Blackbird
C.S.N.& Y. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
The lyrics of the song "Blackbird" by CSNY speak to a sense of alienation and longing. The singer expresses feelings of isolation and mistrust, suggesting that no one around them can "love or understand" them. The line "Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me" conveys a sense of weariness and frustration with the well-meaning but ultimately unhelpful attempts of others to comfort and console.
In the chorus, the singer announces their departure - "Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low / Bye, bye, blackbird" - suggesting a desire to escape the constraints and difficulties of their current situation. While the singer acknowledges that there is someone waiting for them at their destination, the lyric "No one here can love or understand me" emphasizes the sense of distance and disconnection that the singer feels in their current surroundings.
The final lines of the song, "Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight / Blackbird, bye, bye," suggest that the singer is leaving behind a place that has become untenable, and heading towards a new destination where they hope to find greater understanding and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
No one here can love or understand me
I feel misunderstood and unloved by those around me. They do not comprehend who I am or the reasons for my actions.
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Those who are unable to love or understand me constantly offer stories of their own misfortunes in an attempt to relate, but ultimately they do not help me feel any better.
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
I refuse to dwell on my sadness any longer and am leaving it behind in order to fly away towards a brighter future.
Bye, bye, blackbird
Farewell sadness and despair, I am ready to move on from these burdens and embrace a new beginning.
Where somebody waits for me
I hold onto hope that there is someone out there who will accept and love me for who I am, someone who waits eagerly for my arrival.
Sugar's sweet, so is she
The person waiting for me is someone who is not just kind and loving, but also inherently sweet and gentle.
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
I am on my way to see the person who waits for me, so they can prepare a bed for me and light a guiding light for my travels. I may arrive late, but I am still coming.
Blackbird, bye, bye
Blackbird serves as a reminder of the sadness and despair I am leaving behind. With a final farewell, I am ready to embrace hope and love once again.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@williammahaffy4642
David Crosby...
Few people in our lives are this iconic.
Undeniably talented and will live forever through the music of CSN(Y).
Got to see him at the Beacon Theatre in NYC 2014. Magic!
CSN, Eagles, Stones, the Dead and the Beatles before them.
There is now greater music in heaven than there was before.
Safe travels until you return to us in the next life.
Namasté
@kimberly3733
My Dad passed away 2 weeks ago and I have had a blackbird come to my yard and sing to me every morning ever since that day.
@rossscott1922
Hello 👋 kim
@Milan74
@kim Evans Blackbirds are loving birds that can sense heartache...they know
@Mandycat1969
My mother leaves me little white feathers all over.
@wesweldon8350
Big love to you. When my pops passes it will be this band sending him off.
@user-vg3yc6gk5f
🤗
@paulakintigh3298
Steven Stills is underrated. What a singer and guitar player. Love him. Ah the music of my youth, and RIP David Crosby.
@patrickirvin1486
Saw him @The Grizzly Rose in Denver in the 90's. You're right he was fantastic
@hettyslooter4533
I adore him. Check Manasass and the album Stephen Stills 2
@CajonAudrum
underrated by who? no one I know, one of the greats!