Sunday, August 2, 2020

Will The Circle Be Unbroken/I'll Fly Away



It is with a strong sense of deja vu that I share this video with you but if you have heard these voices before, you can always hear them again!  Johnny Cash, his deep voice along with the strong voice of Roebuck "Pops" Staples - wonderful singing! And please listen to the video...at one point, Pops Staples says to the crowd, "Clap your hands, you'll feel better!" The song they sing here, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" starts out with June Carter Cash singing and that is just right since this song is most well known from the Carter Family.  The song was first written as a hymn in 1907 with lyrics by an Englishwoman named Ada Ruth Habershon and the music by an American, Charles H. Gabriel. (He also wrote the music for "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", along with many others...I have read that he wrote the tunes for as many as 8000 songs!) Ada Ruth Habershon was asked to write some gospel songs and within the year wrote over 200!  Now, how does the Carter Family come into the story about this song?  A.P. Carter, the founding member of The Carter Family, re-worked the lyrics of the hymn "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" to "Can The Circle Be Unbroken" and changed the lyrics to be about the death of his mother, still keeping a good many of the original lyrics. (Although, I notice that most folks sing it as "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" but with the lyrics of A.P. Carter.)

Songwriters! You all know how fascinated I am by them! Also, June Carter Cash wrote "Ring of Fire" (along with a co-writer Merle Kilgore.) AND she was a fantastic actress! I will never forget her in the TV movie,  "Murder In Coweta County"! Anybody remember that? The film was based on a true story.  Johnny Cash played the sheriff of Coweta County and Andy Griffith played the bad guy! June Carter Cash had the role of Mayhayley Lancaster, the "Oracle of the Ages". (Look her up!)  Her portrayal deserved an Oscar!  I really do wish they could somehow show this movie again, it was truly an amazing film...
Anyway, where was I before I got sidetracked about that great film? Oh yes, this video...please tell me you love it! And I forgot to tell you, this was from a TV show from England called "Later With Jools Holland". I hope you all know who Jools Holland is! What? You don't know him?  Look out for another post soon! I suppose I could squeeze out one more post about songwriters! Hee hee.


My Dad really loved music. I have a wonderful memory of going with him to hear a gospel group perform at a local church. Just as the band began to play, I started to tap my foot and it amused me to notice that my Daddy started tapping  his foot at the same exact moment! One of his favorites was "I'll Fly Away". I found a video for you!  You knew I would! 

"Clap ya hands, you'll feel better!"

(And I have a link below to tell you a bit more about Mayhayley Lancaster. Fascinating woman!)




Our early morning walks can sometimes be heavenly!


26 comments:

  1. Hi Kay, That is the kind of music my parents loved. They listened to the Opry and Midwestern Hayride...all country music. I loved seeing where you walked. Looks so peaceful. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, my Dad too! He always told me how much he loved The Grand Ole Opry as he was growing up! When we are off together, Richard and I have to walk very early because it gets so hot in Georgia! Blessings to you, sweet Susie! xxx

      Delete
  2. I've watched a couple or so wonderful documentaries about Johnny Cssh (along with the Carter Family and others) lately.

    I like/d Johnny Cash...his story is a very interesting story.

    Lovely photos, Kay...keep taking good care...all the best. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Dad was a BIG fan of Johnny Cash! I know everyone loves him but my Daddy thought he was one of the greats.
      Take care, Lee! xx

      Delete
  3. I do feel better. And i didn't even clap my hands. I did tap my foot though. How can you not?

    ReplyDelete
  4. As I am at work right now, I can not listen to the music videos, but I have had a quick look at the link about Mayhayley Lancaster. She sounds like a fascinating woman!
    Early morning walks must be wonderful... if only I'd manage to get up in time for them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are able to look up more about her, you can also look up about the murder trial from Coweta County, Georgia (John WAllace) and also about the murder trial of Leo Frank, which was in Atlanta, Georgia. Both of these are mentioned in the story of Mayhayley Lancaster.

      Delete
  5. Always enjoy Johnny Cash and June Carter. Thanks for the memories and the stories, two amazing people. Loved the movie too. What a beautiful place to go for a morning walk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a beautiful spot! Both photos were from Panola Mountain State Park which is not too far from us. Since it is a state park, they also have nice toilets! LOL!

