Today in Music (1935): Carter Family “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye)” charted

Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By) The Carter Family

Writer(s): Ada R. Habershon, Charles H. Gabriel, A.P. Carter (adapted by) (see lyrics here) First Charted: August 24, 1935 Peak: 17 BB (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 3.70 video, 9.88 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: In his book Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Steve Sullivan says this is “perhaps the most beloved traditional song in all of country music.” SS “The power of its performance and its message – of sadness over the death of a loved one, transcended by contentment that she’s gone to a better place, and the knowledge that the family circle will continue – has resonated over the years.” SS It originated in 1907 as a gospel song by Ada R. Habershon and Charles Gabriel originally titled “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” According to Country Music Sources, the first country recording was done by Frank & James McCravy in 1927. Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Carter rewrote the verses and retitled the song “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” but kept the melody and the chorus. SS The song was now set at a funeral with mourners pondering if they would ever be reunited with their mother. The Carter Family – consisting of A.P., his ex-wife Sara, and sister-in-law Maybelle, recorded the song in 1935. The trio were considered “the standard-bearers for the hillbilly songs that traced their heritage back to the first British folk melodies.” AC According to author Ace Collins, when it came to the Carter Family’s recording of “Unbroken” “those suffering through the Depression in the hills and valleys clung to it as if it were a personal statement of faith. It quickly became one of the most popular funeral hymns.” AC In 1968, Johnny Cash recorded “Daddy Sang Bass,” a song written by Carl Perkins that was based on “Unbroken.” Cash tapped the new version of the Carter Family, which consisted of Maybelle Carter and her daughters, to add harmonies. Daughter June married Cash that year. The song received attention again in 1972 when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded an album called Will the Circle Be Unbroken which consisted of country classics with country legends like Maybelle Carter and others. It has also been recorded by Roy Acuff, Gregg Allman, Joan Baez, the Band, the Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Moby, Bill Monroe, the Neville Brothers, Ralph Stanley, Mavis Staples, and Gene Vincent. WK Resources: AC Ace Collins (1996). The Stories Behind Country Music’s All-Time Greatest 100 Songs. New York, NY; The Berkley. Pages 27-8. SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 39-40. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 8/24/2022; last updated 11/23/2025.

50 years ago: The Carter Family charted with “Wildwood Flower”

Wildwood Flower The Carter Family

Writer(s): A.P. Carter (see lyrics here) Recorded: May 10, 1928 First Charted: August 11, 1928 Peak: 3 US (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 9.7 video, 2.08 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Comprised of Alvin Pleasant (A.P., aka “Doc”) Carter, his wife Sara, and her cousin Maybelle, the Carter Family has been called “the first family of country music.” TM They gave the genre its foundation NRR by defining its sound, as well as bluegrass, in the first decades. TM In his book, The Stories Behind Country Music’s All-Time Greatest 100 Songs, Ace Collins asserts that it is “Wildwood Flower” specially which serves as “the cornerstone on which country music finally built its own identity.” AC Before 1927, country songs were typically recorded as novelties by artists who “knew more about Broadway than they did about hillbillies.” AC However, the Carter Family popularized old folk and mountain songs with their own Appalachian spin. TM In addition their close harmony singing, the Carter Family brought a unique picking style to the genre. NRR The approach introduced more instrumentation to a format which had been vocally driven. Maybelle played the guitar by using her thumb to pick chords on the low strings while she played lead on the high strings. AC On “Wildwood Flower,” that is apparent in “the song’s 12- (or so) note guitar part” TM recorded on Maybelle’s 19th birthday. TM The song is credited to A.P. Carter, who did not write it, although the Carter Family certain should be credited with their arrangement and popularization of the song. SF In actuality, the lyrics originated from J.P. Webster and Maud Irving’s “I’ll Twine Mid the Ringlets.” SF The tune, which is about a young woman abandoned by her beloved, dates to the 1860s. According to Michael Koppy, an American musicologist, the song’s copyright expired in 1902 and should have stayed in the public domain. SF Like many of the songs recorded by the Carter Family, this “part ode, part folktale” AC was passed down from generation to generation without the lyrics ever being written down. In the hands of Sara and Maybelle, who have both sung the song, vowels were flattened so “hair” becomes “herr” and “flower” becomes “flarr.” TM The confusing lyrics and unexplained symbolism make the song peculiar, but the melody has kept the song popular for years. NPR Resources: AC Ace Collins (1996). The Stories Behind Country Music’s All-Time Greatest 100 Songs. New York, NY; The Berkley Publishing Group. NPR National Public Radio web site (1999). “The Most Important American Musical Works of the 20th Century” NRR National Recording Registry SF Songfacts TM Time magazine (10/24/2011). “All Time 100 Songs” Related Links: First posted 8/11/2012; last updated 8/27/2022.

---