"Wings" was acclaimed by music critics who found it catchy, complimented its double chorus, and the group's vocal performance, and considered it one of the best introductions to a band that would go on to re-define what a girl group can do, act, and sound like. "Wings" has been credited with helping to shape the Little Mix brand with messages of girl power and feminism. It has also been cited for helping the girl band Renaissance in the UK during the late 00s and into the early 10s. The song peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart, selling over 106,000 copies in its first week and later becoming the group's second number-one in the UK. It also made them only the third winners from The X Factor UK to follow up their winner's single with a second number-one single.
The single was also a success in other countries. It topped the Irish Singles Charts and reached the top ten in Australia, Belgium, and Japan, and charted in nine other countries including South Korea, Canada, and France. It reached number seventy-nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. A Japanese and Korean version of the track was later released. Little Mix performed "Wings" at the One Love Manchester, following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. It has been performed on all six of the group's tours, the most recent being The Confetti Tour in 2022.
Little Mix wanted their first original single after winning the eighth UK series of The X Factor to be instantly recognizable when it was played on the radio and believed that without their own input, the track would misrepresent their sound. After working with producers for around a month and being new to group writing, the band struggled to find a song they liked. Group member Jesy Nelson said, "We were like, 'We want our sound to be Nicki Minaj, mixed with Missy Elliott with a bit of En Vogue put in a blender.' I think everyone got so confused. We'd hear some of the songs and were like, 'Oh my God, we're never going to get it.'" However, when production team TMS played them a backing track of "Wings", Nelson recalled, "my hairs stood up on my arms and I was like 'Oh my god!', and I looked at the girls and I went 'That's our first single.'"
The band wrote most of "Wings" with TMS and songwriter Iain James in February 2012 but writing continued until they felt the song was complete. Michelle Lewis, Erika Nuri, Mischke Butler, and Heidi Rojas are also credited as songwriters. It was important to Little Mix for "Wings" to showcase their vocals individually, and have complex harmonies and melodies. Eschewing dance music popular at the time, it was composed as a retro-style pop and R&B song, influenced by music by Beyoncé and Michael Jackson. Jade Thirlwall from the band said, "It was really important for us to bring something fresh and different to the table".
The lyrics were inspired by the doubt and negativity Little Mix experienced as a girl band during The X Factor, and being the favorites for elimination during the first week of live shows. They were disheartened by odds overheard in the show's green room and paparazzi predicting their elimination interview on the British daytime television program This Morning the following Monday. "Wings" was also written as an uplifting message for the group's fans to relate to. The band, however, did not want the song to sound "cheesy" or as though they were preaching; instead, they wrote it with a theme of maternal advice using the line "Mama told me not to waste my time". The track was recorded at The Music Shed in London.
Little Mix first announced the single's release on Twitter on 30 May 2012. The following day, its cover art was revealed on Facebook, featuring a new group logo and signature icons for each member. On 1 June 2012, the single was made available for pre-order from the iTunes Store and a short excerpt was played during the group's appearance on the British television show Alan Carr: Chatty Man.
On 2 July 2012, "Wings" premiered on BBC Radio 1's The Greg James Show, and a lyric video was shared on Vevo. To promote the single, Little Mix embarked on a radio tour in July 2012; they visited over 20 UK radio stations and did meet and greets as part of a social media competition for their fans. The "Wings" release, however, was then postponed twice, resulting in purchasers of initial pre-orders having to pre-order the single again. The release was to coincide with their performance on the British television game show Red or Black? but was postponed because the episode aired later due to filming issues with a contestant on the show. Syco Music first released the single as a digital EP in Ireland on 24 August 2012. In the UK, the song was released two days later in digital EP and CD single formats.
In Australia, the single was released as a digital EP and CD single on 5 and 30 October 2012, respectively. The same month, the group traveled to Australia to promote the track in a series of radio and television appearances. On 5 February 2013, Columbia Records released "Wings" as Little Mix's debut single in the US. It was sent to contemporary hit radio playlists there two weeks later. To promote the single in the US, they embarked on a radio tour and met fans at shopping malls in March and April 2013.
In September 2012, "Wings" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 106,766 copies, becoming Little Mix's second consecutive number-one single in the UK. They became the third winner of The X Factor (UK) after Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke followed up their winner's single with a second number-one single. It also made them the final winners from the show to sell over 100,000 copies in its opening week with their debut single. The track dropped to number four in its second week, selling 59,355 copies. It spent 25 weeks on the chart and placed at number 40 in the 2012 year-end chart, and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). According to the Official Charts Company, "Wings" has sold over a million copies as of 2022. It has racked up 548,000 downloads, and 112 million streams, and ranks as the group's eighth-best-selling single in the UK.
The song also topped the Irish Singles Chart in its first week, making it Little Mix's second successive number-one single in Ireland. "Wings" became the band's highest-charting single in Australia, where it peaked at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales of 210,000 copies. The track also reached number 15 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. In the US, "Wings" peaked at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent nine weeks on the chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 500,000 copies. In Canada, the song charted at number 69 on the Canadian Hot 100 and received a gold certification from Music Canada for sales of 40,000 copies. "Wings" also became Little Mix's highest-charting single in Japan, where it climbed to number seven on the Japan Hot 100, and ranked at number 46 in the 2013 year-end chart. In Brazil, the song was certified gold by Pro-Música Brasil for selling 30,000 units.
Wings
Little Mix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
작고 이쁜 나비 날갤 펼쳐봐
그 누가 뭐라건 밤을 설치지 마
누가 뭐래도 shh
조용히 가라 해
두발 땅에 닿지 않아
아무 말도 안 들려
가, 저리로 걸어가
신경 쓰기엔 난 멋져 oh, yeah
아무 의미 없어, 들리지 않아
계속 외쳐, 날 믿어줘
Mama told me not to waste my life
She said "Spread your wings, my little butterfly"
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly (hey, hey)
확 달아오른 저 런웨이
언젠가 도착할 건데
준비 따윈 필요 없어 no, no
Talk 하늘을 가르며
전혀 상관 안 해 oh, yeah
아무 의미 없어, 들리지 않아
계속 외쳐 날 믿어줘
Mama told me not to waste my life
She said "Spread your wings, my little butterfly"
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
I don't need no one saying "Hey, hey, hey, hey"
I don't hear no one saying "Hey (hey), hey (hey), hey (hey), hey (hey)"
그냥 계속 걸어가
아무 말 말고 지나가 boy
그냥 계속 걸어가
아무 말 말고 지나가 boy
아무 의미 없어, 들리지 않아
계속 외쳐 날 믿어줘
Mama told me not to waste my life
She said "Spread your wings, my little butterfly"
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
The lyrics to Little Mix's song Wings are empowering and encouraging. The song is about not wasting life and not letting negative comments bring one down. The chorus emphasizes the importance of spreading one's wings and flying, regardless of what others may say. It seeks to inspire the listener to stay confident in their abilities and not let anyone hold them back.
The usage of the metaphorical language of wings and flying conveys the message of breaking free and striving for greatness. The line “And if they give you, shh, then they can walk on by” shows that Little Mix believes there is no need to pay attention to those who try to bring you down. The line “I'm not listening, they're just like water off my wings” reinforces this idea, meaning that negative comments are just like water, never permanently sticking to one’s wings.
Overall, the message of the song is simple yet powerful – to spread your wings and fly, to ignore the negativity and criticism of those around you, and to live fully and courageously.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama told me not to waste my life
My mother advised me not to squander my life
She said spread your wings, my little butterfly
She encouraged me to take risks and pursue my dreams
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
Ignore criticism and live your life without worries
And if they give you, shh
If they try to silence you, ignore it
Then they can walk on by
They can keep moving and leave you to fly
My feet, feet can't touch the ground
I feel elated and unstoppable
And I can't hear a sound
I'm focused on achieving my goals and ignoring negativity
But you just keep on running up your mouth, yeah
You keep talking negatively, but I'm not listening
Walk, walk on over there
Go talk to someone else
'Cause I'm too fly to care, oh yeah
I'm confident and don't care what others say
Your words don't mean a thing
Your negative comments don't affect me
I'm not listening
I'm not paying attention to your criticism
Keep talking, all I know is
Keep talking if it makes you feel better, but it won't affect me
And they can't detain you
No one can stop you from achieving your dreams
Cause wings are made to fly
You are meant to soar and reach new heights
And we don't let nobody bring us down
We won't let anyone discourage us
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Your negativity won't affect me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
Even if I fail, I won't give up
These wings are made to fly
I'm destined for greatness
I don't need no one saying hey, hey, hey, hey
I don't need anyone trying to bring me down
I don't hear no one saying hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
I'm not listening to any negativity
You better keep on walking
You should move on and not try to discourage me
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy
I don't want to hear any more negativity
They're just like water off my wings
Your words don't affect me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Iain James, Tom Barnes, Peter Kelleher, Ben Kohn, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Michelle Lewis, Mischke Butler, Erika Nuri, Heidi Rojas, Christian Dotson, Kyle Christopher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-wm1we2ps1i
Mama told me not to waste my life
人生を無駄にしないでってママは言った
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
『その羽を広げて、私の可愛い蝶々。』
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
『他の誰かの言う事に悩まされちゃダメ。』
And if they give you shhhh...
『もしも彼らに馬鹿にされても』
Then they can walk on by
『そんな物、放っておけばいいのよ。』
My feet, feet can't touch the ground
私の足、地面になんて触れていない
And I can't hear a sound
音だって聞こえない
But you just keep on running up your mouth yeah
でも君はずっと口を動かし続けてる
Walk, walk on over there
そこを歩いてれば?
'Cause I'm too fly to care, oh yeah
私はあなたにはもったいなさ過ぎるもの
Your words don't mean a thing
君の言葉に大した意味なんかない
I'm not listening
私は聞いてないわ
Keep talking,
どうぞ、喋りつづけて
all I know is
私が知ってるのはこれだけ
Mama told me not to waste my life
人生を無駄にしないでってママは言った
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
『その羽を広げて、私の可愛い蝶々。』
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
『他の誰かの言う事に悩まされちゃダメ。』
And they can't detain you
『誰もあなたを引き止められない』
'Cause wings are made to fly
『だって羽は飛ぶためにあるのだから。』
And we don't let nobody bring us down
私達は誰にも打ちのめされたりしない
No matter what you say ? it won't hurt me
君の言う事が何なの?
そんな物じゃ私は傷付かない
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
空から落ちてしまったって関係ない
These wings are made to fly
この羽は飛ぶ為にあるんだもの
(Hey, hey, woo!)
I'm firing up on that runway
この道を最高速度で駆け上がる
I know we're gonna get there someday
いつの日か辿り着けるはずよ
But we don't need no "Ready. Steady. Go!", no
でも『用意、スタート!』なんて合図は要らないわ
Talk, talk turns into air
噂話だっていつかは空気に変わっていく
And I don't even care, oh yeah
私はそんなの気にしてないけど
Your words don't mean a thing
君の言葉に大した意味なんかない
I'm not listening
私は聞いてないわ
Keep talking,
どうぞ、喋りつづけて
all I know is
私が知ってるのはこれだけ
Mama told me not to waste my life
人生を無駄にしないでってママは言った
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
『その羽を広げて、私の可愛い蝶々。』
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
『他の誰かの言う事に悩まされちゃダメ。』
And they can't detain you
『誰もあなたを引き止められない』
'Cause wings are made to fly
『だって羽は飛ぶためにあるのだから。』
And we don't let nobody bring us down
私達は誰にも打ちのめされたりしない
No matter what you say ? it won't hurt me
君の言う事が何なの?
そんな物じゃ私は傷付かない
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
空から落ちてしまったって関係ない
These wings are made to fly
この羽は飛ぶ為にあるんだもの
I don't need no one saying
hey, hey, hey, hey
からかってくる人なんて必要ない
I don't hear no one saying
hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
誰かのからかう声なんて聞こえない
You better keep on walking
ずっと歩いてれば?
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy'd
君のお喋りなんて聞きたくない
You better keep on walking
ずっと歩いてれば?
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy'd
君のお喋りなんて聞きたくない
Your words don't mean a thing
君の言葉に大した意味なんかない
I'm not listening
私は聞いてないわ
They're just like water off my wings
そんなの、私の翼に弾かれた水のようなものよ
Mama told me not to waste my life
人生を無駄にしないでってママは言った
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
『その羽を広げて、私の可愛い蝶々。』
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
『他の誰かの言う事に悩まされちゃダメ。』
And they can't detain you
『誰もあなたを引き止められない』
'Cause wings are made to fly
『だって羽は飛ぶためにあるのだから。』
And we don't let nobody bring us down
私達は誰にも打ちのめされたりしない
No matter what you say ? it won't hurt me
君の言う事が何なの?
そんな物じゃ私は傷付かない
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
空から落ちてしまったって関係ない
These wings are made to fly
この羽は飛ぶ為にあるんだもの
And we don't let nobody bring us down
私達は誰にも打ちのめされたりしない
No matter what you say ? it won't hurt me
君の言う事が何なの?
そんな物じゃ私は傷付かない
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
空から落ちてしまったって関係ない
These wings are made to fly
この羽は飛ぶ為にあるんだもの
@stardommansion6773
All the Woman Anthem that little mix has produced through the years:
→Wings (2012)
→We are who we are (2012)
→Competition (2013)
→Good Enough (2013)
→Little Me (2013)
→Boy (2013)
→Salute (2014)
→Grown (2015)
→Hair (2015)
→OMG (2015)
→Down and Dirty (2016)
→Power (2016)
→Woman Like Me (2018)
→Woman's World (2018)
→Joan Of Arc (2018)
→Wasabi (2018)
→Strip (2018)
→National Manthem (2018)
and the list goes on because they always empower women and all genders through their music♥
@MD-dq2he
歌詞が見つからなかったので一応…
日本語訳付けてます
Mama told me not to waste my life
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
ママは時間を無駄にしないように私に言ったの。
あなたの羽を広げなさい、私の小さな蝶々よ、と言ったの。
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And if they give you shhhh...
