If We Never Meet Again

The lyric is a farewell. The singer says that the end of life’s journey may come without another meeting on earth, and then looks to a meeting place beside the river of life in heaven, where roses bloom forever and separations come no more. The last verse recalls how often the singer and friends have parted in sorrow and ends with a blessing for the time until they meet again.

The Brown’s Ferry Four — Grandpa Jones, Red Foley, and Alton and Rabon Delmore — recorded it in October 1946 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood for King, and the record, backed with “Rockin’ on the Waves,” came out that November. Carl Story and His Rambling Mountaineers recorded it in December 1960 for the Starday album Everybody Will Be Happy. The Stanley Brothers recorded it on 4 May 1962 at King Studio in Cincinnati for Good Old Camp Meeting Songs (King, released May 1962): Carter Stanley sang lead, Ralph Stanley tenor, with Ralph Mayo and George Shuffler on the other parts, and Ralph Stanley on banjo, Carter Stanley and Shuffler on guitar, Mayo on fiddle and Chick Stripling on bass.