Travis was born in Marshville, North Carolina, the second of six children of Bobbie, a textile factory worker, and Harold Traywick, a horse breeder, turkey farmer, and construction business owner. While growing up, Travis was forced to take guitar lessons by his father and began performing at the age of eight with his brother, Ricky. Travis began drinking at the age of 12, and by 14 was a regular marijuana user, who occasionally dabbled in harder drugs. He often fought with his father and soon dropped out of high school. He became a juvenile delinquent and was arrested for various offenses, including auto theft and burglary.
Harold Traywick entered Randy and Ricky in a talent contest at a nightclub called "Country City, USA" in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the meantime, Ricky, who also had brushes with the law, was sentenced to jail and Randy had to complete the contest alone, but he won anyway. The club's manager, Elizabeth "Lib" Hatcher, took an interest in Travis and gave him a job singing at the club. Travis began focusing on music. He first recorded for Paula Records and released two unsuccessful singles — "She's My Woman" and "Dreamin'". Travis' legal troubles continued and he was due in court for probation violations. Hatcher pleaded with the judge and Travis was released in her custody with the warning that if the judge ever saw him again "he'd better bring his toothbrush, because he would be going to jail for a very long time."
Travis moved in with Hatcher. This put further strain on her already fragile marriage. She eventually left her husband and, in 1982, she and Travis moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Travis was soon turned down by every record label in town. His early demo tapes were criticized by Nashville record executives as being "too country." Hatcher took a job as manager of a nightclub, "The Nashville Palace" and hired Travis as a cook and singer. It was during this time that an unlikely romance began to form between the two; Travis said "I think we discovered how much we needed each other."
Career
In 1982, Travis recorded an independent album Randy Ray Live and Lib Hatcher used it to secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records. However, the label said they had to keep their romance a secret, so as not to turn away fans, and changed his stage name from Randy Ray to Randy Travis. In 1985, Warner Brothers released Travis' single, "On the Other Hand," which topped out at 67 on the country charts. His next single, "1982", became a Top 10 hit followed by the re-release of "On the Other Hand" in 1986. The re-release became Travis' first number one hit.
His debut album, Storms of Life, went on to sell more than 4 million copies. In the late 1980s, he had a string of hits, including "No Place Like Home" and "Diggin' Up Bones." A song from his second Warner Brothers album "Always and Forever" titled "Forever and Ever, Amen" arguably launched the neo-traditionalist country era, boosting the popularity of country music beyond its traditional fan base. For two years in a row, Travis won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for the albums Always & Forever in 1988, and for Old 8x10 in 1989. Off the success of his first two albums, Old 8x10 shipped platinum. Always and Forever was number one for 43 weeks.
Travis and Hatcher married in 1991. That year Travis took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Kathy Mattea. By 1992, Travis was no longer charting high, as Brooks, Clint Black and others had taken over Nashville. He took a break from music to concentrate on acting and landed roles in several Western-genre films. He returned to recording with the 1994 album This Is Me and the hit single "Whisper My Name."
In 1997, Travis parted ways with Warner Brothers. He moved to DreamWorks Nashville and recorded You and You Alone, which produced the top 10 hits "Out of My Bones" and "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man." These were followed by 2000's albums Inspirational Journey, 2002's Rise and Shine and 2003's Worship and Faith. The single "Three Wooden Crosses" from the Rise and Shine album reached No. 1 and won the CMA song of the year in 2003. That same year, Travis ranked #13 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Travis continues to act in film and television; he appeared on the series finale of Touched by an Angel. His second most recent album, Passing Through, was released in November of 2004. It combines the country music of his earlier years, with a little gospel mixed in from more recent albums. After the release of "Glory Train" in 2005 and the Christmas album "Songs of the Season" in 2007, Travis released his brand new single "Faith In You" as a free download from his official website. It heralds the projected summer [2008] release of his forthcoming album, "Around the Bend". Along with the release of the free single, RandyTravis.com has also underwent a complete overhaul, with opportunities for fans to create blogs and join an upcoming official fan club. The new sleek look of the website has attracted throngs of fans. Contributor Anthony Maurizio has recently produced the Digging Up Bones blog series on the website, which has increased website traffic and is considered one of the most esteemed country music articles available for reading.
I'll Fly Away
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, oh glory,
I'll fly away
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
When the shadows of this life grow have grown
I'll fly away
Like a bird from prison bars has flown
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, oh glory,
I'll fly away
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away.
Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To that land where joy shall never end
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, oh glory,
I'll fly away
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, oh glory,
I'll fly away
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away is a gospel hymn originally written by Albert E. Brumley in 1929. The song expresses the hope and belief in the afterlife and the ultimate freedom from the struggles of this earthly life. Randy Travis's version of the song is a testament to his faith and abiding respect for the gospel genre.
The song starts with the lines, "Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away." The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song because the singer is looking forward to the end of their earthly life where they will finally ascend to a heavenly resting place on "God's celestial shore." The second verse reiterates this sentiment where the songwriter alludes to liberty, "Like a bird from prison bars has flown." In the third verse, Travis sings, "Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away." This lyric embodies acceptance and perseverance in the face of difficulty because the songwriter maintains an unwavering belief in the promises and blessings of the afterlife.
The song's refrain, "I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away," is a powerful declaration of faith that summarizes the entire song's message. The phrase, "When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away," is used four times in the song and is a clear indication of the ultimate reward that the songwriter is striving for.
Line by Line Meaning
Some glad morning when this life is o'er
On a happy day in the future when my life comes to an end
I'll fly away
I will leave this world behind and move on to the next
To a home on God's celestial shore
I will go to a peaceful and holy place in heaven
When the shadows of this life grow have grown
When the difficulties of life become overwhelming
Like a bird from prison bars has flown
I will break free from the burdens of life and fly away
Just a few more weary days and then
Only a little more time left for me to go through the hardships of life
To that land where joy shall never end
I will go to a place of eternal happiness and peace
I'll fly away, oh glory,
I will fly away with a sense of awe and wonder
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
When I pass away, I will celebrate and praise God
I'll fly away
I will leave this world behind and move on to the next
I'll fly away, oh glory,
I will fly away with a sense of awe and wonder
When I die, hallelujah, by and by
When I pass away, I will celebrate and praise God
I'll fly away
I will leave this world behind and move on to the next
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Gary Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind