About The Song
“Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” is a song written and performed by Willie Nelson, released in 1980 on the soundtrack album for the film Honeysuckle Rose on Columbia Records. The track was also included as a bonus on the 2003 reissue of Nelson’s 1980 album Family Bible. Released as a single in January 1981, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on March 14, 1981, and charted for 15 weeks. The 4:29 track is a tender ballad about a fleeting love, with lyrics like: “If you had not have fallen / Then I would not have found you / Angel flying too close to the ground.”
Nelson wrote the song in 1980 specifically for Honeysuckle Rose, a film in which he starred as Buck Bonham, a country singer balancing fame and family. The song was recorded in 1979 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Nelson and Chips Moman. The session featured The Family band, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Jody Payne on guitar, and Bobbie Nelson on piano, alongside a string section arranged by Moman. The arrangement is minimalist, emphasizing Nelson’s acoustic guitar and Raphael’s harmonica, creating a melancholic tone. The Honeysuckle Rose soundtrack peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 1 million copies by 1982, earning platinum certification from the RIAA.
The song was inspired by Nelson’s role in the film, where his character grapples with love and loss, mirroring the song’s narrative. Nelson recorded it during a break in filming, capturing the emotional weight of the story. In a 1981 interview with Country Music magazine, Nelson said: “I wrote it thinking about Buck’s journey—it felt like it belonged in that moment.” The track was performed live in the film during a concert scene, adding authenticity to Nelson’s acting debut. Its success as a single helped boost the film’s visibility, which grossed over $17 million at the box office.
Covers of the song include a 1983 version by Bob Dylan, recorded during sessions for his album Infidels but released later on the 1991 compilation The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3. Other renditions include a 2000 take by Alison Krauss on Forget About It and a 2018 version by Lukas Nelson, Willie’s son, on King of the Road, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1981 Austin City Limits episode was released on the 2006 album Live at Austin City Limits. The song appeared in the 1998 film Primary Colors, used in a scene depicting a political campaign’s emotional undercurrent.
Nelson frequently performed “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” at his Fourth of July Picnics, including a 1981 event in Atlanta, Georgia, where he played it with Emmylou Harris. A 1997 duet with Patty Griffin was recorded for the album Stars & Guitars, released in 2002. The song was featured at Farm Aid 1990, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and included in a 2019 documentary, Willie Nelson: Songs from the Heart, aired on PBS, exploring his songwriting process. The track remains a fan favorite, often performed acoustically in Nelson’s later shows.
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Lyric
If you had not have fallen
Then I would not have found you
Angel flying too close to the ground
And I patched up your broken wing
And hung around a while
Tried to keep your spirits up
And your fever downI knew someday that you would fly away
For love’s the greatest healer to be found
So leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the groundFly on, fly on past the speed of sound
I’d rather see you up
Than see you down
So leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground