Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Joan Baez Lyrics

I was standing by the window
The singer is remembering a specific moment in time.

On a cold and cloudy day
It was a somber day with a gloomy atmosphere.

When I saw the hearse come rolling
The singer witnesses the arrival of the funeral procession.

To carry my mother away
The body of the artist's mother is being taken to the cemetery.

Will the circle be unbroken
The artist is pondering whether the ties between loved ones ever truly break.

Bye and bye Lord bye and bye
Peace and reunion will come eventually.

There's a better home a waiting
The singer believes that there is a better place beyond this life.

In the sky Lord in the sky
That better place is in the afterlife.

Lord I told that undertaker
The artist speaks to the undertaker responsible for burying her mother.

Undertaker please drive slow
The artist wants to take a little more time with her mother's body.

For that body you're a haulin'
The body of the singer's mother is being transported to the cemetery.

Lord I hate to see her go
Grief and sadness are overwhelming the artist at the thought of losing her mother.

Well I followed close behind her
The singer walks behind the casket as her mother is taken to the cemetery.

Tried to hold up and be brave
The singer is putting on a strong face for those around her.

But I could not hide my sorrow
Despite her efforts, the singer is still deeply saddened by her loss.

When they laid her in that grave.
The artist sees her mother being buried.

I went back home Lord that home was lonesome
The artist returns home to an empty and lonely feeling.

Since my mother, she was gone
The source of the singer's overwhelming sadness is her mother's death.

All my brothers and sisters crying
The singer's siblings are all also in mourning.

What a home so sad and alone.
The artist's home feels empty and depressing without her mother's presence.

One by one the seats were emptied
Slowly, the family is separating as people move on with their lives.

One by one they went away
The family members went their separate ways.

Now that family they are parted
The family has scattered and gone their separate ways, physically and emotionally.

Will they meet again some day.
The artist wonders if the family will reunite and come together again someday.

I was singing with my sisters
The singer recalls a happy memory of singing with her siblings.

I was singing with my friends
The singer is with her loved ones, enjoying their company and making music together.

And we all can, sing together
There is comfort and joy in being together with those you love.

'cause the circle never ends
The artist believes that the love and connection between family and friends will never truly die.