Spirit in the Sky
Front Cover Lyrics

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Hello world
Hello world
Hello world

When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky

I'm goin' up to the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
(When I die)
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best

Hello world
Hello world

Prepare yourself
You know it's a must
(A must)
You gotta have a friend in Jesus
(Jesus)
So you know that when you die
It's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky

Gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky
That's where ya gonna go when you die
(When you die)
When you die and they lay you to rest
You're gonna go to the place that's the best

Oh yeah
Hello World
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Hello World
Oh yeah

Prepare yourself
(You've got to)
Prepare yourself
(Yo, you gotta prepare yourself)
Prepare yourself
(Oh yes)
Prepare yourself
(Yo, you gotta prepare yourself)

Hello world
(It's all up to the spirit in the sky)
Hello world

You know that I'm a sinner, we all sin
But I've got a friend in Jesus
So ya know that when I die
It's gonna set me up with the spirit in the sky

Oh, set me up with the spirit in the sky
(Spirit in the sky)
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
(When I die)
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
I'm gonna go to the place
(That's the best)

(Yeah, hello world)
Ah, alright
(Hello world, alright)

I want to go
(I want to go, I wanna)
I want to go
(I want to go, I wanna)
I want to go to a place called the best
(Yeah)

I want to go
(I want to go, I wanna)
I want to go
(I want to go, I wanna)
I want to go to a place called the best

(Yeah)
(I want to go)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum's band Front Cover speak of finding eternal peace after death. Greenbaum is known to have written the song after experiencing a trio of inspirations: Elvis Presley's gospel single "How Great Thou Art," Porter Wagoner's "Committed to Parkview," and seeing a red-covered Bible belonging to one of his bandmates in the studio. The song's opening lines -- "Hello world/Hello world/Hello world" -- are possibly meant to signify a spiritual awakening, with the person speaking to the world at large.

The second stanza deals with the inevitability of death, and the idea that there's a place in the afterlife that one can go if they're deserving. The chorus of the song reiterates this theme, with the singer expressing that they'll head to this calming paradise when their physical form is gone. In the final stanza, the singer addresses the fact that they know they've committed sins, but they have a "friend in Jesus" and they believe that will be enough to recommend them to the serenity of "the spirit in the sky."

Line by Line Meaning

When I die and they lay me to rest
When I pass away and am buried

Gonna go to the place that's the best
Going to the afterlife, the best possible place

When I lay me down to die
When I finally take my last breath

Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
Ascending to the heaven

That's where I'm gonna go when I die
Heaven is where the person wants to go after death

You gotta have a friend in Jesus
One must have Jesus as their true ally

So you know that when you die
This is for assurance in the afterlife

It's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky
Jesus will recommend the person to heaven

You know that I'm a sinner, we all sin
Admitting that everyone makes mistakes

But I've got a friend in Jesus
Jesus is still the person's confidante despite being a sinner

So ya know that when I die
To reiterate assurance for the afterlife