| Carolina in the Pines | |
| Cover: | Murphey Carolina single cover.png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Michael Murphey |
| Album: | Blue Sky – Night Thunder |
| B-Side: | Without My Lady There |
| Released: | August 4, 1975 (original release) May 6, 1985 (re-release) |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 4:08 |
| Label: | Epic |
| Producer: | Bob Johnston |
| Prev Title: | Wildfire |
| Prev Year: | 1975 |
| Next Title: | Renegade |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
"Carolina in the Pines" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Michael Martin Murphey. It was released in August 1975 as the second and final single from the album Blue Sky - Night Thunder. It peaked at number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and number 25 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart in late 1975.[1] The song was re-recorded with John McEuen on banjo and released in May 1985 from his compilation album The Best of Michael Martin Murphey. The re-release peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number 11 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart in mid-1985. Bluegrass band The Special Consensus recorded the song on their 2002 album, Route 10.
"Carolina in the Pines" addresses Martin's wife whose actual name was Caroline: "I tried to write a love song about my wife without trying to relegate her to a secondary position as a supporter of me. I tried to make it about her as an individual. That's what [she and I] try to do in life."[2] Caroline Hogue was the second of Murphey's five wives: the couple had married in 1973 and would divorce in 1978.
Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it "a countryish tune in a distinct John Denver vein."[3]