Drift away

Drift away

Judson Spence

Drift Away” was released on 6 October 1989. It was written by Mentor Williams.

“Drift Away” is a cover of the song of the same name originally performed by John Henry Kurtz but best known for a cover performed by Dobie Gray.

The lyrics of this song speaks about how music can help one to cope with stress in their life. Due to this lyrical theme, four years later after John Henry Kurtz’s original rendition, in 1976, the British singer-songwriter John Miles wrote a song with similar theme on his power ballad “Music” (from his studio album Rebel). It was his biggest hit single in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom but failed to match the same success as of the primary song “Drift Away” on Billboard’s Hot 100 because the song “Drift Away” peaked at #5 there while the song “Music” peaked at #88 due to this song lasts at nearly six minutes (when Cinderella’s Soft Rock ballad “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” peaked at #12, it lasts at 5:59).

Later, in 2003, Uncle Kracker (with Dobie Gray) covered the song “Drift Away” with a renewed popularity. It is one of the most covered songs of all time with over 50 covers (including here is Judson Spence’s rendition).