Ambrosius is the songstress to Stewart's spoken word impresario or "floacist" role. The two met due to their love of basketball. Stewart, who hails from London, was a superstar on her court, while Ambrosius wowed fans in her local English neighborhood. They were competitive, but not rivals, so a friendship was formed. Music was also a passion. Ambrosius relished in her reggae roots while Stewart found herself grooving to funk and soul. While attending Brits Performing Arts School, Ambrosius studied business and finance, but made room for courses in voice, performance technique, and recording. Stewart split her time between acting and directing. Later, Ambrosius and Stewart headed to college.
Ambrosius planned to attend Georgia Tech University on a basketball scholarship, but injury forced her to bow out. Stewart headed for Middlesex University, eventually transferring to North London University. Still, they two kept in touch and raved about music. It wouldn't be until Stewart's girl group, 3 Plus 1, disbanded that Floetry would actually give music a serious shot.
In 1997, Ambrosius and Stewart began writing songs and playing shows in and around London. Three years later, they moved to America in search of something bigger. A brief stint in Atlanta didn't pan out, but their time spent in Philadelphia proved golden. Ambrosius and Stewart befriended Julius Erving III, basketball great Julius Erving's son, in mid-2000. Floetry and Erving clicked instantly. Erving signed on as their manager and hooked the ladies up with Jeff Townes, aka DJ Jazzy Jeff, for some recording. That's when the deals started trickling in -- Floetry were official and living out a dream. In 2002, they inked a deal with DreamWorks and touched up their own work for a debut album. Floetic appeared in October 2002, and its follow-up, Flo'Ology, reached the Top Ten upon release three years later.
MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
Group Members:
Amanda Diva
Natalie Stewart
Marsha Ambrosius
If I Was A Bird
Floetry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And leads me through ignorance
Not allowing us to gain experience
So we become lifeless
At other times I cover with
Self pity or work aimlessly
Through reality so
Occasionally I choose to travel alone
Mostly I attempt to achieve balance
By seeking right knowledge and loving
And reviewing and eventually overstanding those
Many lessons of my life
You got me caught in
A stormy odd world that drains
And I beg to see truth and promises
You made to me
Now we've come so far
But my visions of happiness
With you in my life
I'm afraid and confused
If I was a bird I'd fly
If I was a bird I'd fly away
Spread my wings so I'd escape
If I was the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
If I was a bird I'd fly away
Spread my wings so I'd escape
If I was the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
Now why do I feel so alone
Knowing I know I have you
And what made you turn around on me
What did I do
and when did love feel this way
So much pain and misery
Where's the you I once knew
And could ya fly with me
If I was a bird I'd fly away
Spread my wings so I'd escape
If I was the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
If I was a bird I'd fly away
Spread my wings so I'd escape
If I was the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
Now I can't stay
You won't need me
Set me free and let me fly
Oh fly with me
Fly with me me
Fly with me yeah
Fly oh fly fly
If I was a bird I'd fly away
Spread my wings so I'd escape
If I was the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
If I was a bird I'd fly away
Spread my wings so I'd escape
If I was the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
Fly away
(music)
If I were the sky
I'd let it rain to wash the pain
(music)
Fly away
The song "If I Was A Bird" by Floetry is a contemplative piece about the struggles of life and love. The first verse suggests that at times, one may be blinded by ignorance or self-pity, leaving them unable to grow and be fulfilled. The singer mentions that they often try to seek balance through seeking knowledge and love, reflecting on the lessons of their life. This sets the backdrop for the chorus which repeats the idea that if they were a bird, they would fly away to escape their troubles. This chorus adds a dreamlike quality to the song, as the singer fantasizes about escaping their problems.
The second verse speaks more directly to the singer's relationship struggles. They express feeling alone and confused despite having their partner, due to the pain and misery they are experiencing. They wonder what caused their partner to turn away from them and express a desire to fly together. The song ends with the repeated chorus of the singer wishing they could fly away, potentially suggesting that not all problems can be solved and sometimes there is value in escape.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a desire for escape and a feeling of being trapped in difficult circumstances. The singer is searching for balance and struggling to find it. The chorus of wishing to be a bird and fly away acts as a metaphor for seeking freedom from their troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes blindness finds me
At times, I am unable to see clearly
And leads me through ignorance
Which causes me to act without knowledge
Not allowing us to gain experience
This lack of knowledge prevents us from growing and learning
So we become lifeless
And as a result, we lack vitality and purpose
At other times I cover with
Alternatively, I may use
Self pity or work aimlessly
Feel sorry for myself or engage in meaningless tasks
Through reality so
As a way to avoid reality
Occasionally I choose to travel alone
At times, I prefer to be alone
But never fulfill my possibility so
But this often stops me from realizing my potential
Mostly I attempt to achieve balance
Most often, I strive for balance
By seeking right knowledge and loving
By gaining knowledge and love
And reviewing and eventually overstanding those
And reflecting on those lessons until I truly understand them
Many lessons of my life
These are the many lessons I have learned in life
You got me caught in
I am trapped by
A stormy odd world that drains
This chaotic world that takes from me
And I beg to see truth and promises
I plead to see honesty and the commitments
You made to me
You made to me
Now we've come so far
Even though we have made considerable progress
But my visions of happiness
I am doubtful that I can achieve happiness
With you in my life
While you are a part of my life
I'm afraid and confused
I feel scared and uncertain
If I was a bird I'd fly
If I were a bird, I would depart
If I was the sky
If I were the sky
I'd let it rain to wash away the pain
I would release rain to cleanse and dissolve the hurt
Now why do I feel so alone
Why do I feel so isolated
Knowing I know I have you
Even though I know that you are with me
And what made you turn around on me
What caused you to reject me
What did I do
What did I do wrong
and when did love feel this way
And when did love become so complicated and painful
So much pain and misery
There is a great deal of discomfort and suffering
Where's the you I once knew
Where is the person I used to know
And could ya fly with me
Will you join me in flight
Now I can't stay
Now I must leave
You won't need me
You no longer require me
Set me free and let me fly
Allow me to fly away freely
Oh fly with me
Join me in flight
Fly with me me
Fly with me
Fly with me yeah
Fly with me, yes!
Fly oh fly fly
Fly, fly away
Fly away
Go away by flying
If I were the sky
If I were the sky
I'd let it rain to wash the pain
I would release rain to cleanse and dissolve the hurt
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Keith Isaiha Pelzer, Marsha Ambrosius, Natalie Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind