“Midnight Flyer” is a song written by Paul Craft, a Nashville songwriter with a gift for material that bridged country and bluegrass. It was introduced on record in 1972 by the Osborne Brothers, the Ohio-based bluegrass act, and became one of their notable hits.
The lyric is a train song of escape and heartbreak — a jilted lover calling on the midnight flyer to carry him away from a place and a love gone wrong. Its rolling rhythm and plain, aching story made it an immediate favorite.
The song crossed well beyond bluegrass: the Eagles recorded it on their 1974 album “On the Border,” introducing it to a rock audience.
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