The two brothers Ira Lonnie Loudermilk and Charles Elzer Loudermilk, known professionally as Ira and Charlie Louvin, formed a musical duo between 1940 and 1963, first playing gospel, then country music. Both sang, with Ira on mandolin and Charlie on guitar. They split in 1963 because of Ira’s drinking and abusive behaviour.

In 1957 they released a single with “Hoping That You’re Hoping” on A side and “Childish Love” on B side. A new version of the latter was included in their 1961 album Encore.

It is a nostalgic song lamenting a lost childhood love from which the singer has never healed. Here is a YouTube video of the first version:

Here are the lyrics, from MOJIM and JioSaavn (with small corrections):

Childish Love
words & music by Charlie Louvin and Ira Louvin

Oh, childish love that I could not hold
I thought your love was a light of gold
But you could write a few short lines
And tell your love ten thousand times

You left me in this world alone
Your childish heart I could not win
You tore apart our little home
A childish love will always end

When you have wed another man
I hope he’ll give his life to you
I hope he’ll always treat you kind
Just like I did when you were mine

I never hope to wed again
I’ll travel down life’s path alone
A second love would be in vain
For I will love you on and on

There’s just one thing that I have not told
Your picture’s framed in a ring of gold
I’ll always wear it on my hand
A diamond sealed in a golden band

In the second version, the fourth stanza has been removed, while the first one is repeated as a refrain. Here is a YouTube video of it:

This song has been reprinted in the collection Amours Enfantines by François Lemonnier, I discovered it in this source. Many thanks to him for this magnificent work!