Patsy Cline – (Write Me) In Care of the Blues

About The Song

“(Write Me) In Care of the Blues,” commonly known as “In Care of the Blues,” is a classic country ballad recorded by Patsy Cline and included on her self-titled debut album Patsy Cline, released by Decca Records on August 5, 1957. Written by Eddie Miller and W.S. Stevenson (a pen name for 4 Star Records executive Bill McCall), the song was recorded on May 23, 1957, at Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Produced during her 4 Star Records era (with distribution through Decca), the track runs approximately 2:33 and features Cline’s warm, heartfelt vocals supported by the Anita Kerr Singers, acoustic guitar, and a simple rhythm section—no heavy orchestration or steel guitar—reflecting the straightforward country style of her early recordings.

At this point in her career, Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932, in Gore, Virginia) was gaining national attention after her breakthrough hit “Walkin’ After Midnight,” released earlier in 1957, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard country chart and No. 12 on the Hot 100 following her victory on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. “In Care of the Blues” was not issued as a standalone single but served as one of the standout tracks on her debut album, which compiled early singles and new recordings. The album itself did not chart highly, but the song earned lasting recognition through repeated reissues and compilations.

The track has appeared on numerous posthumous and budget releases, including Everest’s Patsy Cline’s Golden Hits (1962), Hilltop’s I Can’t Forget You (1966), Vocalion’s Here’s Patsy Cline (1965), and comprehensive collections such as The Patsy Cline Collection (1991), Bear Family’s chronological reissues, and various 4 Star-era anthologies. Multiple takes are documented in discographies: the standard album master, rejected alternate takes, and longer live versions (around 3:40) from WSM radio broadcasts. While it never charted as a single, the song has become a beloved part of Cline’s early catalog, often praised for its clever concept and emotional sincerity.

The lyrics present a woman asking her former lover to write her a letter if he still needs her, playfully addressed “in care of the blues” to symbolize her sorrowful, heartbroken state. The postman becomes a symbolic messenger for possible reconciliation, blending hope with heartache in a light yet poignant way. Co-writer Eddie Miller, known for other country standards, brought authentic storytelling to the tune. Though overshadowed by her later Decca hits under Owen Bradley’s production (“Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “She’s Got You”), “In Care of the Blues” showcases Cline’s natural warmth and interpretive skill during her formative years. It remains a fan favorite in classic country circles, frequently included in playlists and reissues celebrating her pre-Nashville Sound period before her tragic death in a plane crash on March 5, 1963, at age 30.

Video

Lyric

Now baby if you’re needin’ me
The way that I’ve been needin’ you
Well drop me a line
Sayin’ “Honey, you’ll be mine”
Write me in care of the blues

I hope that you’ve been missin’ me
The way that I’ve been missin’ you
Well drop me a line
Sayin’ “Honey, you’ll be mine”
Write me in care of the blues

Give that postman your letter
And he’ll know what to do
He’ll bring your letter to me
And I’ll be waitin’ for you

Now baby if you’re needin’ me
The way that I’ve been needin’ you
Just drop me a line
Sayin’ “Honey, you’ll be mine”
Write me in care of the blues