The Carroll County Accident
Encyclopedia
"The Carroll County Accident" is a 1968 country song written by Bob Ferguson
, and recorded by Porter Wagoner
. It was a hit for Wagoner and became one of his signature song
s.
The singer describes examining the wreckage and finding evidence of an extramarital affair between the two. He promptly disposes of the evidence and swears himself to silence. He does this in order to preserve their reputations in the county because, as he reveals in the last verse, Walter Browning was his father.
The song reached #2 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs
, No. 1 on the Cash Box country singles chart, and #92 on the Billboard Hot 100
The idea of the song and most of the lyrics were written by Phillip E. Meyers and the music was by Bob Ferguson.
According to Ferguson, the song was written when he passed through Carroll County
when driving from Nashville to a concert for the Choctaw Indians in Philadelphia, Mississippi
. He recounted that he passed a sign for Carroll County in Tennessee
, which inspired the song's title. When he finished the song, he saw a sign for another Carroll County
in Mississippi
.
Bob Ferguson (music)
Robert Bruce "Bob" Ferguson Sr was an American songwriter, record producer who was instrumental in establishing Nashville, Tennessee as a center of country music; movie producer, and Choctaw Indian historian. Ferguson wrote the bestselling songs "On the Wings of a Dove" and "The Carroll County...
, and recorded by Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
. It was a hit for Wagoner and became one of his signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
s.
Content
In the song, the singer tells the story of a single-car accident that occurs just inside the county line near his hometown. The passenger, Walter Browning, an upstanding member of the community and seemingly happily married man, dies; while the driver, Mary Ellen Jones, a woman not his wife but also well respected, survives to testify she was taking him to town on an errand of mercy.The singer describes examining the wreckage and finding evidence of an extramarital affair between the two. He promptly disposes of the evidence and swears himself to silence. He does this in order to preserve their reputations in the county because, as he reveals in the last verse, Walter Browning was his father.
The song reached #2 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, No. 1 on the Cash Box country singles chart, and #92 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
The idea of the song and most of the lyrics were written by Phillip E. Meyers and the music was by Bob Ferguson.
According to Ferguson, the song was written when he passed through Carroll County
Carroll County, Tennessee
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 28,522. Its county seat is Huntingdon. It was named for Governor William Carroll.-Geography:According to the U.S...
when driving from Nashville to a concert for the Choctaw Indians in Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia is a city in and the county seat of Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. He recounted that he passed a sign for Carroll County in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, which inspired the song's title. When he finished the song, he saw a sign for another Carroll County
Carroll County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,769 people, 4,071 households, and 3,069 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 4,888 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 92 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 80 |