Grateful Dead Family Discography: Who Will Sing For Me

Who Will Sing For Me

Composer: Unknown

Who Will Sing For Me was performed by the Black Mountain Boys on the 6th March 1964. The Black Mountain Boys were a short lived group with a variable line-up that included at times Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter, Eric Thompson, Sandy Rothman and David Nelson.

The title of the song on recordings is sometimes Who'll Sing For Me. Writing credits on recordings vary and include Traditional, Ralph and Carter Stanley, Thomas J Farris, G. Murdoch and J. Ely.

There appear to be at least two source versions. One, with the title Who Will Sing For Me was written by J. T. Ely and published in, or before, 1939. Another, with the title Who'll Sing For Me was written by Thomas J. Farris and published in, or before, 1944. The lyrics have subsequently been reworked by others and a number of versions of the song now exist. It is possible that there is an earlier source version of this song.

Recordings

no info EP (Old Country Baptizing / Paul & Silas / Who Will Sing For Me / For My Lord), Carl Story & his Rambling Mountaineers, 1959
Preachin', Prayin', Shoutin', and Singin', Various Artists (Carl Story), 1959
Good 'N' Country, Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, 1960
Good Old Camp Meeting Songs, Stanley Brothers, 1962
no info Single (Who Will Sing For Me / Drinking From The Fountain), Stanley Brothers, 1963
no info Peace in the Valley, Various Artists (Carl Story), 1964
When the Saints Go Marching In, Flatt & Scruggs, 1966
no info Single (Who'll Sing For Me / Goodbye), Jimmy Martin, 1966
no info I Thought Of Mother and Dad, George Brock, Ralph King & the Traveling Crusaders, 1966
no info Wonderful World of Gospel and Sacred Music, Various Artists (Carl Story), 1966
no info Sing The Best Loved Sacred Songs of Carter Stanley, Stanley Brothers, 1967
no info Frankie Moore & the Carolina Hymn Singers, Frankie Moore & the Carolina Hymn Singers, 1967
no info Detroit City, Flatt & Scruggs, 1969
Bluegrass Session, Bill Emerson & Cliff Waldron, 1970
no info Teenage Angel in Heaven, The Miller Brothers, 1972
Stanley Sound Around The World, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, 1973
no info Appalachian Bluegrass, Slone Family, 1974
no info Wind That Shakes The Barley, John McCutcheon, 1977
no info Family Album, Grandpa Jones, 1979
no info Sacred Songs, Landon Messer & Harold Brewer, 1979
no info On and On, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, 1980
no info Dramtreeo, Dramtreeo, 1984
no info Thank God For Radio, Gerry Ford, 1986
Angel Band, Emmylou Harris, 1987
no info Hit Parade of Love, Jimmy Martin & his Sunny Mountain Boys, 1987
no info Favorites, Clint Howard, Doc Watson & the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, 1988
no info You Can Feel It In Your Soul, Flatt and Scruggs, 1988
no info A Beautiful Life, Bass Mountain Boys, 1990
no info I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing, Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, 1990
no info Late Last Night, Skip Gorman and Rick Starkey, 1991
The Stained Glass Hour: Bluegrass and Old Timey Gospel Music, Various Artists (Delia Bell and Bill Grant), 1991
1948-1959, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, 1992
Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys, Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys, 1994
no info River Of Memories, Bill Clifton, 1994
1971-1973, Ralph Stanley And The Clinch Mountain Boys, 1995
no info Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Jimmy Martin, 1995
no info Legendary Chestnut Grove Quartet, Chestnut Grove Quartet, 1995
no info Classic Stanley, Ralph Stanley/Keith Whitley/Ricky Skaggs, 1995
no info Classic Gospel, Ralph Stanley, 1996
no info Best of Emerson & Waldron, Emerson & Waldron, 1997
no info 16 Greatest Gospel Hits, The Stanley Brothers, 1997
no info The Lewis Bunch, The Lewis Family, 1998
I Feel Like Singing Today, Jim Lauderdale, Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys, 1999
no info I'll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning, The Stanley Brothers, 1999
no info Heart's Delight, Finest Kind, 1999
Three Pickers, Earl Scruggs/Doc Watson/Ricky Skaggs, 2003
The King Years 1961-1965, The Stanley Brothers, 2003
no info This Train, Wayfaring Strangers, 2003
Don't Cry to Me, Jimmy Martin, 2004
no info Traditional Bluegrass Gospel, The Stanley Brothers, 2004
Baby Girl: A Tribute to My Father, Carter Stanley, Jeanie Stanley with Ralph Stanley and Ralph Stanley II, 2005
no info Foggy Mountain Gospel, Flatt & Scruggs, 2005
no info America's Favorite Hymns, America's Bluegrass Band, 2005
no info Who Will Sing for Me?: Music Traditions from the New American South, Eddie McGee, 2005
no info What's in a Name, Grass Backwards, 2006
no info Morning Star, Tom, Betty & Nathan Druckenmiller, 2006
no info Bluegrass Preservation Band, Bluegrass Preservation Band, 2006
no info The Best of Bluegrass Gospel, Vol. 1, Various Artists (The Marksmen), 2006
The Definitive Collection 1947-1966, The Stanley Brothers, 2007
no info The Halfway Ground, Jerimoth Hill, 2007
no info Sing One Song for Me, Mill Run Dulcimer Band, 2007
no info Shine!, The Lindsey Family, 2008
no info Angel Band: Early Starday recordings, Carl Story, 2008
no info Bluegrass Goes Back to the Future, Various Artists (The Marksmen), 2008
no info Audie Blaylock & Redline, Audie Blaylock & Redline, 2009

Lyrics

The lyrics used by the Black Mountain Boys are as follows;

I often sing, for those I love
Who go to live, with Christ above
No more on earth, their forms I'll see
When I am gone, who'll sing for me
Who'll sing for me, when I am gone
As I so oft, for friends have done
And it won't be long, 'til (when) I'll see
When I am gone, who'll sing for me
The time to go, is drawing nigh
'Til I too, must say goodbye
Just over there, with Christ I'll be
Get all my friends, to sing for me
Who'll sing for me, when I am gone
As I so oft, for friends have done
And it won't be long, 'til (when) I'll see
When I am gone, who'll sing for me.