Login
Login

Fly Away (Lenny Kravitz song)

{{Short description|1998 single by Lenny Kravitz}}

{{Other uses|Fly Away (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Fly Away

| cover = Lenny_Fly_Away.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Standard non-US artwork

| type = single

| artist = Lenny Kravitz

| album = 5

| B-side = "Believe" (live acoustic)

| released = {{start date|1998|5|11}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

  • Funk rock{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/arts/music/lenny-kravitz-let-love-rule.html|title=How Lenny Kravitz Keeps His Cool|author=Tannenbaum, Rob|date=September 23, 2020|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=July 5, 2021|quote=He’s sold more than 40 million records worldwide, and despite playing throwback music, has released four Top 40 hits, including the gorgeous Philly soul tribute “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over” and the funk-rock stomper “Fly Away.”}}
  • {{nowrap|alternative rock{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/featured/best-alternative-rock-songs-1998/3/|title=The 88 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1998|date=October 25, 2018|magazine=SPIN|accessdate=July 5, 2021}}}}
  • pop rock{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2023/07/lenny-kravitz-bruno-mars-imitated-heroes|title= Lenny on Mars Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=July 15, 2023|access-date=July 23, 2023}}

| length =

  • 3:41 (album version)
  • 3:06 (radio edit)

| label = Virgin

| writer = Lenny Kravitz

| producer = Lenny Kravitz

| prev_title = I Belong to You

| prev_year = 1998

| next_title = American Woman

| next_year = 1999

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|EvuL5jyCHOw|"Fly Away"}}}}

}}

"Fly Away" is a song by American singer Lenny Kravitz. It was released as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, 5 (1998). Released to radio on May 11, 1998, "Fly Away" peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the charts of Iceland and the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top 10 of the charts of several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Performance in 1999.

Background

"Fly Away" emerged from Lenny Kravitz testing an amp that was brought to the studio. After plugging in the available guitar, Kravitz started playing the song, stating, "I was listening to the way different chords were ringing, just moving between A, C, G and D, and the next thing I knew I was telling the engineer to hook up the mics and record."{{cite web|last1=Aledort|first1=Albert|title=Lenny Kravitz: Revolution of the Mind|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/lenny-kravitz-revolution-mind|date=September 22, 2008|website=Guitar World|access-date=July 12, 2019}}

By the time he wrote "Fly Away", Kravitz had already turned in the completed album 5 to Virgin Records, and he considered releasing the song as a b-side. However, after playing the song for a friend, they responded, "If you don’t put it on the album, I’m gonna be so pissed off at you." After Kravitz contacted his label about the inclusion of the song, they were reluctant, but he sent them the song anyway. Upon hearing the track, they added it to the album.{{cite magazine|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|title=Lenny Kravitz: My Life in 15 Songs|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lenny-kravitz-my-life-in-15-songs-733842/|date=October 9, 2018|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=July 12, 2019}}

Critical reception

Birmingham Evening Mail commented, "If you watch TV you'll already be familiar with this—it's the song from the Peugeot TV ad which seems to have rarely been off the screen during the past few weeks. It's about time Kravitz returned to the big time—remember when he sold out the NEC in `91?—and this could see him back in the chart big time.""Single of the Week". Birmingham Evening Mail. February 9, 1999. Retrieved December 1, 2020.

Chart performance

"Fly Away" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped both the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock Tracks charts.

In Canada, "Fly Away" peaked at number three on the Canadian Singles Chart and stayed in the top 20 of the chart for six weeks.

In Iceland, "Fly Away" topped the Íslenski listinn, becoming Kravitz's first number one song on the chart.

In the United Kingdom, "Fly Away" debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming Kravitz's first chart-topping song in Britain. His previous highest-charting song on the UK Singles Chart was "Are You Gonna Go My Way", which peaked at number four in February 1993. The song's success in the United Kingdom is attributed to its appearance on a British television commercial for the Peugeot 206 Supermini car.{{cite web|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1999/week-ending-february-20th-1999|title=Week Ending February 20th 1999|last=Masterton|first=James|author-link=James Masterton|publisher=Chart Watch UK|date=February 14, 1999|access-date=March 11, 2021}}

In Australia and New Zealand, "Fly Away" peaked at number eight on the ARIA Singles Chart and New Zealand Singles Chart respectively, and was certified Gold in both countries.

The song helped to expand the success of his fifth studio album, 5, in Europe and earned Kravitz a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Male Rock Performance at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, his first of four consecutive wins in this category.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/211|title=Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance|publisher=Grammy Awards|access-date=May 10, 2020}}

Music video

The music video for the single was directed by American director Paul Hunter. It features Kravitz and his band playing in a club, surrounded by a crowd dancing to the song, with some of them having fun and others making out. Special effects were added to the video to make it look beat up and grainy. A girl in the crowd is briefly shown topless several times during the video. The video is featured on the DVD for Kravitz's 2000 Greatest Hits album tour edition.

