About The Song
“In Care of the Blues” is a track by American country singer Patsy Cline, recorded on May 23, 1957, at Bradley Film and Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, during sessions for her debut album under the Four Star Records contract distributed through Decca Records. Produced by Owen Bradley, the song was written by Eddie Miller and W.S. Stevenson, frequent collaborators in her early catalog who provided much of the material during her Four Star years. It features Cline’s distinctive emotive delivery backed by a classic honky-tonk arrangement including steel guitar, fiddle, acoustic rhythm guitar, and upright bass, typical of mid-1950s Nashville country production before her shift to the polished Nashville Sound in 1960.
The song was released as the B-side to the single “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray” on Decca Records (catalog 9-30423) in August 1957. Neither side charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs or pop charts, though the A-side gained some regional airplay and retrospective attention. The track runs approximately 2:24 in duration and appeared on her self-titled debut album Patsy Cline (Decca DL 8619, released August 5, 1957). Posthumously, following her death in a plane crash on March 5, 1963, it was included in numerous compilations such as Here’s Patsy Cline (1965), The Patsy Cline Story (1973), Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits (reissues), Walkin’ After Midnight: The Original Sessions (various volumes), and budget collections emphasizing her early Four Star/Decca output. It has also been featured in tribute albums and digital reissues highlighting her pre-stardom work.
Musically, “In Care of the Blues” is a mid-tempo honky-tonk weeper with a straightforward, heartfelt arrangement that showcases Cline’s vocal range and emotional phrasing. The lyrics depict a woman leaving her unfaithful partner, instructing him to forward any future correspondence or regrets to the “blues” that now accompany her (“Send my mail to the end of the rainbow / In care of the blues”). The narrative conveys resignation, heartbreak, and a touch of wry humor in using the blues as a permanent address after betrayal, a common motif in country music of the era. Owen Bradley’s production keeps it simple and authentic, allowing Cline’s voice to carry the story without heavy orchestration.
The song belongs to Cline’s early catalog of over 100 recordings from 1955 to 1960 under Four Star, a period constrained by contract obligations to record label-provided songs with limited commercial breakthroughs until “Walkin’ After Midnight” (1957) and her later Decca hits. While not a major hit, “In Care of the Blues” exemplifies the raw, storytelling style of her honky-tonk phase and her ability to infuse traditional material with personal conviction. Discographies and sources note its frequent inclusion in retrospectives of her formative years, underscoring her influence as a pioneering female country artist who brought depth and authenticity to heartbreak themes. The track continues to appear in compilations celebrating her legacy as one of the most revered vocalists in country music history.
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Lyric
Send my mail to the end of the rainbow
In care of the blues
Send my mail to the end of the rainbow
In care of the bluesI’m leavin’ you and all your cheatin’ ways
I’m takin’ the blues with me for the rest of my days
Send my mail to the end of the rainbow
In care of the bluesNo more letters, no more phone calls
No more tears, no more broken heart
I’m through with love and all its sorrow
I’m through with you forevermoreSend my mail to the end of the rainbow
In care of the blues
Send my mail to the end of the rainbow
In care of the blues