The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Shortly afterwards, Bob Dylan came to Toronto and recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour. The Band also worked with Dylan on the initial Blonde on Blonde sessions which, bar two tracks, were ultimately abandoned in favour of versions recorded with Nashville session musicians.
After a motorcycle accident in mid-1966, Dylan retreated from the public eye to his country house near Woodstock, New York. He was joined by the Band for some informal jam sessions starting in the autumn of 1967, nearly all of which were recorded. After being heavily bootleged, Columbia Records finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, a selection of the better tracks recorded during the sessions along with new recordings by The Band.
Bob Dylan and The Band were reunited in 1974, recording Planet Waves for Asylum Records, Dylan's first album recorded for a record label other than Columbia. Although the album was released under Dylan's name alone, The Band joined Dylan for his first tour in eight years in support of Planet Waves, with some of the material recorded and released on the 1975 concert record Before the Flood.
Columbia Records finally released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in November 2014, featuring every surving recording from the original sessions in Woodstock.
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
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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
Oh, I told that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this body you are holding
Lord, I hate to see her 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
I will follow 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 Lord, 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
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
The lyrics of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" are about grief and the anticipation of an afterlife. The song starts with the singer watching a hearse carrying his mother's body away, feeling the sadness of his loss. The chorus is a plea for the circle of life to remain unbroken, and for the singer to reunite with his mother in a better home in heaven. The singer begs the undertaker to slow down as he takes his mother's body away, not wanting to let her go.
The second verse describes the singer's attempts at bravery and his struggle to hide his sorrow as he follows his mother to her final resting place. The final verse returns to the singer's home, where he is overwhelmed by the loneliness and sadness of his situation. He realizes that he is not alone in his grief, and the entire family is crying for their lost loved one.
Overall, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" is a poignant expression of the human experience of loss and the hope of a peaceful afterlife. It captures the sadness, pain, and longing of saying goodbye to a loved one, while also providing comfort and solace in the idea that death is not the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing by my window
The singer is setting the scene of the story, and describing where they were when they saw the hearse.
On one cold and cloudy day
The singer further sets the scene by providing details about the weather.
When I saw that hearse come rolling
The singer spotted a hearse driving by.
For to carry my mother away
The hearse was carrying the artist's mother, who had passed away.
Will the circle be unbroken
The artist is reflecting on the cycle of life and death, and wondering if it will continue unbroken.
By and by, Lord, by and by
This is a refrain that appears throughout the song, emphasizing the idea of waiting for something in the future.
There's a better home a-waiting
The singer believes in an afterlife or a better place beyond this world.
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
The artist is imagining this better place as being somewhere up in the sky, beyond our physical world.
Oh, I told that undertaker
The artist is addressing the undertaker who is responsible for preparing the body of their mother for burial.
Undertaker please drive slow
The artist is asking the undertaker to be careful and respectful as they carry their mother's body.
For this body you are holding
The singer is acknowledging that their mother's body is in the undertaker's care at the moment, but they believe that her soul has moved on to a better place.
Lord, I hate to see her go
The artist is expressing their grief and sadness at the loss of their mother.
I will follow close behind her
The singer is saying that they will accompany their mother's body to the grave.
Tried to hold up and be brave
The singer is trying to be strong and not show their emotions too openly.
But I could not hide my sorrow
Despite their efforts to be brave, the singer's sadness is too strong to conceal.
When they laid her in the grave
The artist is describing the moment when their mother's body was placed in the ground.
I went back home Lord, my home was lonesome
The artist is describing how empty and lonely their home feels now that their mother is gone.
Missed my mother, she was gone
The singer is expressing their feelings of loss and missing their mother.
All of my brothers, sisters crying
The singer is describing how everyone in their family is grieving and expressing their emotions in their own way.
What a home so sad and lone
The artist is expressing their sorrow and emotions about the loss of their mother, and how it has affected their entire family.
Will the circle be unbroken
The song ends with a final reflection on the cycle of life and death, and the question of whether or not it will continue unbroken.
By and by, Lord, by and by
The final refrain emphasizes the idea of waiting and looking forward to something better in the future.
There's a better home a-waiting
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the idea that there is a better place beyond this life.
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
The final line emphasizes the idea that this better place is somewhere beyond our physical world, in the sky or the heavens.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Roy Acuff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind