Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne – Will The Circle Be Unbroken – Performance and Review
At the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco last night, three most-iconic and soul-stirring voices of American music—Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne—for a truly unforgettable version of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken. The stage came alive as the crackling fuse of anticipation was lit by these powerful women, each ready to claim their decades long musical prowess on this timeless classic.
Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, Joan Osborne – Will The Circle Be Unbroken – Live at The Fillmore San Francisco, CA. 9/25/15.
It started with the unmistakable slide of Bonnie Raitt’s guitar and bluesy, reflective opening that crisscrossed through the venue. Her raspy voice lent a stripped-back but poignant soulfulness, speaking to the heart of searching and dreaming onlookers.
What happened next was Mavis Staples stepping up to the mic; her very presence vied for your attention as she elevated an already-low-beating’ song into one of pure, gospel-soaked spiritual universality. The point where her voice left latitudes the notes suggested into pushing it toward timbered heights, each note as if written for an intimate viewing from one heart to another.
Joan Osborne injected a modern flourish, her vox melding perfectly with those of Raitt and Staples. She sang it with delicateness and affection, infusing the story told by these icons with additional emotion and thoughts.
Lyrics:
I was standing by my window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw that hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
I said to that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord, I hate to see her go
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
I went back home Lord, my home was lonesome
Missed my mother, she was gone
All of my brothers, sisters crying
What a home so sad and lone
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
Songwriters: Roy Acuff
Will the Circle Be Unbroken lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
