I tried to drink it away
I tried to put one in the air
I tried to dance it away
I tried to change it with my hair

I ran my credit card bill up
Thought a new dress would make it better
I tried to work it away
But that just made me even sadder
I tried to keep myself busy
I ran around in circles
Think I made myself dizzy
I slept it away, I sexed it away
I read it away

Away
Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away

Well, it's like cranes in the sky
Sometimes I don't wanna feel those metal clouds
Yeah it's like cranes in the sky
Sometimes I don't wanna feel those metal clouds

I tried to run it away
Thought then my head be feeling clearer
I traveled seventy states
Thought moving 'round make me feel better

I tried to let go my lover
Thought if I was alone then maybe I could recover
To write it away or cry it away (don't you cry, baby)

Away
Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away

But it's like cranes in the sky
Sometimes I don't wanna feel those metal clouds
Yeah, it's like cranes in the sky
Sometimes I don't wanna feel those metal

Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away

Overall Meaning

In Solange's song Cranes In the Sky, we hear her trying to escape from her feelings of sadness and despair by engaging in various activities such as drinking, smoking, shopping, and even changing her hairstyle. However, none of these activities provide the desired relief, and instead only make her feel worse. She even tries to distance herself from her lover, hoping that being alone will help her recover, but this too proves unsuccessful.

Throughout the song, Solange uses the metaphor of a crane in the sky to represent the heavy weight of her emotions. The metal cloud of emotions hangs over her head, making it difficult for her to move on or find happiness. The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness and frustration in the face of emotional pain, and suggest that sometimes the only way to deal with it is to simply accept it and let it pass.

Overall, "Cranes in the Sky" is a powerful and poignant song that speaks to the universal experience of grappling with difficult emotions. Solange's raw and honest lyrics capture the complexity of this struggle, while her soulful vocals and haunting melodies make the emotion behind them palpable.

Line by Line Meaning

I tried to drink it away
I attempted to consume alcohol in order to forget my problems

I tried to put one in the air
I attempted to smoke marijuana in order to forget my problems

I tried to dance it away
I attempted to dance in order to forget my problems

I tried to change it with my hair
I attempted to change my physical appearance in order to forget my problems

I ran my credit card bill up
I spent excessively in order to forget my problems, leading to a high balance on my credit card bill

Thought a new dress would make it better
I mistakenly believed that buying a new dress would make me feel better

I tried to work it away
I attempted to work excessively in order to forget my problems

But that just made me even sadder
In fact, working excessively only made me feel worse

I tried to keep myself busy
I attempted to keep myself occupied in order to forget my problems

I ran around in circles
I did lots of things but nothing productive, leading to a feeling of being stuck in place

Think I made myself dizzy
I did so much running around and keeping busy that it made me feel physically disoriented

I slept it away, I sexed it away
I attempted to either sleep excessively or engage in sexual activity in order to forget my problems

I read it away
I attempted to read excessively in order to forget my problems

Well, it's like cranes in the sky
My inability to forget my problems is like cranes in the sky, constantly present and weighing me down

Sometimes I don't wanna feel those metal clouds
Sometimes I wish I didn't have to feel so weighed down and burdened by my problems

I tried to run it away
I attempted to run away from my problems physically

Thought then my head be feeling clearer
I believed that running away would give me clarity of mind

I traveled seventy states
I traveled excessively in order to run away from my problems

Thought moving 'round make me feel better
I thought that constantly moving and changing my environment would make me feel better

I tried to let go my lover
I attempted to let go of my romantic partner in order to forget my problems

Thought if I was alone then maybe I could recover
I believed that being alone would allow me to recover from my problems

To write it away or cry it away (don't you cry, baby)
I attempted to either write excessively or cry excessively in order to forget my problems

Sometimes I don't wanna feel those metal clouds
Often, I wish I could escape the weight of my problems

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Solange Knowles, Troy Johnson, Raphael Saadiq

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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