time, bluegrass, and folk repertoires. A partial list of recording can be found through:

The Folk Music Index
www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/c03.htm#Carlo

For further written and recorded versions consult

The Traditional Ballad Index
www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/R793.html

lyrics

04 CARELESS LOVE

words and music: traditional USA


CHORUS:
Love, 0 love, O careless love
Love, O love, O careless love
Love, O love, O careless love
See what careless love have done.

Love my momma and poppa too (3)
I'd leave them both to go with you. (chorus)

When I wore my apron low (3)
You'd follow me through rain and snow.

Now my apron's to my chin (3)
You pass my door and won't come in. (chorus)

On this railroad bank I stand (3)
All for the love of a railroad man.

How I wish that train would come (3)
And take me back where I come from. (chorus)

credits

from Love Call Me Home, released April 26, 2005

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Peggy Seeger Oxford, UK

Peggy is one of the most influential folk singers on either side of the Atlantic. She is Pete Seeger’s half-sister and Ruth Crawford Seeger’s daughter; her first life partner was the English songwriter Ewan MacColl, who wrote First Time Ever I Saw Your Face for her. She has made more than 22 solo recordings to date. Please check ewanmaccoll.bandcamp.com for other albums featuring Peggy. ... more

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