Lonesome Valley, a spiritual from both white and black sources, was recorded by the Carters in 1930 and in 1935. The song was probably from Leslie Riddle but popular versions by both Dalhart and Jenkins had been circulating.

The earliest recording "That Lonesome Valley" was done in 1925 by the Jenkins Family. There's a blues version by Blind Willie McTell, "I Got to Cross the River of Jordan." Other names include:

You Got To Cross It Foh Yohself
Walk This Lonesome Valley
You've Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley
Hark of All
We Shall Walk Through the Valley
John the Baptist
You Got to Stand a Test

Certaintly the basic lyrics in different forms were part of the black culture before the Civil War. These lyrics are The Atlantic Monthly - 1864- Page 589:

Go down in de Lonesome Valley,
Go down in de Lonesome Valley, my Lord,
Go down in de Lonesome Valley,
To meet my Jesus dere !


LONESOME VALLEY- Carter Family

Everybody's got to walk this lonesome valley
We've got to walk it by ourselves
There's nobody here can walk it for us
We've got to walk it by ourselves

My father's got to walk this lonesome valley
He's got to walk it by himself
There's nobody here can walk it for him
He's got to walk it by himself

      [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

My mother's got to walk this lonesome valley
She's got to walk it by herself
There's nobody here can walk it for her
She's got to walk it by herself

All sinners got to walk this lonesome valley
They've got to walk it by themselves
There's nobody here can walk it for them
They've got to walk it by themselves

      [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

Everybody's got to walk this lonesome valley
We've got to walk it by ourselves
There's nobody here can walk it for us
We've got to walk it by ourselves