40% OFF ALL MEMBERSHIPS

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

Good for both monthly and yearly memberships. Discount applies to the lifetime of the membership.

Get the Heartwood Guitar Instruction

FREE Campfire Singalong Songbook

20 CLASSIC SONGS your friends will love

Beatles - Petty - Johnny Cash - Eagles - John Denver - Dylan

Image

This chart will look wacky unless you
rotate your phone

 

Can the Circle Be Unbroken?

Carter Family

 

Tune down ½ step.

 

Play this using bass/strum technique with alternating bass and walking bass lines.  Wherever you see (3 ½) next to a chord, it means play three measures of 4/4, then one measure of 2/4.  Who would of thought that this old country tune would have tricky time signature changes?!

 

Strum:   B   D U B   D U

         1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

 

Chord Guide

        123

A:    x02220

      T  132

D/F#: 2x0232

       231

E:    022100

         132

D:    xx0232

 

Intro:  / A - - - / - - - - / - - - - /

 

           A (4)

I was standin' by the window

          D/F# (2)                A (2)

On a cold and cloudy day,

          A (3½)

And I saw the hearse come rollin'

           E (2)                            A (2)

For to carry my mother away

 

Chorus:

             A (3½)

Can the circle be unbroken?

           D (2)                  A (2)

By and by Lord, by and by,

                A (3½)

There's a better home a-waitin'

            E (2)                       A (2)

In the sky Lord, in the sky.

 

Instrumental:

/ A - - - / - - - - / - - - - / - - - - /

/ D/F# - - - / - - - - / A - - - / - - - - /

/ - - - - / - - - - / - - - - / - - - - /

/ - - - - / E - - - / A - - - / - - - - /

 

          A (4)

Lord I told the undertaker,

            D/F# (2)                      A (2)

"Undertaker, please drive slow,

              A (3½)

For this body you are hauling Lord,

    E (2)                       A (2)

I hate to see her go."

 

Chorus

 

    A (4)

I followed close behind her,

            D/F# (2)                    A (2)

Tried to hold up and be brave,

           A (3½)

But I could not hide my sorrow

                  E (2)                       A (2)

When they laid her in the grave.

 

Chorus

 

Instrumental:

/ A - - - / - - - - / - - - - / - - - - /

/ - - - - / E - - - / A - - - / - - - - /

 

                   A (4)

Went back home Lord, my home was lonesome,

                  D/F# (2)                    A (2)
Missed my mother she was gone.

            A (3½)
All my brothers and sisters crying

            E (2)                       A (2)
In our home so sad and alone.

 

Chorus


This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.