The Del McCoury Band is a Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band. Originally D… Read Full Bio ↴The Del McCoury Band is a Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band. Originally Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals with Del on guitar and his brother Jerry on bass, the band went through a number of changes until the 1980s when the band solidified its line-up, adding McCoury's sons, Ronnie and Robbie on mandolin and banjo, respectively. In 1988, the "Dixie Pals" name was dropped in favor of the current name.Fiddler Tad Marks and bass player Mike Brantley joined in the early 1990s while the band became a national touring act. In 2004 they were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for It's Just the Night, and in 2006 they won that category for The Company We Keep.

The band recorded with Steve Earle on his 1999 album The Mountain.

Contents [hide]
1 Band members
2 Discography
2.1 Albums
2.2 Contributions
3 External links

[edit] Band members
Del McCoury - guitar (1967 - present)
Ronnie McCoury - mandolin (1981 - present)
Robbie McCoury - banjo (1987 - present)
Jerry McCoury - bass (1967 - 1989)
Mike Brantley - bass (1989-1992)
Mike Bub - bass (May 1992 - June 2005)
Alan Bartram - bass (August 2005 - present)
Billy Baker - fiddle (1967)
Tad Marks- fiddle (1990-1992)
Jason Carter - fiddle (1992 - present)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums
Year Album US Bluegrass US Country US Indie US Heat
1992 Blue Side of Town
1993 Deeper Shade of Blue
1996 The Cold Hard Facts
1999 The Mountain (w/ Steve Earle)A 19
The Family
2001 Del & The Boys 11 50
2003 It's Just the Night 4 47 32 48
2005 The Company We Keep 2 59
2006 The Promised LandB 2 61 46 39
2008 Moneyland 1 51

AThe Mountain also peaked at #133 on the Billboard 200 and at #14 on the Canadian Country Albums chart.
BThe Promised Land also peaked at #24 on Top Christian Albums.

[edit] Contributions
Song of America (2007) - "The Times They Are a-Changin'"

[edit] External links
Discography at Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings
Official website
Del McCoury Band collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_McCoury_Band"

I'll Fly Away
The Del McCoury Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some glad morning when this life is o'er
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

[Chorus]
I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

When the shadows of this life have gone
I'll fly away
Like a bird from prison bars has flown
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

[Chorus]

Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joy shall never end
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The Del McCoury Band's "I'll Fly Away" is a gospel song that delves into the belief in achieving eternal life after death. The song glorifies the thought of leaving the mortal world behind and moving to God's celestial shore. The song begins with "Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away to a home on God's celestial shore." This line expresses the artist's belief in moving onto a better place or afterlife after a person has died, and the singer finds solace in the idea of being able to leave the mortal world behind.

The second stanza emphasizes the idea of leaving the troubles or problems that one experiences during their lifetime behind when they depart from the material world. The line "Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away" serves as a metaphor for breaking free from mortal boundaries and being able to embark on a life that is not limited by the constraints of the physical realm. The third and final stanza delivers a message of hope and optimism, further bolstering the concept of life after death. The line "To a land where joy shall never end, I'll fly away" highlights the idea of achieving eternal happiness, which is not earthly or materialistic.

Overall, "I'll Fly Away" expresses a deep-seated belief in the concept of an afterlife and provides solace to the listener. The artist believes that passing away from the mortal world is not an end but rather a transition toward eternal happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

Some glad morning when this life is o'er
At some point in the future, when my time on this earth has come to an end and I have passed on from this world

I'll fly away
I will transcend beyond the physical realm and leave behind all the worries and constraints of this world

To a home on God's celestial shore
I will ascend to a higher spiritual plane and find a sense of belonging in the divine realm

I'll fly away (I'll fly away)
I will escape from the earthly plane and make my way towards the heavenly realm

I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I will fly away in glorious fashion, unencumbered by the physical limitations of this world

I'll fly away; (in the morning)
I will take flight at the break of dawn, leaving behind the darkness and troubles of night

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
When I pass away from this world, I will be greeted with exultation and celebration, and will continue onwards to the next plane of existence

When the shadows of this life have gone
After the tribulations and hardships of this life have come to an end

Like a bird from prison bars has flown
I will soar free and unfettered, no longer held back by the constraints of this world

