Flower Top Ten: Wildwood Flower (#8)

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Rain and sinusitis do not mix well. As I stayed home yesterday, I was fine. By the time I walked to the garage this morning my sinuses were getting the Buddy Rich treatment. The rain gives us flowers, and I give you another song with “flower” in the title. #8: Wildwood Flower - Carter Family The national anthem of country guitar pickers! I was part of the “all-guitar marching band” at the groundbreaking of the new Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville (so I can legitimately say I played guitar with Chet Atkins!) in 1997. We led the Hall of Famers from the arena to the site of the construction for the ceremonies. And what do you think we played for five blocks? “Wildwood Flower” and “You Are My Sunshine.” But this song does have lyrics. And, although it’s permanently linked to the Carter Family (June Carter’s mom’n’em), it predates them by at least sixty years. The earliest version of the song is from 1860, titled “I’ll Twine ‘Mid the Ringlets,” by Maud Irving and J.P. Webster, the latter known for the hymn “In the Sweet Bye-and-Bye.” But, back then, we didn’t have BMI databases and ASCAP searches, so ol’ A.P. Carter took credit for it himself. Who was going to argue? Webster died in 1875, so he could hardly dispute the claim. Oh, well. If there is a “Mount Rushmore” of country music songs, this song is on it. As you listen to it (Linda? Don’t. ) you’ll probably be surprised (or sickened) by the primitive nature of the song. Not so much the recording technique, but the actual performance. You’ll probably think a 4-year-old can do better on guitar (and probably the vocals, too). Not me. This simplicity is what I’d take any day of the week over those hat-wearing, tight-jeaned “hunky boys” singing Bon Jovi with a twang and calling it “country music” today who couldn’t tell A.P. Carter from Jimmy Carter. Yeah, I’m old and set in my ways. Songs like this are why. Wildwood Flower Written by Joseph Philbrick Webster and Maud Irving (later attributed to A.P. Carter) Recorded by the Carter Family Released as a single, 1928 My idol was clay: