One half of On Dead Waves is James Chapman, better known as Maps, whose cri… Read Full Bio ↴One half of On Dead Waves is James Chapman, better known as Maps, whose critically acclaimed debut "We Can Create" was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, and whose latest album "Vicissitude", came out on Mute. The other is Polly Scattergood, the electrically charged artist who has released two solo albums on Mute.

The seeds of Chapman and Scattergood's creative partnership were sown in 2011, at Mute’s Short Circuit festival, a special event at London's Roundhouse. The night saw different collaborations with Mute artists and Polly and James paired up to perform each other’s songs.

Their eponymous debut album is due to be released on May 20th 2016.

Blackbird
On Dead Waves Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got a big blackbird in my bedroom
He keeps on singing to me
He said: "You will not believe
The shit I have seen"

I said: "Well hey, blackbird
It is not everyday that you sing to me
So sit on my feet

And tell me something"

"Find yourself, child
And run away
In disguise made out of dreams that got
Divert along the way"

"My dreams are like summer
But yours are like spring
I sleep until sunrise"
Sing blackbird sing

"My dreams are like summer
Yours are like spring
I sleep until sunrise"
Sing blackbird sing

I said: "Well hey, black bird
If there's one thing that I can guarantee
It's that you are inside
my head now with me"

But the big blackbird said: "Listen child
Things aren't how they seem
There's darkness of light
But on the space in between

Find yourself, child
And run away
In disguise made out of dreams that got
Divert along the way

"My dreams are like summer
But yours are like spring
I sleep until sunrise"
Sing blackbird sing

"My dreams are like summer
Yours are like spring

I sleep until sunrise"
Sing blackbird sing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to On Dead Waves's song "Blackbird" seem to be a conversation between the singer and a blackbird that resides in their bedroom. The blackbird tells the singer that it has seen some unpleasant things and advises them to find themselves and run away, disguised as their own dreams. The singer acknowledges the blackbird's advice and listens to what it has to say, inviting it to sit on their feet and share more.

The blackbird encourages the singer to understand that things aren't always what they seem and that there is darkness in light and light in darkness. The idea is that the singer should recognize the dichotomy of things and strive to find their true self amidst the chaos. The blackbird emphasizes that the singer's dreams are like spring while its own are like summer, indicating that the blackbird has experienced more than the singer, and therefore has more wisdom to impart. Overall, the blackbird seems to be a metaphor for an inner voice, guiding the singer towards self-discovery.

Line by Line Meaning

I got a big blackbird in my bedroom
There's a big blackbird in the singer's room.

He keeps on singing to me
The blackbird is constantly singing to the singer.

He said: "You will not believe The shit I have seen"
The blackbird tells the singer that it has witnessed unbelievable things.

I said: "Well hey, blackbird It is not everyday that you sing to me So sit on my feet And tell me something"
The singer encourages the blackbird to speak and listens attentively.

"Find yourself, child And run away In disguise made out of dreams that got Divert along the way"
The blackbird advises the singer to discover themselves and escape in a disguise made of lost dreams.

"My dreams are like summer But yours are like spring I sleep until sunrise" Sing blackbird sing
The blackbird compares its dreams to that of the singer and invites it to sing.

"I said: "Well hey, black bird If there's one thing that I can guarantee It's that you are inside my head now with me""
The singer states that the blackbird has made a lasting impression on them.

But the big blackbird said: "Listen child Things aren't how they seem There's darkness of light But on the space in between
The blackbird warns the singer that not everything is as it seems, and that there is both light and darkness in the space between things.

Contributed by Evelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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