Keep on the Sunny Side
"Keep on the Sunny Side" is an 1899 hymn that the Carter Family recorded in 1928 and made their radio theme song. Its message of cheerful endurance has kept it in the repertoire of country, bluegrass and folk singers ever since.
- Written
- 1899
- Words
- Ada Blenkhorn
- Music
- J. Howard Entwisle
- Famous recording
- The Carter Family, 1928
- Index
- Roud 10082
History
Ada Blenkhorn wrote the words in 1899, inspired by a phrase from her disabled nephew, who liked his wheelchair to be pushed along the sunny side of the street. J. Howard Entwisle wrote the music, and the song appeared in hymnals in the early 1900s.
The Carter Family learned it from A. P. Carter's uncle, a music teacher, and recorded it in Camden, New Jersey, in 1928. It became their theme song on the radio, and a gold record of the song is set into A. P. Carter's gravestone.
Later versions
| Year | Artist | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Carter Family, with Johnny Cash as guest | Album Keep on the Sunny Side |
| 1967 | Ian & Sylvia | |
| 1974 | Johnny Cash with June Carter Cash, Rosanne Cash and family | The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me |
| 2000 | The Whites | Heard in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? |
| 2003 | June Carter Cash | Her last solo album, Wildwood Flower |
Doc Watson also kept it in his repertoire. More Carter Family songs: Wildwood Flower · Can the Circle Be Unbroken
We describe this song rather than print its words: versions differ from singer to singer, and many of the best-known texts come from particular recordings.