Patsy Cline Lent Her Angelic Voice to “Life’s Railway to Heaven”

From 1957 to 1960, Patsy Cline recorded a number of tunes that carry the sonic route the country icon and her producer, Owen Bradley, made over the course of their brief yet intense collaboration. This includes her cover of the gospel standard, “Life’s Railway to Heaven.”

With her angelic voice, Patsy Cline summed life up while thanking the Blessed Savior for the never-ending guidance until “we reach that blissful shore, where the angels wait to join us in Thy praise forevermore.”

Cline’s divine voice reverberated across the notes in a way only she could sing, bringing with it a sound that can’t easily be forgotten. Making it even more stand out was tasty guitar playing by Hank Garland, one of country music’s most respected session guitarists. 

Other songs by Patsy Cline recorded during the period were the alternate version of “Yes, I Understand,” as well as cover versions of “Just Out of Reach” and “Stop the World (And Let Me Off).” It was then compiled and released in 1965 – two years after she was killed in a tragic airplane crash near Camden, Tennessee – in an album called, Here’s Patsy Cline. 

She Truly Knows How To Choose A Great Song

The verses to “Life’s Railway to Heaven” was believed to be written by renowned poet Eliza R Snow. In 1918, Baptist preacher M.E. Abbey added the chorus while Charles D Tillman supplied the music. However, when they filed a copyright on the song, Snow’s contribution was omitted.

Many years later, “Life’s Railway to Heaven” became one of the best songs Cline has ever covered.

It has also since been recorded by a seemingly endless number of artists throughout the years, including The Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Brad Paisley. Meanwhile, Willie Nelson dubbed his voice into Cline’s version to form a duet.

Anyway, make sure to listen to Patsy Cline’s “Life’s Railway to Heaven” by playing the video below. It truly is a chilling cover that could blow everyone away.