Carter Family, The - Sweet Fern Lyrics






Springtime is coming, sweet lonesome bird
Your echo in the woodland I hear
Down in the meadow so lonesome you're singing
While the moonlight is shining so clear

But I know he's away in a far distant land
A land that is over the sea
Go fly to him singing your sweet little song
And tell him to come back to me

Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
Oh, tell me, is my darling still true
Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
I'll be just as happy as you

Well, a-lee-oh-lay-ee
Well, a-lee-ho-lee-oh-lay-ee
Yeah, lee-oh-lay-ee-hee-oh
Lee-oh-lay-ee

Oh, tell me, sweet Fern, is he thinking of me
And the promise he made long ago
He said he'd return from over the sea
Oh, why do the earth roll so slow

I know he's away in a far distant land
A land that is over the sea
Go fly to him singing your sweet little song
And tell him to come back to me

Well, a-lee-oh-lay-ee
Well, a-lee-ho-lee-oh-lay-ee
Yeah, lee-oh-lay-ee-hee-oh
Lee-oh-lay-ee

Upon my finger he placed a small ring
On the day he was leaving his home
I promised I'd be his own dear little girl
And love him wherever he'd roam

But I know he's away in a far distant land
A land that is over the sea
Go fly to him singing your sweet little song
And tell him to come back to me

Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
Oh, tell me, is my darling still true
Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
I'll be just as happy as you

Well, a-lee-oh-lay-ee
Well, a-lee-ho-lee-oh-lay-ee
Yeah, lee-oh-lay-ee-hee-oh
Lee-oh-lay-ee





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Carter Family, The Sweet Fern Comments
  1. D.... ....

    Mind is blown

  2. P.... F....

    Complete song texts for the original Carter Family:
    https://bluegrasswest.com/ideas/carterdex.html

  3. S.... C....

    My grandma has very bad Alzheimer’s and today she kept singing this song but it made her so sad when nobody else knew the song. She just kept saying “Sweet fern, sweet fern.” When I played it she got so happy.

  4. R.... U....

    the best ever still.

  5. c.... ....

    I thought this was about a fern and not a bird

  6. P.... Y....

    Springtime is coming, sweet lonesome bird
    Your echo in the woodland I hear
    Down in the meadow so lonesome you're singing
    While the moonlight is shining so clear
    But I know he's away in a far distant land
    A land that is over the sea
    Go fly to him singing your sweet little song
    And tell him to come back to me
    Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
    Oh, tell me, is my darling still true
    Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
    I'll be just as happy as you
    Well, a-lee-oh-lay-ee
    Well, a-lee-ho-lee-oh-lay-ee
    Yeah, lee-oh-lay-ee-hee-oh
    Lee-oh-lay-ee
    Oh, tell me, sweet Fern, is he thinking of me
    And the promise he made long ago
    He said he'd return from over the sea
    Oh, why do the earth roll so slow
    But I know he's away in a far distant land
    A land that is over the sea
    Go fly to him singing your sweet little song
    And tell him to come back to me
    Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
    Oh, tell me, is my darling still true
    Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern) Sweet Fern (Sweet Fern)
    I'll be just as happy as you
    Well, a-lee-oh-lay-ee
    Well, a-lee-ho-lee-oh-lay-ee
    Yeah, lee-oh-lay-ee-hee-oh
    Lee-oh-lay-ee
    Upon my finger he placed a small ring
    On the day he was leaving his home
    I promised I'd be his own dear little girl
    And love him wherever he'd roam

  7. J.... H....

    slide and yodeling worthy of the greatest bluesmen... this is just a wonderful recording

  8. p.... ....

    great yodelling

  9. b.... ....

    This is a very nice song! I'm a huge Carter Family fan, and I think the title of this movie should be written with big letters! - Carter Family, not carter family :)

  10. D.... T....

    Yes, Maybelle discusses playing the Dobro on these recordings during a brief interview at the 1963 Newport Music Festival (released on the "Wildflower Pickin'" album in 1997).

  11. D.... T....

    One of the very few Carter Family recordings featuring Mother Maybelle on the Dobro.

  12. e.... ....

    Go fly to him singing...