Brendan Prout
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Why I Won’t Sing I’ll Fly Away – at least, not in Worship

3/13/2016

13 Comments

 
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                                                                                                      (artwork above: "Fly Away" by Alexandr Arigulla)

Why I Won’t Sing I’ll Fly Away – at least, not in Worship
Brendan Prout
March 8, 2016
 
 
A friend mentioned to me today that a secular band he liked did a recording of “I’ll Fly Away” and thought it was a “gutsy choice for a non-religious band”. 
 
I'll make the counter point argument that it's not a very gutsy choice at all, since "I'll Fly Away" is not a Christian song, nor a particularly religious song – at least, not one that pertains to any specific religion.

It's a traditional folk song born of spirituals sung by American slaves as they were worked to death. Granted, it was penned by Alfred Brumley in 1929, which may seem a far cry from American slavery which was abolished in 1865, but it comes from a tradition of songs that are re-written folk ballads, negro spirituals, and traditional ditties that grew from the slave culture.  Even Brumley calls it a “gospel type song”, but it is not in fact a gospel song.  It does not even mention Christ, does not glorify God, it only mentions God in passing, and the mention it gives could be sung in the context of any pagan religion ("God's celestial shore" could be sung by a Muslim, Hindu, Shaman, Buddhist, etc), and it only sings about one's self for the whole of the song, without any depth of spiritual truth to it.  

It's a song expressing hope of release from captivity in this world, which all religions seek to address... but it is not a song that ever should have been sung by the Christian Church. 

It's a worship song - that worships self.  Not Jesus.
So I can see why secular bands would like it.  And I can see why lots of people do.  Folks generally like to bring attention to themselves, praise themselves, and talk well of what they’d like to do.  That’s just what this song does.
 
Now I realize there are many who grew up singing this song and love it dearly, and hold many happy memories in association with this song, having sung it in church for years and years.  And I realize toward that point, there are even pastors whom have done an eisegetical proof-texing defense of the song, trying to match up Scripture with its verses (1 Thess 4:17, 2 Tim 4:6-8, etc) but that’s intellectual dishonesty at best.  It wasn’t written with Scriptural truth in mind.  It was written by a guy whose dad was making him pick cotton on the family farm, who in passive aggressive response had in mind rewriting a prison song which itself had contested authorship, as it was probably stolen from slaves to whom the original writing remains unattributed.  Great tradition to begin a song from, right? 
 
The people who wrote it were chained together in the daily torture of being worked unto death, imprisoned disdainfully by fellow men (many of whom hypocritically claimed a relationship with the Living Christ), had very little knowledge of Scripture and certainly this song was not born of a desire to worship God but simply a desire to escape from slavery, pain, and the repulsive conditions in which they were kept more like animals than people.  And that is the song which by Brumley’s own words, he wanted to paraphrase and rewrite so he could cash in on the record industry phenomenon that was sweeping through America.
 
From reflection on that imagery alone, I’m reluctant to sing the song, except in sadness that it was written in the first place.  Even sadder still that the authors of “The Prisoner’s Song” remain lost to history, most likely because they were black men whose names did not matter to the white men who stole recognition for writing it, just because they were first to record it, and frankly because they had more rights than black men at the time.
 
I’m not saying we sweep this song under the rug in order to ignore this song’s origins, any more than we ought to ignore the likely origins of the tune of “Amazing Grace”, which was written by a captain of a slaving ship.  This period of human history happened.  It’s atrocious.  That Christians allowed it to happen on their watch is horrible, and this should be remembered... shamefully. Indeed, we need to remember such songs for their horrendous origins, so that we never allow such circumstances to be repeated.  We can’t be singing praise for God on Sunday and let blatant injustice be carried out before us the rest of the week without doing something about it, or it invalidates – makes false – our worship.
 
When we don’t match up what we sing in worship with what we do in life, God abhors the very sound of our singing.  In Amos chapter 5, God gives a pretty harsh indictment against people who have loud festivals and raucous singing in His name, but allow social perversions to continue.  God desires justice and righteousness and mercy.  Remember the precepts of Micah 6:8, which many of us sang as a worship song back in the 80’s and 90’s.  Do justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with our God.  
 
And for me, beyond any other history, the humility is what is lacking in “I’ll Fly Away”, aside from any lack of depth of spiritual truth.  It’s all about me.  And trust me – my heart is wickedly deceitful, just as anyone else’s, and I can puff myself up without any help from another song that is all about me and who I’d like to be based on my desires, my preferences, my inclinations, my dreams - without reflecting on my true identity in Christ.  Who I am is because of Who He Is.  And what HE has done. 
 
My identity is special and secure.  And certainly worth singing about, but only within the right context – giving glory to God, not keeping it for myself. 
 
I’m not out to be Debbie Downer on a song that is much ballyhooed and beloved.  For me it is a matter of conscience, a matter of intellectual integrity, and a matter of awareness.  Yes, I agree that not every song is or needs to be a systematic theology – but we do tend to believe what we sing, and in terms of songs that speak of the hope of glory, there are so many other songs that speak better that this one, on either side of the spectrum – whether you prefer traditional songs or newer ones.
 
On the traditional side, there is “Victory in Jesus,” another generational favorite and a true Gospel song:
 
“I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.
 
O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.
 
I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.
 
I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing, and the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory.”
 
