Night Flight
Jeff Buckley Lyrics
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He sat laughin' as he wrote the end's in sight
So I said goodbye to all my friends
And packed my hopes inside a matchbox
'Cause I know it's time to fly
Oh yeah, come on, come on now won't meet me in the morning,
Meet me in the middle of the night
Don't it make you wanna go and feel alright
Uh
Oh I just jumped a train that never stops,
So now somehow I'll know I never finished payin' for my ride
Just n' someone pushed a gun into my hand
Tell me I'm the type of man to fight the fight that I'll require
Oh yeah, come on, come on now won't meet me in the morning,
Won't you meet me in the middle of the night, night, night
Oh the morning light is comin',
Don't it make you wanna go and feel alright
Alright, alright
Oh, mama, well I think it's time I'm leavin'
Nothin' here to make me stay
Whoa, mama, well it must be time I'm goin'
They're knockin' down them doors
They're tryin' to take me away
Please Mr. brakeman, won't you ring your bell
Won't you make it loud and clear
Please Mr. fireman, won't you ring your bell?
Tell the people they got to fly away from here
Uh, I once saw a picture of a lady with a baby
Southern lady, had a very, very special smile
We are in the middle of a change in destination
When the train stops, all together we will smile
Oh yeah, come on, come on now won't you meet me in the morning
Won't you meet me in the middle of the night, night, night
Oh, oh everybody know the mornin' time is comin'
Don't it make you wanna feel alright
Ah, ah, yeah
Make me feel alright
alright, alright
Make me feel alright
Hmm hmm yeah alright, alright
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah shit
Fuck that pissed me off
The lyrics to Jeff Buckley's "Night Flight" are rich with imagery and symbolism. The song speaks of leaving behind the past and starting a new journey towards an unknown future. The first stanza sets the scene with the singer receiving a message from their brother "across the water", who is laughing because he knows the end is near. This could refer to impending doom, the end of an era, or a major life event like death.
The next lines are about leaving everything behind, saying goodbye to friends and packing hopes into a matchbox. The reference to a matchbox could mean that the singer is carrying the spark of hope with them, a tiny but enduring flame that can light the way in dark times. The chorus is an invitation to someone to join the singer on this journey, to meet them either in the morning or in the middle of the night. It's a call to adventure, an opportunity to start fresh.
The next two stanzas contain some of the most emotionally charged lyrics in the song. The singer is on a train that never stops, a metaphor for life's endless journey. They feel they've never finished paying for their ride, never fully invested in the world around them. Then something happens, they're unexpectedly given a gun and told to fight for what they believe is right. This could be interpreted in many ways—it might be a political statement, a metaphor for personal struggle, or a reference to the dangers of the outside world.
The final stanza features a series of requests, as if the singer is trying to take control of their own destiny. They ask the brakeman to ring their bell and the fireman to do the same, urging everyone to leave their old lives behind and fly away to a better place. The song ends with a hopeful note, the image of a smiling woman with a baby and the promise that everyone will smile when the train stops at its new destination.
Line by Line Meaning
I received a message from my brother across the water
I got a message from my sibling who is far away from me
He sat laughin' as he wrote the end's in sight
He wrote me saying that the end is near while laughing
So I said goodbye to all my friends
I bid farewell to all my pals
And packed my hopes inside a matchbox
I put my aspirations into a small box
'Cause I know it's time to fly
I'm aware that it's time for me to move on
Oh yeah, come on, come on now won't meet me in the morning,
Would you meet me in the morning?
Meet me in the middle of the night
Let's meet at midnight
Oh the morning light is comin',
Dawn is approaching
Don't it make you wanna go and feel alright
Doesn't it inspire you to feel good?
Uh
Interjection
Oh I just jumped a train that never stops,
I boarded a train that never halts
So now somehow I'll know I never finished payin' for my ride
I realize that I never paid for my journey in full
Just n' someone pushed a gun into my hand
Suddenly, someone placed a firearm in my grip
Tell me I'm the type of man to fight the fight that I'll require
Assure me that I have the mettle to face the battle ahead
Oh yeah, come on, come on now won't meet me in the morning,
Would you meet me in the morning?
Won't you meet me in the middle of the night, night, night
Let's meet at midnight
Oh mama, well I think it's time I'm leavin'
Mom, I believe it's time to bid adieu
Nothin' here to make me stay
There's nothing holding me here
Whoa, mama, well it must be time I'm goin'
Mom, I have to leave now
They're knockin' down them doors
People are breaking the doors down
They're tryin' to take me away
They want to take me away by force
Please Mr. brakeman, won't you ring your bell
Request to the person in charge of the brakes to sound the bell
Won't you make it loud and clear
Please make it audible and apparent
Please Mr. fireman, won't you ring your bell?
Please sound the bell, Mr. Firefighter
Tell the people they got to fly away from here
Inform everyone that they have to escape from here
Uh,
Interjection
I once saw a picture of a lady with a baby
I saw a photograph of a mother and her child
Southern lady, had a very, very special smile
A lady from the southern part of the country had a unique smile
We are in the middle of a change in destination
We are experiencing a shift in our destination
When the train stops, all together we will smile
We'll all grin together when the train ceases movement
Oh yeah, come on, come on now won't you meet me in the morning
Would you meet me in the morning?
Won't you meet me in the middle of the night, night, night
Let's meet at midnight
Oh, oh everybody know the mornin' time is comin'
Everybody's aware that morning is fast approaching
Don't it make you wanna feel alright
Doesn't it make you want to feel good?
Ah, ah, yeah
Interjection of affirmation
Make me feel alright
Make me feel good
Alright, alright
Okay, okay
Make me feel alright
Make me feel good
Hmm hmm yeah alright, alright
Expressing agreement
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Exclamation of excitement or anticipation
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Repeated affirmation
Oh yeah shit
Exclamation of anger or frustration
Fuck that pissed me off
Expression of anger or frustration
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PAUL JONES, JIMMY PAGE, ROBERT PLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind