In Bioshock Infinite (2013), the hymn Will the Circle Be Unbroken serves as a haunting, thematic anchor, deeply woven into the game’s narrative and atmosphere. Composed in 1907 by Ada R. Habershon and Charles H. Gabriel, the version in the game is a reimagined, melancholic rendition performed by Elizabeth, the central female character, with vocals by Courtnee Draper and arranged by Troy Baker. It appears in key moments, notably during the game’s opening in Columbia, a floating city steeped in religious zealotry, and in quieter, introspective scenes tied to Elizabeth’s journey.
The hymn’s lyrics, reflecting on loss, salvation, and eternal reunion, resonate with the game’s exploration of redemption, parallel universes, and cyclical time. Its inclusion underscores the pseudo-Christian ideology of Columbia’s prophet, Zachary Hale Comstock, while contrasting the city’s utopian facade with its dystopian reality. The stripped-down, a cappella delivery amplifies Elizabeth’s emotional vulnerability, making it a poignant motif for her struggle and the game’s themes of choice and inevitability.

 

There are loved ones in the glory,
Whose dear forms you often miss;
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?

Chorus:
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?

In the joyous days of childhood,
Oft they told of wondrous love,
Pointed to the dying Saviour;
Now they dwell with Him above.

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?

You remember songs of heaven
Which you sang with childish voice,
Do you love the hymns they taught you,
Or are songs of earth your choice?

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?

You can picture happy gath’rings
‘Round the fireside long ago,
And you think of tearful partings,
When they left you here below.

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?

One by one their seats were emptied,
And one by one they went away;
Now the family is parted,
Will it be complete one day?

Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?