I'll Fly Away

"I'll Fly Away" (Roud 18437) is a hymn written between 1929 and 1932 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled Wonderful Message. Albert took three years to write the song after getting the idea while picking cotton in 1928. Over the years multiple derivative versions have been created and will be licensed for decades to come. Brumley's writing was influenced by the 1924 secular ballad "The Prisoner's Song".

"I'll Fly Away" has been called the most recorded gospel song. It is frequently used in worship services by Baptists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, the Churches of Christ and many Presbyterians and Methodists. It appears in many hymnals where it is listed under the topics of eternal life, heaven and acceptance. It is a standard song at bluegrass jam sessions and is often performed at funerals, including jazz funerals in the New Orleans tradition.