Just a few more weary days and then
Although it may seem like an eternity, I know that my time on this earth is limited and will eventually come to a close

To a land where joy shall never end
I will enter into a place where happiness and contentment will reign supreme, and will continue on indefinitely

I'll fly away (I'll fly away)
I will depart from this earthly realm and journey forth towards the celestial plane

I'll fly away, Oh Glory
Once again, I will take flight in triumphant and glorious splendor

I'll fly away; (in the morning)
And once again, I will take to the skies at dawn, leaving behind all my worries and troubles from the previous day

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
My passing from this world will be met with rejoicing and merriment, as I proceed towards the next phase of my spiritual journey

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, ROMMIE
Written by: CLARENCE FOUNTAIN, JOHN BOWDEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@user-nc6rm1rv4k

13w

THE KIND OF MUSIC GOD LOVES ! FANTASTIC MUSICIANS!

@ddoddy76

6y↑18

Wow.....thats my Great Uncle Charlie up there doing his thing!!!
Love you Unc....ur the greatest!!!

@RockStarOscarStern634

3y↑1

Charlie Daniels, and may he RIP.

@christianathomas1913

2y↑2

@Oscar Stern Charlie Gabriel on clarinet.

@pamelagrantham73

Listened to this in memory of my Dad, who made a beeline for Preservation Hall every time he visited New Orleans. A stroke of brilliance to collaborate with Del McCoury & band. Joyful noise!

@jacksprat3009

4y↑5

If i ever feel down or wondering where this country is going, I put this video on and it's better than any drug or speech, especially when i sing along with Del McCory band or dig the back and forth between the clarinet and the violin who obviously are digging each other. Just wonderful!

@cafecreole2003

10y↑26

New Orleans Jazz just makes you happy!!!

@thestoryplease

10y↑3

Abso-lute-ly!

@jrobertsapp

9y↑2

cafecreole2003 Absolutely! Life affirming.

@melaniewoody9772

11y↑22

I'll take this music over some of the stuff that's made today. What an AWESOME performance.

@DanielCPurdy

3y↑2

What a collaboration! Two great bands with such respect for each other.

@grat508

11y↑2

First saw The Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Saturday Night Live in 1976 and they were fantastic then and are still fantastic! :) Keep on making great music!

@63DW89A

5y↑32

Gotta admit this is GREAT. Never thought of mixing Dixieland Jazz and Bluegrass, but WOW does this hit on all cylinders. Absolutely amazing.

@RockStarOscarStern634

3y↑2

Oh yeah, they both have Banjos but they're different.

@BarabooBees

2y↑1

Ya brother!!

@MH-il1lk

2y↑2

Bluegrass has a swing feel similar to Ragtime which is the foundation of Jazz.

@RockStarOscarStern634

26w↑1

@@MH-il1lk In fact both genres have one thing in common, that is the Banjo which you can hear over those horns because back in the good old fashioned Days of Dixieland Jazz, the Guitar wasn't loud enough. So Guitarists got to play 6 string Guitar-Banjos (aka Banjitars).

@BenAllen-sg5cy

22w↑1

Do it agin love it

@aliceelrod8344

5y↑4

This is just wonderful and awesome. Two great genres coming together like that, can’t help but love it.

@LJH70122

12y↑12

I was turned on to the Del McCoury band when they did an album with Steve Earle some years back. Growing up in N.O., I've followed PHJB since the Sweet Emma days. To hear them together is priceless. I personally love Clint Maedgen's voice. Check out some of the stuff he does with his other project, the New Orleans Bingo Show. He does some stuff that is pure old school swamp pop , which he has the perfect voice for.

@peanutlucy1

4y↑2

Great commentary! Love Clint!

@ebbiedaiz4224

4y↑3

Great Duo band love the Saxplayers voice

@erinhowett3630

2y↑1

His name is Clint Maedgen and he's awesome.

@christopher-ke9nj

24w

God brilliant guys

@mikosoft

10y↑14

The tuba player just rocks. The whole performance is so good it could hardly go any better but the tuba player just notches it up a little.

