Fly Away (John Denver song)
Encyclopedia
"Fly Away" is a 1975 song written and performed by John Denver
, with Olivia Newton-John
(uncredited) on backup vocals. Released as a single from the Windsong
album, "Fly Away" peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and spent two weeks atop the adult contemporary chart
in early-1976, Denver's sixth number one on this chart.. "Fly Away" also peaked at number twelve on the country chart .
The song is an ode to longing for simpler times and a simpler way of life. Rolling Stone
magazine remarks, "At this point, John Denver albums are as numerous as potted plants in the apartments of these urbanites, and both are symptoms of the same longing. The singer acknowledges his average listener in 'Fly Away'."
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
, with Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
(uncredited) on backup vocals. Released as a single from the Windsong
Windsong
Windsong is the ninth album by American singer-songwriter John Denver released in September 1975. Denver's popularity was at its peak by this time....
album, "Fly Away" peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and spent two weeks atop the adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
in early-1976, Denver's sixth number one on this chart.. "Fly Away" also peaked at number twelve on the country chart .
The song is an ode to longing for simpler times and a simpler way of life. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine remarks, "At this point, John Denver albums are as numerous as potted plants in the apartments of these urbanites, and both are symptoms of the same longing. The singer acknowledges his average listener in 'Fly Away'."
Chart performance
| Chart (1975-76) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 12 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 13 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 28 |