Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 March 1927; died 25 April 2023) was an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, he popularized Jamaican mento folk songs which was marketed as Trinbagonian Calypso musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso, released in 1956, was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.

Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.

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Oh Let Me Fly
Harry Belafonte Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Way down yonder in the middle of the field,
Angel working at the chariot wheel,
Not so particular 'bout working at the wheel,
Just want to see how the chariot feels

Oh let me fly, oh let me fly
Let me fly to Mount Zion, Lord, Lord

Well I got a mother in the promised land
Ain't gonna stop till I shake her hand
Not so particular 'bout shaking her hand
Just wanna get to the promised land

Oh let me fly, oh let me fly
Let me fly to Mount Zion, Lord, Lord

I heard such a rumbling in the sky
I thought my Lord was passing by
It was the good old chariot drawing nigh
Oh well it shook the earth swept the sky

Oh let me fly, oh let me fly
Let me fly to Mount Zion, Lord, Lord

Overall Meaning

The song "Oh Let Me Fly" by Harry Belafonte portrays the idea of longing for a better place and a better life. The first verse describes an angel who is working on a chariot wheel, but is not particular about the work, instead just wanting to feel how the chariot moves. This could represent a person who is working hard and going through life, but not fully feeling or experiencing it. The desire to fly to Mount Zion, a metaphorical promised land or utopia, is a common theme in African American spirituals, as it represents freedom, liberation, and salvation. The repetition of "Oh let me fly" emphasizes the longing for release and the desire to escape the current situation.

The second verse describes the singer’s mother who is waiting for them in the promised land, and their determination to reach her. Again, the focus is on achieving a better life and not about the specific actions taken. The third verse describes the singer hearing a rumbling in the sky, thinking it is the Lord, but it is actually the chariot coming to take them to Mount Zion. The chariot represents the vehicle for transcendence and escape to a better place. The description of the chariot shaking the earth and sweeping the sky emphasizes the impact that reaching the promised land would have on the singer’s life.

Overall, the song is a representation of the desire for escape from a difficult or oppressive situation, and the longing for a better life. The repetition of "Oh let me fly" emphasizes the desire for release, and the references to the promised land and the chariot represent the hope for a better future.

Line by Line Meaning

Way down yonder in the middle of the field,
In a distant place, within the center of a field

Angel working at the chariot wheel,
An angel working to steer a chariot

Not so particular 'bout working at the wheel,
Not too concerned with operating the vehicle

Just want to see how the chariot feels
Only curious about the sensations associated with the chariot

Oh let me fly, oh let me fly
Allow me to soar, oh allow me to soar

Let me fly to Mount Zion, Lord, Lord
Permit me to journey to Mount Zion through flight, my Lord

Well I got a mother in the promised land
I have a mother dwelling within the land of promise

Ain't gonna stop till I shake her hand
I will not quit until I have an opportunity to greet her

Not so particular 'bout shaking her hand
Not too concerned with the physical act of shaking hands

Just wanna get to the promised land
Only desire is to reach the land of promise

I heard such a rumbling in the sky
I heard a distinctive, low-pitched sound emanating from the atmosphere

I thought my Lord was passing by
I believed my Lord to be traversing that area

It was the good old chariot drawing nigh
It was the trusted, dependable chariot coming near

Oh well it shook the earth swept the sky
It impacted the ground with force, affecting the sky as well

Oh let me fly, oh let me fly
Allow me to soar, oh allow me to soar

Let me fly to Mount Zion, Lord, Lord
Permit me to journey to Mount Zion through flight, my Lord

Writer(s): Robert Corman, Milt Okun, Harry Belafonte Copyright: Clara Music Publishing Corp.

Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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