I’ll Fly Away
A brilliant classic hymn about flying away to heaven and being freed from earth's shackles! But does it glorify death, and deny life's goodness? Hear the story of Alfred E. Brumley writing this song and let's look at the lyrics and then sing it together.
It's Friday, which means it's time for another classic hymn. Today I want to look at an old gospel classic called "I'll Fly Away". I'm sure you know this one. I don't know where I know it from. I don't actually remember singing it in church, yet I just know this song. I must have heard it on a CD or something.
Do you know this one? I wonder where you've sung it before. Do you have memories of singing it at a particular church? Does it mean something to you and your faith? Has it been a special part of your Christian journey? I'd love for you to share those memories and thoughts below in the comments. If you haven't subscribed to my channel, please would you do that? Click the little subscribe button and the little bell next to it. It's free and it really helps this channel to grow.
There's something interesting about this song that I want to share later because I released a song just a little while back, and when I was doing this one there seemed to be a connection. I had a conversation with one of my YouTube watchers (you may even be watching) about death being glorified, and it was interesting that I'd picked this song out long before we had this conversation on a comment on one of my videos. I'm going to go back to that comment later, but first let's look at the history of "I'll Fly Away".
The Story Behind "I'll Fly Away"
The author of this song is Alfred E. Brumley. He was born in 1905 and spent his early years picking cotton on his family's farm. His dad was quite a good fiddle player, so they would gather around and sing songs. Soon he developed into quite a good fiddle player himself and started experimenting with writing gospel songs. As a young man he actually got one published, which seemed to excite him and give him a dream of becoming a gospel writer.
He made a big decision: he decided to leave his family home and travel to Arkansas, where there was the Hartford Music Company. He went into the owner Eugene Bartlett's office and said to him, "Sir, I'm just a country boy and I don't have any money, but I want to learn how to write music." This man actually ended up taking him into his home, enrolling him in the school, and Brumley began to learn how to write music.
It was around this time when Brumley wrote "I'll Fly Away". He was actually back home on the farm again picking cotton because it was in between his studies, and he was humming an old prison song. The prison song said this: "If I had the wings of an angel, over these prison walls I could fly." Brumley started to think this could be the theme of a gospel song, so he formulated one of the verses in his mind. But it took him a good few years to finish it—it was only three years later that he had finished this song and published it.
It became a hit. As with most of these classic hymns that I'm talking about on Friday Classic Hymns, these are the ones that became hits very quickly, and this one just became universally popular very quickly in the 1930s. Many artists have recorded the song. My favourite is by Carson McKee and his brother—go and look up that version, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. But so many people have recorded it. It's been used extensively in films and TV as well. It seems that if a film wants to do a bit of a throwback to an old country church, they'll often have the people sing this song because it's got that feel. A lot of the times in scenes of funerals they will play the song because it's become a very popular funeral song.
Brumley became quite famous as a gospel songwriter. He was known as a very good songwriter—he wrote hundreds of songs that were published. He was also known for being a bit eccentric. He would always have a pen and paper with him, and he's known for taking it out and scribbling little notes to himself which he would turn into songs in the strangest of places, like when driving. He was also known for always having a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary with him because this was his craft, this was his art. He was always thinking of the next line he could write, and he took it very seriously.
Brumley ended up teaching singing in schools. Whilst he was teaching in Powell, Missouri (strangely enough, with my name being Powell), he met his wife and they got married and settled down in that town. He ended up buying the Hartford School of Music and owning it along with his sons, running it for many years. He worshipped at a small Church of Christ in Powell, Missouri, where, when he died, his son actually took over and kept on leading music there in their church.
He and his wife were both buried in a funeral plot near to this church, and on the tombstone you can see a little melody that he wrote and some words that he wrote transcribed onto the tombstone. It was 1977 when he died and he flew away, as he had been singing about for years—flew away to glory.
What Do the Lyrics of "I'll Fly Away" Mean?
Let's have a look at these words that he wrote.
Verse 1
Some bright morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away.
To that home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away.
This whole song reflects the Christian belief that if your faith is in Christ, death is not dark. Death is not scary or frightening, but God's celestial shore is bright. It's a bright morning when you land up on that shore in another world and meet Him and all those who've gone before you. It's a wonderful thing.