Kravitz also appears in a 2010 video in which he joined the Voice of Praise Choir from the First Baptist Church of Lewisville, Texas, as they performed "Fly Away" on a street in New Orleans.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBgZNINN6MU Lenny Kravitz crashes the VOP Choir in New Orleans for "Fly Away"] YouTube.com. Retrieved January 29, 2013.

Track listings

International CD and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fly Away|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1999|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSCD 141, 7243 8 95645 2 5}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Fly Away|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1999|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSC 141, 7243 8 95549 4 6}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Fly Away|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1998|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=8955492}}

  1. "Fly Away" – 3:41
  2. "Fly Away" (live acoustic) – 4:03
  3. "Believe" (live acoustic) – 5:14

European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fly Away|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1998|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSCDE 141, 7243 8 95548 2 3}}

  1. "Fly Away"
  2. "Believe" (live acoustic)

French CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fly Away|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1998|type=French CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=7243 8 95772 2 8}}

  1. "Fly Away" – 3:41
  2. "Fly Away" (live acoustic) – 4:03

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1998–1999)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|8|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="aus"}}
{{single chart|Austria|11|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|11|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|3|chartid=6987|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="can"}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-02-27.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100|magazine=Music & Media|volume=16|issue=9|page=16|date=February 27, 1999|access-date=January 26, 2020}}

|5

{{single chart|France|56|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Germany|15|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|songid=3823|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2982431#page/n9/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 315 Vikuna 26.3. – 2.4. 1999)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=10|date=March 26, 1999|access-date=July 13, 2018}}

|1

{{single chart|Ireland2|5|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=July 18, 2019}}
scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade){{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1999/week-5|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 5, 1999|language=dutch| publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=March 27, 2023}}

|2

{{single chart|Dutch100|49|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|8|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="nz"}}
{{single chart|Scotland|3|date=19990220|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Sweden|22|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|19|artist=Lenny Kravitz|song=Fly Away|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|UK|1|date=19990220|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="uk"}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|12|artist=Lenny Kravitz|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="hot100"}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|17|artist=Lenny Kravitz|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|8|artist=Lenny Kravitz|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|1|artist=Lenny Kravitz|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="usalt"}}
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=Lenny Kravitz|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="usrock"}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|7|artist=Lenny Kravitz|rowheader=true|access-date=June 3, 2019}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2019)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Poland|61|chartid=2959|year=2019|rowheader=true|access-date=February 4, 2019}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1998)

!Position

scope="row"|US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1998|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=52|page=YE-84|date=December 26, 1998}}

|21

scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)

|39

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1999)

!Position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1999/singles-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1999|publisher=ARIA|access-date=September 7, 2020}}

|52

scope="row" |Brazil (Crowley){{cite web|url=https://maistocadas.mus.br/1999/|title=Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1999|date=April 3, 2018|publisher=Crowley Broadcast Analysis|access-date=January 30, 2022}}

|41

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9952&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9952.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9952|title=RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=June 3, 2019}}

|79

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2000/MM-2000-01-01.pdf|title=Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999|magazine=Music & Media|volume=17|issue=1|page=11|date=January 1, 2000|access-date=February 7, 2020}}

|66

scope="row"|Germany (Media Control){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1999|title=Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1999|publisher=GfK Entertainment|language=de|access-date=April 21, 2018}}

|61

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100|magazine=Music Week|location=London, England|page=27|date=January 22, 2000}}

|50

scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week){{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2000/Music-Week-2000-01-22.pdf#page=53|title=Most Broadcast of 1999: Airplay Top 50|magazine=Music Week|page=31|date=January 22, 2000|access-date=April 24, 2022}}

|34

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1999|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1999|access-date=August 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709044506/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1999|archive-date=July 9, 2009}}

|29

scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-12-25.pdf|title=1999 The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=111|issue=52|page=YE-100|date=December 25, 1999|access-date=April 2, 2020}}

|19

scope="row"|US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-12-25.pdf|title=1999 The Year in Music|magazine=Billboard|volume=111|issue=52|page=YE-90|date=December 25, 1999|access-date=April 2, 2020}}

|5

scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=7|issue=52|page=54|date=December 24, 1999}}

|27

scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)

|11

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1999|access-date=June 3, 2019|refname="auscert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=Lenny Kravitz|title=Fly Away|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1998|certyear=2008|access-date=July 12, 2021|digital=true}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Lenny Kravitz|title=Fly Away|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=2024|access-date=May 6, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Lenny Kravitz|title=Fly Away|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1999|id=1999-03-12|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|refname="nzcert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry |region=Spain|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=2024|artist=Lenny Kravitz|title=Fly Away|accessdate=28 March 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Lenny Kravitz|title=Fly Away|award=Platinum|relyear=1999|certyear=2022|id=2319-1647-1|salesamount=556,000|salesref={{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-chart-flashback-1999-lenny-kravitz-fly-away__32476/|title=Official Chart Flashback 1999: Lenny Kravitz – Fly Away|last=Copsey|first=Rob|date=February 18, 2021|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=February 20, 2021}}|access-date=April 29, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | streaming=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" rowspan="3"|United States

|May 11, 1998

|Active rock radio

|rowspan="4"|Virgin

|{{cite magazine|title=Adds for May 11/12|magazine=Gavin Report|issue=2205|page=45|date=May 8, 1998}}