On the modern side, there is “Endless Hallelujah” by Matt Redman:
 
“When I stand before Your throne, dressed in glory not my own
What a joy I'll sing of on that day
No more tears or broken dreams, forgotten is the minor key
Everything as it was meant to be
 
And we will worship, worship
Forever in Your presence we will sing
We will worship, worship You
An endless hallelujah to the King
 
I will see You as You are, love You with unsinning heart
And see how much You paid to bring me home
Not till then, Lord, shall I know, not till then, how much I owe
Everything I am before Your throne
 
No more tears, no more shame
No more sin and sorrow ever known again
No more fears, no more pain
We will see You face to face, see You face to face”
 
In light of such better choices of songs to sing with my church, “I’ll Fly Away” simply has no standing or merit.  Perhaps I might sing it around a campfire, perhaps in a bluegrass jam, but certainly not in the gathering of saints as a song of worship, and certainly not by my choice.  There are many better songs to choose from.  My admonition to others who have the privilege and responsibility of choosing which songs we’ll sing as those Redeemed by Christ, worshiping Jesus as His Bride: Choose wisely.
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13 Comments
Marian Drake
5/31/2017 11:03:59 am

Thank you for this information! It is what I suspected, and was looking for on the internet. (I sing this song secularly.) One question, though -- do you mind telling me your source of the information? A citation? Does it come from an African American history source somewhere? Please send me a link if you have one. I totally believe this info, and your publishing it, though. It makes sense to me.

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Callie B turner link
11/23/2020 01:57:57 pm

Mr. Prout have loved the song I'll Fly Away it since childhood, learned if from listening to The Grand Ole Opry. It is used in the Black churches that I attend mostly at the end of a funeral when the body is or has just been taken out. Many songs sung now in our Black churches are a lot about self as a way to praise God for what He has done for the person and to make other see how He has also blessed them.. Whether I'll Fly Away is a religious song or not I think it adds a lovely touch to the end of a funeral and make the family feel happy. I would love to have it sung at my funeral when I am being taken out of the church for the final time.

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Kendra D link
12/1/2020 08:25:29 pm

Very thouughtful blog

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Laura J
2/21/2021 11:06:53 am

I grew up with this song and learned it at my church. I refer you to Psalm 90:9-12 "For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; we finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
You can't get more Biblical than the Word of God, the Bible.

Reply
Steve
6/30/2021 10:35:11 pm

Psalm 55.6 would be a better reference for this.

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Brendan Prout
3/8/2021 08:06:46 pm

I appreciate your thoughts here, but it seems A) you didn't actually read what I wrote, and B) you're practicing eisegesis - that's taking something you've already decided to believe and finding a Bible passage to back it up, rather than exegesis, which is letting the Word of Scripture speak clearly and plainly to a matter. The former is bad practice which leads to bad theology at best and heresy at worst. The latter leads to proper Biblical understanding and intimacy with the heart of God.

If we were singing the words of Psalm 90 aloud, then *that* would be biblical. But in the song you're referring to, that's not what is happening. The word "fly" happens to be in the chorus, and a sentiment about leaving earthly sorrows behind.

If the song actually focused on and contained an entire line of this passage, then we could at least with good integrity say that the song was based on scripture. But it doesn't, and it's not. To say so is not academically honest. It's a stretch at best.

It's like a person saying that it's Biblical to buy a Honda Accord, because all the believers were of one accord (Acts 4:32), and Jesus did not speak of his own accord (John 12:49). Just because the word is there and some sentiment, does not make overlaying our modern thoughts on top of Scripture to be true.

We have to understand any passage of Scripture in its original context within the larger whole, letting the whole counsel of Scripture determine the interpretation, seeking to understand what would have been understood by the original hearers in the context of their culture, language, idioms, geolocation, place in history, and even social status. That's Biblical.

So I encourage you to sing the words of Psalm 90 aloud any time you want, and any song that is actually written from Scripture and which points to the person of Jesus, Christ crucified and resurrected, the power and acts of God as described in the Bible, or which illustrates and clarifies and indeed celebrates our identity in Christ. That's biblical.

Sing to one another Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making music in your heart to the Lord, and let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Reply
Steve
6/30/2021 10:41:21 pm

Sounds like you just like to condemn everyone and everything with you're "exegesis" Greeks seek after wisdom and jews after a sign. But Christians have liberty. Just rest in his grace and love and stop trying to bring people under a yoke of bandage. I refer you to psalm 55.6 psalm 91. Believe it or not slaves in America were Christians too. Ever think these sing came from the heart and were a cry to God? I believe God honors a sincere heart rather than perfect Exegesis or perfect theology. Maybe you have every jot and tittle perfect in your own mind. But my friend tgats a dangerous place to be

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McScribble
1/12/2023 01:21:12 pm

What a ridiculous comment...characterizing a gentle encouragement toward biblical fidelity as "condemning." Who exactly is he condemning here? He's simply making the point that there is no biblical reference or support for these lyrics--he explicitly said he is not saying it should ever be sung, just that it doesn't make sense to sing it in church as an act of worship. Don't settle for unbiblical songs. There are too many biblical songs to justify ever doing that.

McScribble
1/12/2023 01:24:44 pm

Sorry ... "he explicitly said he is not saying it should *never be sung"

MacCanon Brown
7/28/2022 07:28:09 pm

It sickens me whenever an expression arising from the talent and the soul of people of African descent among us is stolen and profited from by people not of that race. such exploitation in the world of music has been endless, heartless and shocking. To steal and market it in a Christian context represents hypocrisy.

Reply
Stained Glass Thornton link
9/24/2022 11:33:31 pm

Thanks great ppost

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