Blackbird
Elliott Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
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
The lyrics to Elliott Smith's song "Blackbird" are poignant and heartfelt, speaking to the idea of overcoming hardship and finding freedom. The opening line, "Blackbird singing in the dead of night," paints a vivid image of a single bird singing in the darkness, perhaps despite the struggles it has faced. The next line, "Take these broken wings and learn to fly," is a call to action for the listener to embrace their own brokenness and turn it into something beautiful.
The rest of the lyrics continue in this vein, with the repeated refrain "All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise" offering a sense of hope and empowerment. The line "take these sunken eyes and learn to see" speaks to the idea of gaining a new perspective through struggle and hardship, while the final lines "Blackbird fly, blackbird fly, into the light of the dark black night" offer a powerful image of soaring into the unknown, unafraid of the darkness.
Overall, "Blackbird" is a beautiful and inspiring song that speaks to the human experience of facing adversity and finding the strength to overcome it.
Line by Line Meaning
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
The song begins with the image of a blackbird singing in the stillness of the darkness.
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
The singer urges the blackbird to overcome its limitations by taking its broken wings and learning to fly.
All your life
The singer acknowledges that the blackbird has lived a long time with its broken wings, which have prevented it from experiencing certain things.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
The artist suggests that the blackbird has been waiting for an opportunity like this to free itself from its limitations.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
The repetition of the first line underscores the importance of the image of the blackbird singing in the stillness of the darkness.
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.
The singer now urges the blackbird to improve its vision by taking its sunken eyes and learning to see.
All your life
The blackbird has also struggled with poor vision for its entire life.
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Just as the blackbird has been waiting for an opportunity to fly, it has also been waiting for the chance to see more clearly and be freed from its limitations.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
The repetition of this line reinforces the sense of urgency and excitement in the artist's message.
Into the light of the dark black night.
The blackbird is encouraged to overcome its fear and take flight into the unknown, represented by the 'dark black night'.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
The repetition of this closing line brings the song full circle, emphasizing the idea that the blackbird has been waiting for this opportunity to break free from its limitations.
Writer(s): Paul Mccartney, John Lennon Copyright: Sony/ATV Tunes LLC
Contributed by Austin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.