Then they can walk on by
人の言うことなんかを気にして、夜寝れないなんてことしないで。
文句を言うやつがいたら、
無視すればいい
My feet, feet can't touch the ground
And I can't hear a sound
But you just keep on running up your mouth yeah
私の足は地面を感じられない。
私は音も聞き取れない。
でもあなたは口を動かし続けてる。
Walk, walk on over there
'Cause I'm too fly to care, oh yeah
[All:]
Your words don't mean a thing
I'm not listening
Keep talking, all I know is
ただ目的地に向かって歩く。
他の人の言うことには構っていられない。
あなたの言葉に意味はない。
私は聞いてない。
しゃべり続けたらいい。私が知ってること
Mama told me not to waste my life,
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
ママは時間を無駄にしないように私に言ったの。
あなたの羽を広げなさい、私の小さな蝶々よ、と言ったの。
人の言うことなんかを気にして、夜寝れないなんてことしないで。
彼らに私を止めることなんてできない。
だって、羽は飛ぶためにあるのだもの。
私たちは誰にも邪魔されない。
あなたが何を言おうと、私は傷つかない。
私が空から落ちてきたって、たいしたことない。
だって羽は飛ぶためにあるんだもの。
(Hey, hey, woo!)
I'm firing up on that runway
I know we're gonna get there someday
But we don't need no ready steady go, no
私は燃えている。
いつか目的地に着くと知ってる。
よーいドンの掛け声はいらない。
Talk, talk turns into air
And I don't even care, oh yeah
話、話は空気と変わる。
私は気にもしてない。
Your words don't mean a thing
I'm not listening
Keep talking, all I know is
あなたの言葉に意味はない。
私は聞いてない。
しゃべり続けたらいい。私が知ってることは...
Mama told me not to waste my life,
She said spread your wings my little butterfly
Don't let what they say keep you up at night,
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
ママは時間を無駄にしないように私に言ったの。
あなたの羽を広げなさい、私の小さな蝶々よ、と言ったの。
人の言うことなんかを気にして、夜寝れないなんてことしないで。
彼らに私を止めることなんてできない。
だって、羽は飛ぶためにあるのだもの。
私たちは誰にも邪魔されない。
あなたが何を言おうと、私は傷つかない。
私が空から落ちてきたって、たいしたことない。
だって羽は飛ぶためにあるんだもの。
I don't need no one saying hey, hey, hey, hey
I don't hear no one saying hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
You better keep on walking
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy'd
You better keep on walking
I don't wanna hear your talking, boy'd
私は何か言ってくる人なんて必要ない。
私は誰の言うことも聞かない。
あなたはただ歩き続ければいい。
私はあなたが話すのを聞きたくない。
あなたはただ歩き続ければいい。
私はあなたが話すのを聞きたくない。
Your words don't mean a thing
I'm not listening
They're just like water off my wings
あなたの言葉に意味はない。
私は聞いてない。
しゃべり続けたらいい。私が知ってることは...
Mama told me not to waste my life
She said spread your wings my little butterfly (my little butterfly)
Don't let what they say keep you up at night
And they can't detain you
'Cause wings are made to fly
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
ママは時間を無駄にしないように私に言ったの。
あなたの羽を広げなさい、私の小さな蝶々よ、と言ったの。
人の言うことなんかを気にして、夜寝れないなんてことしないで。
彼らに私を止めることなんてできない。
だって、羽は飛ぶためにあるのだもの。
私たちは誰にも邪魔されない。
あなたが何を言おうと、私は傷つかない。
私が空から落ちてきたって、たいしたことない。
だって羽は飛ぶためにあるんだもの。
And we don't let nobody bring us down
No matter what you say it won't hurt me
Don't matter if I fall from the sky
These wings are made to fly
私たちは誰にも邪魔されない。
あなたが何を言おうと、私は傷つかない。
私が空から落ちてきたって、たいしたことない。
だって羽は飛ぶためにあるんだもの。
@dindaparedatu8148
To the 1% who reads this
Your skin isn't paper, don't cut it
Your face isn't a mask, don't cover it
Your body isn't a book, dont judge it
Your life isn't a movie, don't end it
Your heart isn't a door, don't lock it
You're beautiful💓
Be you...
Now please spread this message to the other 99%
@LittleMix
Almost at 200 MILLION views!!💃
Can we get it there 👀
@Mona-ft7yj
Yes of Course...Nething fr u girls😍😍😍😘😘# YourWishIsMixers'Command
@alexhenrysays
Yay we can do it
@ilsegoutziers9485
YES!
@marrouu
yes captain
@zehrabal6583
KEEP STREAMINGG
@Audrey-dc1fp
Little mix: wings are made to fly
Penguins: 👁👄👁
💧 💧
@ljlj138
Chickens ostrich and ducks haha lol
@antuando
@@ljlj138 ducks can fly :)
@luvvgrande8450
BAHHAHA😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