Paul said in Philippians that he longed to depart and be with God. So many people have got there in their lives—they long to depart and be with God. I think of my gran as well. In her last few years she was ready, and she said, "Oh, I can't wait for that day when I land up there and I'll meet Him face to face. What a beautiful day it's going to be." Yes, a bright morning indeed.
Chorus
I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away.
When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away.
The chorus goes on to celebrate this. I love these celebratory phrases: "Oh glory", "Hallelujah", "I'll fly away". I'll see Him—it'll be a great thing to see Him in the other world. The verses go on with the same theme. They don't have very many variations—it's the same theme in every verse.
Verse 2
When the shadows of this life have gone, I'll fly away.
Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away.
There's that line from the old prison song, or that idea from the old prison song: Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away.
Do you see the contrast here between life on earth and life in heaven that he's talking about? In verse one he said it'll be a bright morning when I'm in heaven, but here he says there are life's shadows. Life on earth is filled with shadows and darkness.
He says life on earth is like a prison—he's feeling shackled and weighed down—but he'll be able to fly away like a bird flying out of the prison bars into a free place. I guess this is true in a sense. We're held back on earth by our human limitations, by time, by the three dimensions that we are under. One day in a new world we won't have to deal with any of those limitations. It'll be like freedom like we've never known here.
Verse 3
Oh how glad and happy when we meet, I'll fly away.
No more cold iron shackles on my feet, I'll fly away.
Verse three goes on with more of this type of language. Again, this contrast: on earth, cold shackles on my feet, but in heaven, gladness and happiness when I meet God and the people who have gone before me. What a happy day it'll be.
Verse 4
Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away.
To a land where joys will never end, I'll fly away.
In verse four, again the contrast. This was written a good 45 years before he died, but: Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away to a land where joys will never end. No more weariness, but only joy. "I'll fly away"—he's so looking forward to flying away and meeting His Saviour in another place.
A Personal Reflection on Death and Life
Now I mentioned earlier in the video that there was a comment on one of my other songs about glorifying death, and that this song could be put in the same category.
In 2022 I was in hospital for a few weeks after major surgery, which put me pretty close to death. Everybody who came to see me in the first few days all turned a shade of white when they walked in and saw what bad shape I was in. My wife told me later she rushed home and got all of her documents in order just in case I didn't make it, because it was looking that close. I realised it myself, lying in bed, that I was close to death.
Once I was able to write again, I wrote a song that had been formulating in my mind in those days that said, "If I die today, it's okay." I wrote this because I realised that with my faith in Christ, I didn't have to fear death. Jesus had said in His word that those who believe in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. Paul had said that to live is Christ, but to die is gain, because then we'll be with Him. I was lying there thinking, "If I die today, it's okay. I'm going to be safe with Him," so there's no need to fear.
I wrote the song, and my idea was that if others are lying in hospital or close to death themselves, maybe the song would comfort them and remind them that there's no need to fear death. But somebody commented (I wonder if you're watching now) saying, "You can't glorify death like that, because Jesus came to bring us life on earth."
I agree. I agree with their thoughts, actually. That's true. The fourth verse of my song had said, "But if I don't die today, that's okay too, and I'm going to live life to the full." But reading the song, I thought it actually does seem to glorify death. It only talks about the bad parts of life and how dying will free us from that.
Yes, for somebody who's close to the end, somebody who's close to death, such words would bring hope and remind them that it's okay to fly away, because it'll be a safe and wonderful and bright and beautiful place with God. But perhaps there is missing in this wonderful song something that says life on earth is sweet. As much as it's full of sorrow, it is also filled with joy.
Jesus came to give us abundant life on earth—life with joy, life with peace and love, with His Spirit in us. Oh, it's not a perfect life on earth. It is filled with hardship, but even through the hardship we smile, we sing, we have joy. Perhaps my friend who commented was right, that this song and my song had missed that somehow.
I enjoy singing this song "I'll Fly Away". I think it's beautiful because it reminds me that death has no victory, death has no sting, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15. We can face death even with a smile as Christians. But that should never stop us from living life to the full now. It should never make us think it's better to die because life just isn't good. No—life here is hard, but Jesus helps us through and helps us to have joy in spite of it.
Live life to the full, and yes, look forward to flying away and celebrating. But don't let it take away from your life here.
Conclusion
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I hope this study of "I'll Fly Away" has blessed you and given you a deeper appreciation for this beautiful hymn. May we all live with the hope of heaven whilst fully embracing the abundant life Christ offers us here on earth.
