"Mama Sang a Song" is a country music song written and recorded by Bill Anderson. Released in 1962, this

recitation A recitation in a general sense is the act of reciting from memory, or a formal reading of verse or other writing before an audience. Public recitation is the act of reciting a work of writing before an audience. Academic recitation In a ...

— prominently featuring a backing choir singing Christian hymns — was Bill Anderson's first No. 1 hit on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot C&W Sides chart that fall. The song spent seven non-consecutive weeks atop the chart, spanning from October 27 through December 22, and 27 weeks total in the country chart's top 40 from the summer of 1962 through early 1963.

Background

"Mama Sang a Song" is a sentimental reminiscence of a sharecropper's childhood, specifically about his mother. The protagonist recalls that, although his family grew up dirt poor and that his father sometimes cried in frustration over being unable to afford better things for his children, love, patience and virtue always reigned in their household. The youngster felt particular comfort when, in times of trial and yearning, his mother would take a hymnal from the shelf and sing a song to comfort the family and affirm their strong Christian faith. Many nights, the family would go to sleep hearing the mother sing "

What a Friend We Have in Jesus "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" is a Christian hymn originally written by preacher Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother, who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, a ...

," and awaken to "

Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...

." The protagonist's father would then remove the Bible from the shelf and read before requesting his wife to sing another song. Time then begins to shift, when the protagonist's older siblings (a sister only referred to as "Sister," then brothers Bob, Tommy and Dan) leave home and his father begins developing physical ailments that render him unable to work; the main character now has to be his mother's "little man" and do most of the work. Despite these new and continued hardships, the family's Christian faith remains strong. The scene then turns to the present, where the protagonist is now a young man who has since left home and gotten a better life. He muses that he doesn't get to return to his childhood home anymore; he thinks the house is still standing, if not surely abandoned. He then reveals that his mother has since died, and that her voice now sings in Heaven, "around God's golden throne." He then ties up the song by sharing his belief that the world is a better place because "one time, my mama sang a song." Throughout the song, the choir backs the recitation with several bars each of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Rock of Ages."

Chart performance

Cover versions

Several country and popular performers recorded their own versions of "Mama Sang a Song," including: *

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

(U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 #32, 1962) *

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in '' Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky'' (1938), and '' The Westerner ...

(U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 #38, AC #14, 1962); at age 68, Brennan became the oldest living person with a Top 40 hit (he was surpassed by 75-year-old

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in 1969) *

Jimmy Dean Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He became ...

. *

Faron Young Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country music producer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. Hits including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and " Live Fast, Love Hard, D ...

. *Irish singer Crawford Bell also recorded a version of the song.
"Mama Sang a Song" at

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mama Sang A Song 1962 singles Bill Anderson (singer) songs Songs written by Bill Anderson (singer) 1962 songs Song recordings produced by Owen Bradley Decca Records singles