@NobodysHome1974

9y↑8

mikosoft You mean the dude with the epic fro? Yeah, that's Ben Jaffe, the Creative Director of Preservation Hall. He's also a living legacy and quite a visionary (and one of the nicest guys ever). Google a history of Preservation Hall, it's really interesting. :-)

@Marathonracer

8y↑8

+mikosoft Ben Jaffe is the son of Allan and Barbara Jaffe who bought Preservation Hall and turned it from an art gallery with some jazz nights into a legendary music hall in 1961 to preserve the legacy of traditional New Orleans music and give the original creators jobs and a permanent place to play. Allan also created the first of many Preservation Hall Jazz Bands and played tuba with them, leading them in tours all over the world. Luckily , Ben has carried on the tradition for the family. There are videos showing the original Preservation Hall Jazz Bands with Allan playing an awesome tuba and dancing with that sousaphone even more than Ben does.

@janerikbrekke8731

mikosoft

Alp

E

@LJH70122

5y↑2

mikosoft That’s Ben Jaffe. His father founded Preservation Hall in 1961 to preserve the traditional New Orleans Jazz. Ben is the creative director and he’s the brains behind these collaborations they’ve been doing with other artists in recent years.

@bomaniigloo

2y↑1

Sousaphone

@eliotguerin192

This is the spirit of American music.

@tombstoneslim7070

Small taste of Heaven…can’t wait to get there!! Love it!!

@CoachAwsum

12y↑4

That is *bleepin* awesome. Two of my favorite genres thrown in to a big bubblin stew pot, and cooked to melodic perfection, and served up with cornbread. That was amazin. :)

@DantheToonMan

5y↑2

Best band combo ever.
Dixieland Jazz and Bluegrass go together like PB and J

@loco_beaner1995

I saw this band live in New Orleans five years ago they are some of the best oldest musicians alive today.

@timtwoface

13y

I saw these guys live in New Orleans at Preservation Hall on July 13 and then, just a week later once I had travelled on to Nashville towards the end of my trip, I caught them on Letterman - it was awesome, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them both live and then on TV later. :)

@jjkcharlie

11y↑6

Now that's Dixieland string band ever if I heard it. Two distinctively american musics from down south. Crazy good.

@robertduis6730

Fantastic Voices! Fantastic Musicians! Super Performance! 10 out of 10!

@cintarocko5095

2y↑2

That man can really sing

@MoopowerX

10y↑6

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!

@kdobermeyer9022

Awesome music by both bands, blessings to all of you musicians

@RockStarOscarStern634

2y↑1

This certainly combines elements from Bluegrass, & Jazz (both old & new w/ Guitar & Banjo).

@lumaz71

12y↑1

beautiful, simply beautiful.

@livingaragtimelife

6y↑3

MORE!!

@chrisray3890

32w

Tears. Everything is gonna be alright

@pollobollo27

13y↑4

i'm happy because there are great musicians alive, yet , sorry for my bad english im from mexico

@brucerows

4y↑1

You, like many people from Mexico, write English better than our current president (Trump)!!

@MaryannaChanteuse

6y↑3

Très belle leçon de groove dans ce New Orleans Jazz exceptionnel !!

@javelinjohnson9669

2y↑2

I love big band jazz music because everyone seems to be playing their own song yet somehow they all amount to one consistent song. It’s not so much like classical where the orchestra all follow the same/similar notes. I love and appreciate both

@RockStarOscarStern634

26w↑1

RIP Charlie Daniels, this one's for you.

@liljanai77

11y

oh yeah....just saw these folk on Austin City Limits and had to see more! Great stuff!

@segardin

10y↑2

This is was awesome!

@SenorPescadorJohnson

10y↑4

great combination

@theoldanarchist

Stunning.

@cdeleskiyt

13y↑2

Del McCoury & his band have great voices which blend together beautifully. It is just a different style. Not my taste, but definitely fabulous talent. Personally I love the singing styles of Clint Maedgen from PHJB. Del McCoury must like him too cause from what I've learned he has worked with PHJB (including Clint Maedgen) many times. I think it's pretty cool. I never heard of him til I saw the Preservation Hall Jazz Band live several wks ago. Fantastic. One of the best shows I have ever seen.

@johnde2533

11y

Man, These Guys ROCK!!!!

@merlehouse782

44w↑1

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🎉

@jjkcharlie

11y

I'm buying that album for sure.

@michaelstephens6777

this is so great

@blizzrd24

11y

PRAISE THE LORD!!!! So much soul

@allerdyce

11y

amazing players. these guys know how to do jazz right. Their new album is incredible

@Aniando

12y

How I love this great music. Aniando Sweden

@califgirl12

10y

so good!

@eiramllaeb6787

I loveeeeee it!!

@phillipsjc

7y↑1

How cool is this?!

@dmcilree

13y

Agree! Apart of from that, however, the combination of the two bands is amazing! I saw The Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Jazz Standard a few years ago and they had the house rockin'. Not sure that that small venue could have contained both bands - - but what a treat to hear them perform together.

@louisedawson7272

11y

Heaven!

@13option

11y↑2

meichards19... i was in the front row at that show, 3-19-11. insane! ronnie mccoury and charlie gabriel are pretty much the best mandolin and clarinet players on the planet. and maedgen absolutely brought down the house with this tune - which had twice as much soloing and a much longer, more energetic ending from maedgen than the clip shown above. that was truly one of the best shows in the history of music. BTW, is it just me or does letterman look like carol o'connorr but with a redder face?

@WBond-fr4ys

10y

Love the tuba.

@Sirchud68

11y↑1

Liquidrone forever!

@louisedawson7272

11y↑1

You can buy that full version with the great ending on iTunes. Search Del McCourty I'll Fly Away and choose the American Legacies version. 99 cents.

@agathelili6850

10y↑3

superbe, superbe

@BarabooBees

2y↑1

Somebody explain how it gets better than this? I've seen both bands in person....but never together.....I'll fly away...

@christopherwilliams5912

That smile on Dell's face says it all!

@joematejkovic4504

11y

That's about the best damn thing ever!

@SprainRidgeAutumn

10y

Awesome!

@jayturbo5181

8y↑6

I can't believe people are being critical of this.. This is fantastic.. Two giants of their genres coming together..Amazing stuff..

@cafecreole2003

Those people are very unhappy with themselves and their life ... they should spend their energy bettering themselves instead of putting people down.

@jacksprat3009

Yeah some folks are depressed and won't let it go. Let it go bro' and you too can fly away!

@landodez7068

6y↑3

Dedicate this to the late Mr. Tom Benson rest easy

@louisedawson7272

11y

As they say in NOLA, "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Please let them play again!"

@davidhopkins1786

Albert Brumley is smiling down on this one.

@RockStarOscarStern634

2y↑1

This is that sound Tuba skinny is also known for

@edwardfuchs4616

Great music such as this has no color. Del - thanks.

@voliteon

11y

Nice :)

@MartiniMan

8y↑1

An odd combination - PHJB and folk singers. But then again, traditional jazz is a sort of folk music.

@jayturbo5181

8y↑3

dangeorges : Not "folk singers".. Bluegrass artists.. It has a long tradition.. Del and the boys are some of the finest pickers in the business..

@TheGel69

interesting combo

@pfrizzle1019

9y↑16

I have been to New Orleans a hundred times and never heard a band this good.. All I have experienced is really smelly streets, witnessed street fights, and been offered drugs at random.. But then again it's a party city.

@cafecreole2003

+Paul Andrews It all depends on the time of year you go....Pres Hall Band is there just need to check their schedule and then there is the Jazz Festival.

@patrick9445

8y↑10

+Paul Andrews 100's of times and those are your only experiences?!...LOL My advice....get off of Bourbon, away from your convention center and hotel....and see some shows on Frenchman Street....take a trolley to City Park and take pictures at the sculpture garden.....see the amazing old homes and cool vintage clothing stores in the Garden District....or visit the Maple Leaf Bar in Uptown to see a band of this claliber almost any night of the week. Talk to the locals and see where they like to go.....none of them will say Bourbon Street. Get out of the cesspool that is the French Quarter and actually see the city before you leave stupid comments.

@uwcb1

8y↑4

Preservation Hall has three shows a night, Frtizel's just down the street has killer music all day/night, and a short walk off Bourbon to Frenchmaen St you'll find DBA, Spotted Cat, etc. We found all that our first day. Hope you get to see more next trip!

