Asleep at the Wheel is an American country music group that was formed in P… Read Full Bio ↴Asleep at the Wheel is an American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard country charts. Their highest-charting single, "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read", peaked at No. 10 in 1975.

In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.

Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.

Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Asleep At The Wheel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was standing by my window,
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw that hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting

In the sky, Lord, in the sky

I said to that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord, I hate to see here go

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

I went back home, my home was lonesome
Missed my mother, she was gone
All of my brothers, sisters crying
What a home so sad and lone

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

We sang the songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother Maybelle taught us
Hear the angels sing along

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by

There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" by Asleep At The Wheel are a somber reflection on loss and the hope for a better afterlife. The singer is watching the funeral procession for their mother, expressing sorrow and begging the undertaker to drive slowly. The chorus repeats the question of whether the circle of life and death will be unbroken, hinting at the singer's hope for continuation in the afterlife where there is a "better home" waiting in the sky. The second verse describes the singer's inability to hold back their emotions during the burial, showcasing the deep grief both they and their family members are experiencing. Finally, the last verse talks about the comfort derived from singing hymns and songs of childhood, reminding the singer that their mother's memory will live on through their music.

Line by Line Meaning

I was standing by my window, On one cold and cloudy day
The singer was looking out of their window on a cloudy day.

When I saw that hearse come rolling, For to carry my mother away
The singer saw a hearse that was carrying their mother's body.

Will the circle be unbroken, By and by, Lord, by and by
The singer wonders if their family bond will survive death or if they will be reunited one day.

There's a better home a-waiting, In the sky, Lord, in the sky
The singer believes that their mother is in a better place that is in the sky.

I said to that undertaker, Undertaker please drive slow
The singer asked the undertaker to drive slowly out of respect for their mother.

For this lady you are carrying, Lord, I hate to see here go
The singer expresses their sadness over their mother's passing to the undertaker.

Oh, I followed close behind her, Tried to hold up and be brave
The singer tried to be strong and followed closely behind their mother's body during the procession.

But I could not hide my sorrow, When they laid her in the grave
The singer couldn't control their sadness when their mother was buried.

I went back home, my home was lonesome, Missed my mother, she was gone
The singer returned home and felt lonely without their mother.

All of my brothers, sisters crying, What a home so sad and lone
The singer's siblings were also grieving and the home felt empty without their mother.

We sang the songs of childhood, Hymns of faith that made us strong
The singer and their siblings sang songs from their childhood that reminded them of their mother and their faith.

Ones that mother Maybelle taught us, Hear the angels sing along
The singer's mother had taught them some of the songs they sang and the singer imagines their mother singing along with the angels.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Alvin Pleasant Carter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Ben - Moderator

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Ben - Moderator

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