      Delete
  6. May the circle be Unbroken. One of my all time favorites!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, mine too! And the added bonus of this video, you can hear Johnny Cash with Pops Staples, I know you remember the Staple Singers!

      Delete
  7. Such beautiful music....I found that movie on amazon prime - just $1.99 to rent it...Now I have to follow that link you gave us. Thank you, Kay!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh! I do so hope you like that film as much as I do! AND it is a true story! Now, the movie is based on a book by Margaret Anne Barnes and the book IS excellent! It goes into much more detail. (You know I had to find a copy a few years ago!) Also, I have a good friend who has a brother who lives in Coweta County...at one of her family dinners, I was able to meet the husband of her niece whose family has lived in Coweta County for several generations. One of his great aunts was one of the witnesses mentioned in the book! That is small town Georgia for you, ask someone from a county do they know so and so and they almost always do! Anyway, the book won an award for best true crime, I think. Also, Andy Griffith said that he based his performance on the The Andy Griffith Show after Lamar Potts, the sheriff of Coweta County, the hero of the story.
      Please let me know what you think of the film! xxx

      Delete
  8. "I'll Fly Away" is one of my most favourite old timey gospel tunes too. Thanks for that video -- it was great! Another fab rendition was featured in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" sung by Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch -- here's a YouTube link:

    https://youtu.be/uz-0C2dhKlg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know I love "O Brother, Where Art Thou"!!
      And that was one of my Dad's very FAVORITE films! (The other one was "Coal Miner's Daughter"!)
      But thanks very much for your comment, I hope folks will be reminded of this great movie and music! (AND it even features a Conyers hometown girl, Holly Hunter! She graduated from the same high school as I did, just one year behind me!)

      Delete
  9. Glad you have a great instinct for music.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A great instinct for music. Well, that is just the nicest thing to hear. I just wish I could call my Dad and tell him you said this to me, how tickled he would be for me! Thank you to someone who I know is a talented musician. xx

      Delete
  10. Nice misty lake. I remember Jools with Squeeze as a young piano player puffing his way very vigorously through a large cigar on Top of The Pops while tinkling the keyboard. He's much more respectable now these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You might be the only one who got my comment about SQUEEZE! :-)
      I think one of the reasons that I admire Jolls Holland so much is not just because of his musical abilities but for his appreciation of OTHER great musical talents!
      And that nice misty lake, it looks cool but that is misleading, it was very early and already the mist is going quickly, leading into a very hot day!

      Delete
  11. My mom's family is all from the South, so those songs are regularly sung at every family gathering, even to this day! (Followed up, of course, by Amazing Grace.) All of us harmonize, and danged if it don't sound sweet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love gospel music. If you look back at my blog, you can see I have written that my Aunt Jean was a gospel singer, she was on a record with Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters! (Not one of the usual girl singers, she did some background on the record, "When The Wagon Was New".)
      I am sure that your singing together sounds very sweet indeed.

      Delete
  12. Yesterday I was able to watch that movie, Murder in Coweta County. It was really good. There was some great acting. The story was a sad one, even though in the end justice was done. I don't like to think of someone like John Wallace getting away with so much harshness and cruelty. But it happens. I usually don't watch this kind of movie, but I am glad I did.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I am glad you were able to see the film! NOW, you will have to search out the book! And it is most certainly is a sad story but it is a true story and as you know, I believe that it is important to know these kind of true stories!

      Delete
  13. i love those great old songs, Kay! I just looked up Coweta County movie and can get it through prime. I don't usually watch anything with Andy GRiffith in it after meeting him when I worked for NBC. Real life Andy NOTHING like you see in the TV shows.
    Have a wonderful day! xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that is a shame that Andy Griffith was rude to you. Funny thing, you might find it easy to see how Andy could be playing such a bad guy in this film then! It is based on a true story and it is well worth seeing, I promise you. Let me know if you see the movie and what you think. One of the black actors, Brent Jennings, was also in the TV mini series "The Murder of Mary Phaghan". (Another sad murder story, set in Atlanta, Ga.) He is an awesome actor, he has been in TONS of things! I bet you will recognize his face.
      Take care!

      Delete