I remember when I was a lad, times were hard and things were bad
There was silver lighting behind every cloud
Just four people, that's all we were
Trying to make a living out of black land and dirt
But we'd get together and the circle would sing loud
And daddy sang bass
Mama sang tenor
Me and her little brother would join right in there
Singing these things to help the troubled soul
One of these days when it won't be long
I will join 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
And daddy sang bass
Mama sang tenor
Me and her little brother would join right in there
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
I remember afterward
Mama would call in all of us
To hear us singing for a country mile
Her little brother has done gone on
I'll rejoin him in a song
We'll be together in a pronger
In the wild
And daddy sang bass
Mama sang tenor
Me and her little brother would join right in there
Singing these things to help the troubled soul
One of these days when it won't be long
I will join 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
Bye
Daddy sang bass
Mama sang tenor
Me and little brother would join right in there
And the sky lord in the sky
And the sky lord in the sky