About The Song
“Uncloudy Day” is a gospel song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 1976 on his album The Troublemaker on Columbia Records. The song, credited to Josiah K. Alwood, was originally written in 1879 after Alwood witnessed a striking sky following a storm, inspiring its hopeful lyrics about a heavenly reunion: “Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the skies / Oh, they tell me of a home far away.” Nelson’s version, a duet with his sister Bobbie Nelson on piano, was recorded as a bonus track for the album, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in 1976. The album was initially recorded in 1973 but shelved by Atlantic Records before Columbia picked it up.
Nelson recorded “Uncloudy Day” in 1973 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, produced by Arif Mardin. The session featured The Staple Singers on backing vocals, adding a soulful gospel depth, alongside Nelson’s band with Doug Sahm on fiddle and Larry Gatlin on guitar. The arrangement is sparse, emphasizing Bobbie’s piano and Nelson’s tender vocals, contrasting with the album’s more upbeat tracks like “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” The song was released as a single in 1976, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in November that year. Nelson had performed it live since the 1960s, often at church gatherings in Texas, reflecting his early exposure to gospel music through his grandparents.
The song’s inclusion on The Troublemaker came at a pivotal time for Nelson, who was transitioning to Columbia Records with full creative control, a first for him. The album, a gospel concept record, was a risk in the country market but resonated with fans, selling over 500,000 copies by 1977, earning gold certification from the RIAA. “Uncloudy Day” stood out for its emotional sincerity, a quality Nelson often brought to spiritual songs. He later recorded a second version in 1977 with Dyan Cannon for the Honeysuckle Rose soundtrack, though it was a minor track compared to the 1976 release. The song was also performed during Nelson’s 1976 appearance on Austin City Limits, alongside other gospel standards.
“Uncloudy Day” has a long history of covers, notably by The Staple Singers in 1956, whose version inspired Nelson’s take and earned them a Grammy nomination. Other renditions include a 1971 version by The Oak Ridge Boys and a 1982 recording by George Jones on My Very Special Guests, per SecondHandSongs. Nelson’s version gained renewed attention in 1990 when it was used in the film Doc Hollywood, playing during a scene at a county fair. The song was also part of Nelson’s setlist at Farm Aid 1990, his annual benefit concert for farmers, where he dedicated it to rural communities facing economic hardship.
Nelson frequently revisited the song in live performances, including a 1993 duet with Glen Campbell at the Grand Ole Opry, later released on the 2008 album Two Men with the Blues. Its gospel roots made it a favorite at Nelson’s church benefit concerts, such as a 2001 event in Abbott, Texas, raising funds for a local Methodist church. The song was featured in a 2012 documentary, Willie Nelson: The Gospel Truth, exploring his lifelong connection to spiritual music and its influence on his career. “Uncloudy Day” remains a significant part of Nelson’s gospel repertoire, often paired with other hymns in his live sets.
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Lyric
Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the skies
Oh, they tell me of a home far away
Oh, they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh, they tell me of an uncloudy dayOh, the land of cloudless day
Oh, the land of an uncloudy day
Oh, they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh, they tell me of an uncloudy dayOh, they tell me of a home where my friends have gone
Oh, they tell me of that land far away
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance through an uncloudy dayOh, the land of cloudless day
Oh, the land of an uncloudy day
Oh, they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh, they tell me of an uncloudy dayOh, they tell me that He smiles on His children there
And His smile drives their sorrows all away
And they tell me that no tears ever come again
In that lovely land of uncloudy dayOh, the land of cloudless day
Oh, the land of an uncloudy day
Oh, they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
Oh, they tell me of an uncloudy day