October 20, 1998

|Contemporary hit radio

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1270|page=76|date=October 16, 1998}}

November 9, 1998

|CD

|

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|February 8, 1999

|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1999/Music-Week-1999-02-06.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=February 6, 1999|access-date=July 16, 2021}}

In popular culture

Internet personality Neil Cicierega made a lyric video of the song with the vocal tracks heavily altered,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t-iFr9q1I8|title=Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away (lyrics)|date=November 13, 2014 |via=YouTube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/8t-iFr9q1I8|archive-date=December 19, 2021|access-date=January 12, 2020}}{{cbignore}} which received coverage from several websites.{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/neil-cicierega-s-lenny-kravitz-cover-has-successfully-g-1798263656|title=Neil Cicierega's Lenny Kravitz cover has successfully gamed Google's algorithms|website=News|date=July 2017 |language=en-us|access-date=January 12, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8gd7ek/why-cant-i-stop-laughing-at-this-lenny-kravitz-parody-video-864|title=Why Can't I Stop Laughing at This Lenny Kravitz Parody Video?|last=Pearl|first=Mike|date=November 19, 2014|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=January 12, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/07/the-top-google-result-for-lenny-kravitz-fly-away-lyrics-is-amazing.html|title=Googling "Lenny Kravitz Fly Away Lyrics" Yields Something Better Than the Lyrics to "Fly Away"|last=Dessem|first=Matthew|date=July 2, 2017|website=Slate Magazine|access-date=January 12, 2020}} The song has also been used in a tourism campaign for The Bahamas, featuring Kravitz who is of Bahamian descent.{{cite press release|url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-marketing-campaign-featuring-lenny-kravitz-invites-travelers-to-fly-away-to-the-bahamas-300792003.html|title= New Marketing Campaign Featuring Lenny Kravitz Invites Travelers to Fly Away to The Bahamas|author=The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism|date=February 8, 2019}}

In August 2024, Kravitz and American rapper Quavo teamed up for a remix of the song, simply titled "Fly". This remix was featured in Fortnite Festival and Madden NFL 25.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/quavo-lenny-kravitz-new-single-fly-1235076908 | title=Quavo and Lenny Kravitz Update 1998 Hit for New Single 'Fly' | magazine=Rolling Stone }}

=Charts=

{{col-begin}}

{{col 2}}

== Weekly charts ==

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for "Fly Away" {{small|(Quavo Remix)}}

! scope="col"| Chart (2024)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Lithuania Airplay (TopHit){{cite web|url=https://tophit.com/chart/top/radio/hits/lt/weekly/20240823-20240829|title=Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Aug 29, 2024|publisher=TopHit|access-date=September 19, 2024}}

| 12

scope="row"| Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100){{cite web|url=https://www.olis.pl/charts/oficjalna-lista-airplay|title=OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay|publisher=OLiS|language=pl|access-date=October 21, 2024|type=Select week 12.10.2024–18.10.2024.}}

| 39

scope="row"| San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50){{cite web |url=https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/radio/radio-san-marino/top-50-ascoltare |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923133144/https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/radio/radio-san-marino/top-50-ascoltare |archive-date=2024-09-23 |title=Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 23/09/2024|language=it |publisher=San Marino RTV |date=September 23, 2024 |access-date=September 23, 2024}}

| 27

{{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|36|artist=Quavo|rowheader=true|access-date=November 3, 2024}}

{{col 2}}

==Monthly charts==

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Monthly chart performance for "Fly Away" {{small|(Quavo Remix)}}

! scope="col"| Chart (2024)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Lithuania Airplay (TopHit){{cite web|url=https://tophit.com/chart/top/radio/hits/lv/monthly/202409|title=Top Radio Hits Lithuania Monthly Chart: September 2024|publisher=TopHit|access-date=October 6, 2024}}

| 56

{{col-end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Lenny Kravitz singles}}

{{NBA on NBC}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1998 singles

Category:1998 songs

Category:Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance

Category:Lenny Kravitz songs

Category:Music videos directed by Paul Hunter (director)

Category:Number-one singles in Iceland

Category:Song recordings produced by Lenny Kravitz

Category:Songs written by Lenny Kravitz

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles

Category:Virgin Records singles