proverb · Words worth keeping
Who sings drives away care.
Who sings drives away care.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Singing can offer a welcome diversion from worry. The saying celebrates that relief without establishing that a song removes every burden.
What the words are saying
Care is pictured as something driven away by a singer’s activity. The image can recognise a moment in which attention, expression or shared enjoyment makes a worry less dominant. It does not prescribe a treatment or make cheerfulness compulsory. Some people find singing unhelpful or prefer quiet. A careful use appreciates an activity that helps this person now, while leaving the underlying problem and any need for support visible.
Everyday example
Friends enjoy singing together during a difficult week without pretending that the practical difficulty has disappeared.
When to use it
Use it to appreciate a freely chosen moment of relief through song.
What it does not mean
Singing is not a guaranteed remedy, and people need not perform cheerfulness.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1444 · Sings
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English