I remember when I was a lad
Times were hard and things were bad
But there's a silver linin' behind every cloud
Just poor people, that 's all we were
Tryin' to make a living out of black-land dirt
But we'd get together in a family circle singing loud

Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor
Me and little brother would join right in there
Singing seems to help a troubled soul
One of these days and it won't be long
I'll rejoin them in a song
I'm gonna join the family circle at the throne

No, the circle won't be broken
By and by, Lord, by and by
Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor
Me and little brother would join right in there
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Now I remember after work, mama would call in all of us
You could hear us singing for a country mile
Now little brother has done gone on
But I'll rejoin him in a song
We'll be together again up yonder in a little while

Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor
Me and little brother would join right in there
'Cause singing seems to help a troubled soul
One of these days and it won't be long
I'll rejoin them in a song
I'm gonna join the family circle at the throne

Oh no, the circle won't be broken
By and by, Lord, by and by
Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor
Me and little brother would join right in there
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
In the sky, Lord, in the sky