i remember when i was a lad times were hard and things were bad but there's a silver linin' behind ev'ry cloud just four people that 's all we were tryin' to make a livin' out of black-land dirt but we'd get together in a family circle singin' loud daddy sang bass (mama sang tenor) me and little brother would join right in there singin' 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 though 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 singin' 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 singin' 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