WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN (BY AND BY)
Created on 12/08/2001Latest update on 03/03/2023
Artist: William McEwan
Author: Ada Habershon/Charles Gabriel
Label: Columbia
Year: 1911
Hymn from 1907; one of the gospels in the book Alexander's Gospel Songs, No. 2 published in 1910. Lyrics sometimes credited to Fanny Crosby (1820-1915). The original is older that the sinking of the Titanic and sounds like if it was rescued from that very shipwreck. Anyway, the song was adapted by A.P. Carter for funeral matters. Many people died during the depression years. It also relates with the spiritual Since I Laid My Burden Down (see there).
Covers:
- 1928:
- 1928:
- 1928:
Frank Luther [as Bud Billings]
- 1933:
Carter Family [for Victor; in '35 as Can The Circle Be Unbroken for Columbia; this is the lighthousekeeping version]
- 1936:
Monroe Brothers [Bill & Charlie]
- 1942:
Muddy Waters [melody in Why Don't You Live So God Can Use You]
- 1946:
- 1947:
- 1948:
- 1952:
- 1957:
- 1960:
Staple Singers [first song they learned]
- 1960:
Jerry Lee Lewis [for Sun and in 2010 with Nils Lofgren and Mavis Staples]
- 1962:
- 1964:
- 1965:
- 1967:
- 1967:
- 1967:
Bob Dylan & The Band [Basement tape]
- 1968:
- 1968:
Johnny Cash [sings Will The Circle Be Unbroken in Daddy Sang Bass, n°1 C&W with the Carter Family on backing vocals]
- 1969:
- 1969:
- 1970:
Ronnie Hawkins [with Duane Allman]
- 1970:
- 1971:
- 1971:
- 1971:
- 1972:
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band [on their Will The Circle Be Unbroken project featuring Mother Maybelle Carter and again in \'89 on Vol. 2 featuring Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle\'s son-in-law]
- 1972:
- 1973:
- 1976:
- 1976:
- 1977:
- 1977:
- 1982:
- 1989:
- 1992:
Holmes Brothers [with three guitarists from Remmy Ongala's Orchestre Super Matimba]
- 1992:
- 1993:
Kristin Hersh [as Can The Circle Be Unbroken]
- 1993:
Dana Winner [as Zeven Regenbogen]
- 1994:
- 1994:
- 1994:
Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon [as Will The Fetus Be Aborted]
- 1995:
Eric Von Schmidt [as Can The Serpent Be Housebroken]
- 1998:
- 2000:
Corey Harris & Henry Butler [as Why Don't You Live So God Can Use You]
- 2008:
An & Jan [as Breng De Doden Weer Tot Leven]
- 2012:
- 2019:
Pertinent question in farmer families, particularly when there's more heirs for one farm. Probably the reason why the song is passed along from generation to generation.
