Blackbird
Carly Smithson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

(by The Beatles)

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise




You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Overall Meaning

Carly Smithson's version of "Blackbird" is a cover of the original song by The Beatles. The song is entirely acoustic and features Carly's soaring vocals accompanied by her guitar. The lyrics themselves are poetic and full of metaphors. The blackbird of the song seems to symbolize a person who has been broken down but is ready to rise up and start anew. The lyrics encourage the blackbird to learn to fly and see, implying that the blackbird has been held back by something that has kept it from truly living. The repeated phrase "into the light of the dark black night" adds to the emotional weight of the song, evoking a feeling of struggle and overcoming obstacles.


The song's melody is simple but catchy, with a comfortable and familiar chord progression. Carly's cover arrangement adds a unique spin to the song, with her voice taking center stage and the guitar providing a delicate and supportive backup. The song's power comes from the lyrics, and Carly Smithson delivers them with heartfelt emotion.


Line by Line Meaning

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
The blackbird is singing when there is complete darkness around, signifying that hope and happiness can exist even in the darkest of times.


Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Even if you feel broken and lost, you have the ability to move forward and learn to soar in life.


All your life
Throughout your life, there have been moments leading up to now that have prepared you for what's to come.


You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
All the past experiences and struggles have led up to this moment where you are ready to overcome and achieve your goals.


Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
The sunken eyes represent the sadness and pain of the past, and this line is a plea to move forward and gain a new perspective on life.


You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Freedom is a state of mind, and this line signifies that you have been waiting for the moment where you can break free from your limiting beliefs and live a life of your choosing.


Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Fly away from your past and towards the future with renewed hope and strength.


Into the light of the dark black night.
Even in the dark times where you may feel lost, there is always a light that can guide you towards a better tomorrow.




Contributed by Abigail Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

seeker first

I always thought of Carly as one of the very best vocalists to ever appear on American Idol. Definitely an outstanding. professional voice. I remember this particular performance after all these years. She should be at the top of the very best female vocalists ever.

Knight02

She deserves more recognition 💜

Laura A.

I absolutely love how she sings this song. Her voice is so rich and beautiful. I can't believe she didn't win it all.

Calum Mew

One of my favourite American Idol performances of all time.

Laura A.

Carly's voice is absolutely beautiful!!! How did she not win American Idol??? I think she is one of the best singers ever, and I'd love to hear more from her.

Jacey Carlos

David×David...🙄

doogleandalix

I thought this was her best performance on Idol. I hope she has a CD soon - I'd like to hear some bluesy stuff from her - she has the right tone to her voice for that sort of music .

gimmeyootoob

Carly did a great job with the song. Beautiful voice and control.

Dominic Santos

This is the best arragement I have ever heard of this song. The strings are so beautiful and Carly had one of the best vocal performances in AI history.

Rem Mo

I loved it in 2008 and couldn't stop singing it afterwards! I renewed its magic again in 2023 - the most dire, frightening, and hate-filled year of my life! Ms. Rae Smithson performance helped me pull pathos, hope and inspiration from a Beetle's song that I never even knew! I am belting in awe of America and I am a blackbird. My accent still beguiles me but I'm learning to fly! And YOU Ms. Smithson... good on you for standing up for yourself at the end...Thank you lady for singing!🎉

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