Grateful Dead Family Discography: Mother's Not Dead, She's Only Sleeping

Mother's Not Dead / Mother's Only Sleeping

Composer: ?

Mother's Not Dead was probably played by Jerry Garcia with the Black Mountain Boys in March 1964.

On recordings the song occurs as Mother's Not Dead, She's Only Sleeping and just Mother's Not Dead. The song Mother's Only Sleeping is very similar - some versions have different verses. This title predates the Mother's Not Dead title.

On recordings both songs are often credited to the performer, most commonly Charlie Monroe, Bill Monroe or Ralph Stanley. Some recordings credit no one.

In The Music Of Bill Monroe by Neil V Rosenberg and Charles K Wolfe the authors say that Bill Monroe got the piece from Lester Flatts who had learned it in the Carolinas where it was popular and had been recorded. Each of these recordings used slightly different lyrics. They go on to say that the writers of the song were revealed in 1996 to be Lance and Maynard Spencer who wrote in in 1941 when they were members of Charlie Monroe's group. The original title was Mother's Just Sleeping.

Mother's Not Dead / Mother's Not Dead, She's Only Sleeping recordings

no info Single (Mother's Not Dead, She's Only Sleeping / There's No Depression In Heaven), Charlie Monroe And His Kentucky Pardners, 1946
no info The Rambling Boys, Jack Elliott and Derroll Adams, 1958
Early Bluegrass Music, The Monroe Brothers, 1963
no info Roll On Buddy, Jack Elliot and Derroll Adams, 1964
no info Single, Pelfrey Brothers, 1964
no info Songs Of Mother And Home, John's Gospel Quartet, 1965
no info Stars Of The Trent Valley Jamboree Album No. 1, Various Artists (Daisy and Delbert Tompkins), 1967
no info Stanley Brothers On Stage, The Stanley Brothers, 1969
no info Single (Voice Of My Savior/Mother's Not Dead/I Dreamed I Was In The Garden/Go Home), Southland Trio, 1969
no info Living By Faith, Ed Samons And The Kentucky Mountain Boys, 1969
no info Coming Home, Elsie Pierce, 1969
no info The Legendary Stanley Brothers Recorded Live Vol. 2, Stanley Brothers, 1970
no info Dreams Of Home, Joe Issacs And The Calvary Mountain Boys, 1973
no info 3 Days From Home, Walter Hensley And The Dukes Of Bluegrass, 1974
no info Bluegrass For Collectors, Various Artists (Charlie Monroe), 1974
no info Tall Trees Bluegrass Festival 1976: Live, Various Artists (The Tri-County Travelers), 1976
no info Clinch Mountain Gospel, Ralph Stanley And The Clinch Mountain Boys, 1977
no info At It Again, Hocking Valley Boys, 1978
no info Bluegrass Angel, Ed Hamilton And Bluegrass, 1979
no info A Better Way Of Life, Vernon Oxford, 1980
no info Bluegrass From The Mountain, The Keen Brothers, 1983
Stanley Series, Vol. 3, No. 3, Stanley Brothers, 1990
Keeper of the Flame, Vernon Oxford, 1995
no info Ramblin' Jack, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, 1995
no info The RC Cola Shows Vol. 3, Roy Acuff And His Smoky Mountain Boys, 1999
no info Single (Mother's Not Dead, She Is Only Sleeping / Dust On The Bible), Holden Brothers with Emory Martin, 19??
no info Up North Bluegrass, New County Boys, 19??
Bluegrass Bonanza, Various Artists (Charlie Monroe), 2001
Bluegrass Bonanza: The Monroe Legacy 1936-45, Various Artists (Charlie Monroe), 2001
no info Renfro Valley Revisited, Various Artists (Holden Brothers with Emory Martin), 2003
no info Going Back To Old Kentucky, Various Artists (Charlie Monroe), 2003
no info Plum Pitiful: 20 Sad And Tragic Bluegrass Songs, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2004
I'm Old Kentucky Bound, Charlie Monroe, 2007
no info Born To Be A Drifter, Ralph Stanley II, 2012

Mother's Only Sleeping recordings

no info Single (Workin' On A Buildin' / Mother's Only Sleeping), J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers, 1946
no info Single (Mansions For Me / Mother's Only Sleeping), Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys, 1947
no info Single (Mother's Only Sleeping / Mandolin Rag), Armstrong Twins, 1948
no info Smoky Mountain Ballads, Harry And Jeanie West, 1956
Good Ole Mountain Music, Wade Mainer and Mountaineers , 1959
The Great Bill Monroe, Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys, 1961
Old Country Church, Stanley Brothers, 1961
Old Time Camp Meeting, Stanley Brothers, 1961
no info Hymns Sacred Gospel Songs, Reno & Smiley, 1961
no info Hymns Sacred Gospel Songs Vol 3 EP, Reno & Smiley, 1961
no info I Thought Of Mother and Dad, George Brock, Ralph King & the Traveling Crusaders, 1966
no info Harry And Jeanie West, Harry And Jeanie West, 1967
Father & Son, Bill Monroe & James Monroe, 1973
no info All Gospel Songs, J.E. Mainers Mountaineers, 1973
no info Hillbilly Mandolin, Armstrong Twins, 1979
no info The Country Three, The Country Three, 1986
no info Picture on the Wall, The Shiloh Mountain Boys, 1987
Bluegrass 1970-1979, Bill Monroe, 1995
Stanley Series, Vol. 3 #4, Stanley Brothers, 1996
no info History of the Future, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, 2001
Blue Moon of Kentucky 1936-1949, Bill Monroe, 2002
Still Pickin', Dallas Smith, 2002
All the Classic Releases 1937-1949, Bill Monroe, 2003
The King Years 1961-1965, The Stanley Brothers, 2003
no info I'm Getting Happy, Uncle Dave Dougherty & The Trough Sloppers, 2003
no info Lost & Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion, The High Bar Gang, 2003
no info Mandolin Boogie, Armstrong Twins, 2004
Reno & Smiley: 1959-1963, Reno & Smiley, 2007
no info Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 & 1947, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, 2008
no info Reno & Smiley And The Tennessee Cut-Ups 1959-1963, 2011