REO Speedwagon · 1978 · Behind the Songs
“Time for Me to Fly” is a song about leaving, but it is not a sad song.
“Time for Me to Fly” is a song about leaving, but it is not a sad song. It is about knowing when it is time to go, and finding the courage to do it with hope rather than bitterness. Kevin Cronin sings it with a warmth that makes the goodbye feel like a beginning.
Released in 1978 on the album You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish and as a single that year, the song was written by Cronin. It became one of the band’s early radio favorites and a staple of their live shows, long before Hi Infidelity made them stars. Its gentle opening gives way to a soaring chorus, and the whole record has the feeling of wings catching air.
The song’s appeal lies in its universality. Everyone has faced a moment when staying is easier, but leaving is right — a job, a town, a relationship, a version of yourself that no longer fits. Cronin’s lyric does not preach about that moment. It simply honors it, and the melody lifts it into something hopeful.
Listen to it when you need to move forward. It is a companion for departures, and a reminder that flying, even when it is scary, can also be freeing.