Lonesome Valley

Lonesome Valley is a traditional spiritual, known the world over for its beauty of lyric and of tune.  It tells the story of that solitary journey that each man or woman makes in a spiritual life.

Many artists have recorded the song, country, folk and popular singers.  Johnny Cash sang it, as did the great Woody Guthrie, as the narrative of the song is reminiscent of the hobo wanderings with which Guthrie was familiar.  It was one of the songs of the movie favorite, "O Brother Where Art Thou."

"You got to walk that Lonesome Valley.  You got to walk it by yourself." speaks of the individual path to that valley of contentment.  It also affirms the true nature of search by reminding people that "Nobody else can walk it for you."  

The first known recording of this song was in 1927 with a version by David Miller.  It was later sung by the Monroe Brothers, the Carter family and even Elvis Presley, who made it part of his repertoire of gospel songs.

It is performed here with the accordion and the dulcitar: