Wings of a Dove (Bob Ferguson song)
| "Wings of a Dove" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ferlin Husky | ||||
| B-side | "Next to Jimmy" | |||
| Released | July 1960 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Ferguson | |||
| Producer(s) | Ken Nelson | |||
| Ferlin Husky singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Wings of a Dove' is a country song written by Bob Ferguson in 1958. "Wings of a Dove" was most popular when it was recorded by Ferlin Husky in 1960. The Ferlin Husky recording went to number one on the country charts for 10 nonconsecutive weeks.[1] It was Ferlin Husky's third and final number one on the country chart, spending nine months on the chart. "Wings of a Dove" was successful on the pop charts, as well, peaking at number 12 on the Hot 100.[2] In 1987, Broadcast Music Incorporated awarded Ferguson with the "million air" plays for the "Wings of a Dove".
The song alludes to several passages from the Christian Bible about doves sent by the Lord, including a verse about God sending Noah a dove during the flood in Genesis 8:6-12. Dolly Parton's and Porter Wagoner's cover versions[3] include a verse not in the original,[4] referring to another passage about a dove in Matthew 3:16 where "After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him."
Chart performance
| Chart (1960–61) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot C&W Sides | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
Covers
The song has also been covered by many artists, including Bonnie Guitar, The Jordanaires, George Jones, Hal Ketchum, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs and the Whites, The Wilders, and Jim Witter, among others. Nanci Griffith and Lucinda Williams recorded a duet version of the song for Griffith's album Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful). Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn covered the song on their 1993 album Honky Tonk Angels.
Film
- Robert Duvall sang the tune in the 1983 movie Tender Mercies. The movie's soundtrack included a version sung by Duvall and Gail Youngs.
- A version of the song by Point of Grace appeared on the 2002 soundtrack of the movie Joshua.[5]
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 166.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 296.
- ^ Cover versions of "Wings of a Dove" by Dolly Parton | SecondHandSongs
- ^ "Wings Of A Dove lyrics" - FERLIN HUSKY
- ^ Most Popular Titles With Soundtracks Matching "Wings of a Dove" accessed May 22, 2011
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- 1960 singles
- Gospel songs
- Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles
- Nanci Griffith songs
- Ferlin Husky songs
- Hal Ketchum songs
- Loretta Lynn songs
- Dolly Parton songs
- Songs written by Bob Ferguson (musician)
- Song recordings produced by Ken Nelson (United States record producer)
- 1958 songs
- Capitol Records singles
- 1960s country song stubs