Spirit in the Sky

Original version by Norman Greenbaum

"Spirit in the Sky" makes several religious references to Jesus, though Greenbaum himself is Jewish. In a 2006 interview with The New York Times, Greenbaum told a reporter he was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner singing a gospel song on TV. Greenbaum said: "I thought, 'Yeah, I could do that,' knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song. It came easy. I wrote the words in 15 minutes." Greenbaum had previously been a member of Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, a jug band that performed psychedelic music. When they split up, he won a solo contract with producer Erik Jacobsen for Reprise Records. Jacobsen had previously worked with the Lovin' Spoonful.

Greenbaum first arranged the song for an acoustic jug band; then he tried a folk version and then a Delta blues style, but none of these were satisfactory. Under Jacobsen's direction, the song started to gel at Coast Recorders studio on Bush Street in San Francisco, with Jacobsen's chosen session players Russell DaShiell on guitar, Doug Killmer from the band Crowfoot on bass, and drummer Norman Mayell from the band Sopwith Camel. Greenbaum used a Fender Telecaster guitar with a fuzz-tone circuit built into the body to generate the song's characteristic guitar sound. Jacobsen finally brought in the Stovall Sisters (Joyce, Lillian, and Netta) from Oakland to support the song with gospel hand percussion and vocal stylings, joined by additional singers.

The resulting sound was an "oddly good and compelling" blues, Music historian Simon Reynolds has referred to the sound of "Spirit in the Sky" as "proto-glam".

The song received criticism from some Christians for including the lines, "Never been a sinner/I've never sinned/I got a friend in Jesus", as most Christian views on sin state that "there is no one who has never sinned". Greenbaum had explained that because he was not a Christian, he had been unaware of that when he wrote the song. In an interview with American Songwriter, he said, "I did flub it I guess, cause if I was a Christian and was writing from that mindset, I would have said, 'I've been a sinner' .... But since I didn't have that upbringing, it never occurred to me that it was wrong." While some Christian artists have recorded the song using Greenbaum's original lyrics, others have changed those lines, such as DC Talk, who instead sang, "You know I've been a sinner/We've all sinned".

Later albums and singles by Greenbaum were not embraced by the market. By the 1980s, Greenbaum had abandoned his music career and worked as a sous-chef and restaurant kitchen manager.

The song was reworked by Doctor and the Medics in June 1986, achieving chart success in the UK. This cover version was heard in the 1987 film Maid to Order, catalyzing renewed media interest in the original song.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Doctor and the Medics version

| B-side = Laughing at the Pieces

• neo-psychedelia
• new wave

In June 1986, Doctor and the Medics reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with their version of "Spirit in the Sky", spending three weeks at the top. In New Zealand, the song reached No. 2 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, while in Canada, it peaked at No. 1 and was the fifth-highest-selling single of 1986 according to RPM magazine. The song has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Gareth Gates version

| B-side =

• "Dance Again"
• "Will You Wait for Me?"
• 19
• S
• RCA
• BMG "Spirit in the Sky" was the first single from Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates's second studio album, Go Your Own Way. The single was released on March 10, 2003, and was the official Comic Relief charity single for 2003. The song features guest vocals from the Kumars. The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Gates' fourth number-one single. Gates' version has been certified platinum by BPI in the UK.

Track listings

UK CD1

1. "Spirit in the Sky" (with the Kumars)
2. "Dance Again"
3. "Spirit in the Sky"
4. "Spirit in the Sky" (video)

UK CD2

1. "Spirit in the Sky" (with the Kumars)
2. "Will You Wait for Me?"
3. Interview with Gareth Gates

UK cassette single

1. "Spirit in the Sky" (with the Kumars)
2. "Dance Again"
3. "Will You Wait for Me?"

UK DVD single

1. "Spirit in the Sky" (video)
2. Making of "Spirit in the Sky" (video)
3. "Dance Again" (video)
4. Interview with the Kumars (video)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Other versions

A version by Dorothy Combs Morrison reached No. 99 on Billboard's Hot 100 in October 1970, and No. 47 in Canada during November of that same year.

References

References

1. Koda, Cub. "John Lee Hooker: Boogie Chillen' – Review".
2. Leeuwis, Jermy. "Jason Mraz – Spirit In The Sky". MusicRemedy.
3. Casalena, Em. (November 1, 2024). "4 Hidden Gems From the World of One-Hit Rock Wonders".
4. Unterberger, Richie. "Spirit in the Sky on Allmusic". Rovi Corporation.
5. McNichol, Tom. (December 24, 2006). "A 'Spirit' From the '60s That Won't Die". The New York Times.
6. "Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum {{!}} Billboard The Hot 100 Chart".
7. [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970]]
8. Greene, Andy. (May 4, 2011). "Poll: Top 10 One-Hit Wonders".
9. Armstrong, Sam. (2025-06-30). "Norman Greenbaum’s 'Spirit in the Sky' Gets Official Video".
10. (2022). "One-Hit Wonders: An Oblique History of Popular Music". Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
11. Goldberg, Michael. (September 10, 1987). "Sopwith Camel: Where Are They Now?".
12. (2000). "Lennon Remembers: New Edition". Verso.
13. (2016). "Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy". Faber & Faber.
14. (February 24, 2022). "One-Hit Wonders: An Oblique History of Popular Music". Bloomsbury Academic.
15. (2013). "Norman Greenbaum, "Spirit In The Sky"".
16. Davis, Sharon. (2012). "Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies". Random House.
17. (July 18, 1970). "Hits of the World".
18. "Australia n°1 Hits - 70's". Worldcharts.co.uk.
19. "Spirit in the sky in Canadian Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada.
20. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 9, 1970".
21. "Norman Greenbaum Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)".
22. "Norman Greenbaum Chart History (Digital Song Sales)".
23. [http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ David Kent's "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992"] {{webarchive. link. (March 5, 2016)
24. (July 17, 2013). "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
25. "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970".
26. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 26, 1970".
27. (April 26, 1986). "New Singles".
28. Mills, Ted. "Laughing at the Pieces review on Allmusic". Rovi Corporation.
29. Sutton, Michael. "Doctor & the Medics biography on Allmusic". Rovi Corporation.
30. Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992". Australian Chart Book.
31. (November 15, 1986). "Hits of the World: Canada".
32. (August 2, 1986). "European Hot 100 Singles".
33. (August 2, 1986). "Top 3 in Europe".
34. (September 13, 1986). "Billboard Hot 100".
35. (September 27, 1986). "Dance Club Songs".
36. (December 1986). "National Top 100 Singles for 1986".
37. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1986".
38. "Top 100 Singles of '86".
39. (December 27, 1986). "Hot 100 of the Year 1986".
40. "End of Year Charts 1986". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
41. (January 24, 1987). "Top 100 Singles".
42. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1986". [[GfK Entertainment]].
43. (March 8, 2003). "New Releases – For Week Starting 10 March 2003: Singles".
44. (2003). "Spirit in the Sky". [[19 Recordings]], [[Syco Music.
45. (2003). "Spirit in the Sky". 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG.
46. (2003). "Spirit in the Sky". 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG.
47. (2003). "Spirit in the Sky". 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG.
48. (April 5, 2003). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
49. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2003".
50. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2003". [[GfK Entertainment]].
51. (2003). "Top 100 Songs of 2003". [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]].
52. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2003". [[MegaCharts]].
53. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2003". [[UKChartsPlus]].
54. "The Hot 100 Chart".
55. [http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3723.pdf title RPM Magazine]