One of the outstanding songs of 2021 is Allison Russell’s “Nightflyer.” During some of the dark days of the pandemic, it was a comforting and powerful song of confronting dark days and going forward.
Allison Russell, who is French Canadian and lives in Nashville, released the album Outside Child, which includes “Nightflyer,” to wide acclaim in 2021. This solo debut followed her work with her husband and songwriting partner JT Nero called Birds Of Chicago.
In “Nightflyer,” the singer addresses her abuse and sings of her hope and resilience: “His soul is trapped in that room; /But I crawled back in my mother’s womb,/ Came back out with my gold and my greens, / Now I see everything.” The song is a powerful statement, inspired by Russell’s own journey in becoming a mother.
I’m the moon’s dark side, I’m the solar flare,
The child of the earth, the child of the air;
I am the mother of the evening star;
I am the love that conquers all;
Yeah, I’m a midnight rider,
Stone bonafide night flyer;
I’m an angel of the morning too,
The promise that the dawn will bring you.
The rhythm and structure of the song echoes he gnostic poem “The Thunder: Perfect Mind,” which Russell read when she was sixteen and which stayed with her. Having suffered trauma, including an abusive stepfather, Russell has explained: I’ve been meditating on the nature of resilience, endurance, and grace more deeply since becoming a mother. I was trying to bridge the divide and embrace shame and my inner divinity equally with this piece.”
While the background gives some additional depth to the song, “Nightflyer” flies on its own wings even if you do not know anything about the inspirations. Check it out.
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