Bluegrass singer Alison Krauss has had many hits in her career. In fact, for many years, she held the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female musician in any genre (before being surpassed by Beyoncé). However, one of her most recognizable hits wasn’t her own—in fact, it didn’t even feature her as the lead singer.
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The song was “I’ll Fly Away,” a duet that Krauss performed with folk singer Gillian Welch for the soundtrack of the 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? Welch took the lead, with Krauss providing backup harmonies. The sweet soprano recreation of the gospel song was a standout on an already wildly popular album.
Today, the Krauss/Welch performance is probably the best-known version of “I’ll Fly Away.” But it is far from the only one. In fact, the song has become known as the most widely recorded gospel song in history, with thousands of covers recorded. It is also distinctive for its unique ability to cross genres, having become a standard of not just gospel music but also folk, bluegrass, and jazz.
So what is the meaning behind “I’ll Fly Away,” and what makes it such a compelling composition, despite its simple lyrics and melody?
Composition
“I’ll Fly Away” was written by gospel musician Albert E. Brumley and first published in 1932. It gained immediate popularity and retains its status today as one of the most widely recorded gospel songs in history. But the song has crossed genres, becoming a standard in jazz and bluegrass as well.
Brumley said the idea for the song came to him as he was picking cotton on his father’s farm. The lyrics were inspired by “The Prisoner’s Song,” which had been popular in the 1920s. Brumley found himself thinking about the idea of flying to freedom like a bird, and the comparison of breaking free from prison to reaching one’s heavenly reward.
However, he had no idea how popular the song would become. Brumley himself was a prolific composer, writing more than 600 songs in his lifetime. But “I’ll Fly Away” was the one that became legendary. It’s been recorded so many times that no one is really sure how many covers exist; it’s estimated to be at least 5,000.
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The Prisoner’s Song
It’s thought that the song that particularly inspired Brumley was “The Prisoner’s Song,” one of the biggest hits of the 1920s. It was recorded by Vernon Dalhart, but no one knows where it first originated. Dalhart had heard it sung by a friend, who had learned it from his brother, who had learned it in prison. Despite its murky background, Dalhart’s 1924 recording became one of the best-selling records of the decade.
Now if I had wings like an angel
Over these prison walls I would fly
And I’d fly to the arms of my poor darlin’
And there I’d be willing to die
Brumley also drew inspiration from African-American spirituals, which often used imprisonment and freedom as metaphors for spiritual release and heavenly reward.
Alison Krauss’ and Gillian Welch’s Rendition
Bluegrass singer Alison Krauss recorded “I’ll Fly Away” as a duet with Gillian Welch for the soundtrack of the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? The song was a standout on a hugely successful LP that won Album of the Year at both the Grammy Awards and the Country Music Association Awards.
Krauss’ and Welch’s version included several additional verses not found in the original song:
When the shadows of this life have gone
I’ll fly away
Like a bird, from these prison walls I’ll fly
I’ll fly away
And:
Oh, how glad and happy when we meet
I’ll fly away
No more cold iron shackles on my feet
I’ll fly away
O Brother, Where Art Thou? has been credited with revitalizing the popularity of the song for new generations and fans of all music, not just gospel.
Other Versions
The true legacy of “I’ll Fly Away” isn’t necessarily on record. It has become a staple of worship music around the world, especially in Pentecostal, Baptist, Methodist, and Nazarene churches. The song has also made its way beyond the gospel genre into blues, jazz, and bluegrass. It’s common to hear it at jam sessions or funerals, movie soundtracks or Sunday school sessions.
Among those 5,000 covers, however, there are more than a few notable standouts. Since the release of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the duet version between Welch and Krauss might be the most recognizable. But their cover didn’t actually appear in the film—the original 1956 version by the Kossoy Sisters did. Both versions became extremely popular after the success of the film.
“I’ll Fly Away” has also been covered by Johnny Cash, Jimmy Swaggart, Alan Jackson, Bob Marley, George Jones, John Legend, and Kanye West—to name just a few.
Timelessness
The staying power of “I’ll Fly Away” has already been proven, with thousands of covers spanning a century. Krauss’ and Welch’s version is something special, though, possibly because their sweet voices work so beautifully together. Considering how this song has remained this popular after so many years and across so many generations, it’s probably safe to say we’ll still be singing it 100 years from today.
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