The oldest recording seems to be by J. E. Mainer's Mountaineers, Bluebird 7151 (also Montgomery Ward
7300), August, 1937. This is my transcr i ption from J. E. Mainer: "The Early Years B" (2009), which I was
able to hear through Spotify:
WE CAN'T BE DARLINGS ANY MORE
Hartford Rice Clements is in G
Johnson Mtn Boys is in A Live At Birchmere
Banjo tuned Eb, Capo 4, Key A or G
A D
1. Darling, you often said you loved me,
A E
But you've gone on before.
A D
You don't know, dear, how I miss you,
A E A
But we can't be darlings any more.
2. Until we meet up there in heaven
Then we can walk the golden shore
But down here on this lonely earth, dear,
We can't be darlings any more.
CHORUS: Darling, I'm sad and lonely
Since you've gone on before,
For down here on this lonely earth, dear,
We can't be darlings any more.
3. We were happy, dear, together
Till the angels took you home.
Now I'm sad and brokenhearted
Living down here all alone.
4. I have lost a million tears, dear,
Since you left this world alone,
But we can never again be darlings
Till we meet around the throne. CHORUS
Also recorded by Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & The Stanley Brothers; The Johnson Mountain Boys; David
Grisman; John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vass ar Clements; Jim Van Cleve; Red Allen, The Kentuckians, &
David Grisman; Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass; Buzz Matheson & Mac Martin; and possibly others.