@christopherwilliams5912

8y↑7

P.S. My cousin is playing on Trumpet!

@jennifercharris

i LOVE Mark! He's got a big fan from Toronto!

1 More Replies...

@thestoryplease

10y↑3

If this don't put the vinegar in your pickle, you're in need of a transplant PDQ! Man A-LIVE!

@donestes831

11y

A great group, playing their ass off, and giving you there soul and all you can comment on is his mustache. what the hell?????????????

@myasmindandbodymeditation2694

still.

@RockStarOscarStern634

3y↑1

RIP Charlie Daniels

@nehemiahgaines1995

11y↑2

If you don't like don't watch it I don't like negative comments

@RockStarOscarStern634

3y↑2

I can hear the Banjo over those Brass Horns cause the Plastic Drum head is acting like a Loud Amplifier. In the Big Band era Guitarists used 6 String Guitar Banjos to compete with the Brass Horns.

@SunbearBluesBand

3y↑1

One thing wrong here ... it's too short, much too short ;)

@ericfshook

33w

Bet y'all didn't know both were always jazz.

@babalooieb.3253

11y

Maybe you need to watch again a little more closely.

@andyroo_jon

11y

i liked the bluegrass version better in this video

@Music--ng8cd

30w

Needs more cowbell

@MartiniMan

8y↑2

Great band, but what the HELL is the singer sayin'? Can't understand a word he's singing.

@merryprankstermatt

8y↑4

definitely has that bluesy jazzy groove to his voice tough to pick apart haha. If you listen to this kind of thing a lot it gets easier.... Dr. John, never could understand him lol, now it's easy. IDK it grows on you haha

@livingaragtimelife

One glad morning when this day is over / I'll fly away / To a home on God's Celestial shore / I'll fly away

@danielgarnett9192

If you weren’t a goddamn heathen and had ever been to church you’d know the words!

@JonSayzRice

13y

@pollobollo27 bad english? you probably write better than half the english-speaking community on the internet

@TheProudPortugese1

12y

seriously, a black man should have sung this

@jeffweiler9382

Interesting idea. Why a black person especially? FWIW, it is a song written by a white person lodged strongly in a white gospel tradition.

@danielueblacker9118

write your own songs and don't mess with a standard

@TheProudPortugese1

11y

None of the black guys sung, I don't know what you guys r talking about

@jacquesuntel5401

Just sing it straight. The new style of "singing" sounds like the artist can't find the note.

@mcreaper5158

5y↑1

"new"

@jamesreid3336

13w

It's called singing with heart and apparently you have no heart. I loved it all da way

@angus7278

11y

The band sounds good, but that first singer - not so much.

@davidnhc7

11y

Hard to take them seriously with that terrible mustache on the lead singer

@cottonpatch2000

lead vocal is unbearable.

@JasonUmbrellabird

9y↑2

That first singer is awful.

@jrobertsapp

9y↑7

rugshort First singer is amazing. Sings in the Dixieland tradition.

@JasonUmbrellabird

9y↑2

Rob Sapp Alright. He can sing.

@KylesWorld2.0

He is singing out of his range, and getting gritty to do it, vocally that's not sustainable for a lifetime.

@Marathonracer

8y↑4

+Kyle Pett Clint Maedgen is not singing out of his range at all. You don't understand jazz singing, which intentionally tries to imitate the whole range of sounds of the instruments and that's also Clint's natural singing voice. He's also singing with great "SOUL", which is the heart of New Orleans traditional jazz.

And yes, it certainly IS sustainable for a lifetime. My parents ( both classical musicians) said something similarly ridiculous about Brenda Lee , "Little Miss Dynamite" , early in her career, because of something very creative but difficult she did with her throat, even though they liked her singing. They didn't recognize that it was natural for her and wasn't the strain they thought it was. I told them to watch her career and see how long her voice lasts and Brenda NEVER lost her voice and got nothing but raves for her unique singing.

@patrick9445

+rugshort And I am sure your singing voice would make angels cry. Troll
Nevermind that...between the two of you.....who is a touring musician..and who is a youtube commenter? Now with that in mind....why should anyone give a shit what you think?

4 More Replies...

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