Learning To Fly
Pink Floyd (mélQdramâ) Lyrics


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Into the distance a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction is holding me fast how
How can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit, I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to find my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone

A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Friction lock, set
Mixtures, rich
Propellers, fully forward
Flaps, set, ten degrees
Engine gauges and suction, check

Mixture set to maximum percent, recheck
Flight instruments
Altimeters, check both
(Garbled word) on
Navigation lights, on
Strobes, on
Confirm three-eight-echo ready for departure
Hello again, this is now 129.4
129.4, it's to go
You may commence your takeoff, winds over ten knots
Three-eight-echo
Easy on the brakes, take it easy, its gonna roll this time
Just hand the power gradually, and it

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer,
My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air,
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

There's no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, a state of bliss




Can't keep my mind from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Overall Meaning

The song "Learning to Fly" by Pink Floyd is about a person trying to break free and escape the confinements of their life. The ribbon of black in the distance represents a path into the unknown that the singer is venturing on. The idea of no turning back implies that the singer is facing a new challenge in life that he/ she cannot escape from. This challenge could be a job, a relationship, or even their own self-doubt. The windswept field creates an image of the freedom of the open sky but simultaneously causes the singer to feel isolated and alone. The fatal attraction that is holding the singer could either be the thrill of the challenge ahead or the pressure of societal expectations that he/ she is trying to escape.


The second stanza talks about the singer's inexperience in dealing with the challenge, making mistakes and not heeding warnings. The image of ice forming on his wings is symbolic of the singer feeling cold and numb in this new situation. The singer feels lost, with no navigator to guide him/ her home, and this leads him/ her to feel empty and unfulfilled.


The last stanza talks about the singer's journey to the skies and the euphoria he/ she experiences once there. The singer feels free and in a state of bliss. The shadow of the aircraft and the vapor trail represent the singer's journey, and the idea of the dream unthreatened by morning light implies that the singer has accomplished his/ her goal.


Line by Line Meaning

Into the distance a ribbon of black
A long path, seemingly without end, stretches before me.


Stretched to the point of no turning back
I've come so far that there's no option to turn back now.


A flight of fancy on a windswept field
I'm imagining myself soaring through the air, free and untethered.


Standing alone my senses reeled
I'm standing here all on my own, feeling dizzy and disoriented.


A fatal attraction is holding me fast how
I'm inexplicably drawn to this idea of flying, even though it could be dangerous.


How can I escape this irresistible grasp?
Despite my doubts, I can't stop thinking about flying and wanting to take flight.


Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
I'm constantly looking up, watching the birds and planes above me.


Tongue tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit, I
I feel tongue-tied and awkward when I think about trying to fly, like I don't belong in the air.


Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
My fear is getting the best of me, causing me to freeze up and hesitate about taking off.


Unheeded warnings I thought I thought of everything
My confidence has blinded me to the potential dangers of flying, despite warnings from others.


No navigator to find my way home
I'm on my own, with no one to guide me if I get lost or turned around.


Unladened, empty and turned to stone
My fear and doubts have left me feeling empty and unmotivated, like a statue.


A soul in tension that's learning to fly
I feel anxious and uncertain about this journey of learning to fly.


Condition grounded but determined to try
Although I may be stuck on the ground for now, I'm still committed to trying to fly.


Friction lock, set
Ensuring that the wheels stay securely in place on the runway.


Mixtures, rich
Turning up the fuel mixture to provide more power for takeoff.


Propellers, fully forward
Turning the propellers to their fullest power to generate lift.


Flaps, set, ten degrees
Adjusting the flaps on the wings for optimal air flow at takeoff.


Engine gauges and suction, check
Checking the engine instruments to ensure everything is working normally.


Mixture set to maximum percent, recheck
Double-checking that the fuel mixture is set to maximum before takeoff.


Flight instruments
Checking the instruments necessary for flying, such as altitude and airspeed gauges.


Altimeters, check both
Confirming that the altimeters (instruments that measure altitude) are functioning properly.


(Garbled word) on
Turning on some unknown device or piece of equipment.


Navigation lights, on
Turning on the lights that help with navigation when flying at night.


Strobes, on
Turning on the flashing lights to warn other pilots of my presence in the air.


Confirm three-eight-echo ready for departure
Confirming that everything is ready for takeoff with air traffic control.


Hello again, this is now 129.4
Changing the radio frequency to talk with a different air traffic control tower.


129.4, it's to go
Confirming that I'm able to switch to the new radio frequency as assigned by air traffic control.


You may commence your takeoff, winds over ten knots
Air traffic control giving me permission to start taking off, despite some wind speed.


Easy on the brakes, take it easy, its gonna roll this time
Gently releasing the brakes and preparing to take off.


Just hand the power gradually, and it
Slowly starting to give the plane more power to begin takeoff.


Above the planet on a wing and a prayer,
Up in the air, hanging on and hoping for the best.


My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air,
Leaving a white and slightly dirty trail of exhaust behind me as I fly.


Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Watching my own shadow move swiftly across the clouds beneath me.


Out of the corner of my watering eye
Noticing this sight almost as if out of the corner of my eye, in disbelief.


A dream unthreatened by the morning light
My dreams feel more real and vivid at night, not yet affected by the harshness of the day.


Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night
The intensity of my emotions about flying could possibly take me beyond the bounds of reality.


There's no sensation to compare with this
This experience of flying is truly unparalleled and incomparable in sensation.


Suspended animation, a state of bliss
Suspended in air, this experience feels almost like a dream or a heavenly state of being.


Can't keep my mind from the circling skies
Even when I'm not up in the air, I can't get the thought of flying and the skies out of my head.


Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I
I still feel out of place when I'm on the ground, awkwardly wishing I could take flight again.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JON CARIN, BOB EZRIN, DAVE GILMOUR, ANTHONY MOORE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@sheulyakter4361

Lyrics :
Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a wind swept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction is holding me fast
How can I escape this irresistible grasp?
Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to find my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone

A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I

Friction lock, set
Mixtures, rich
Propellers, fully forward
Flaps, set - 10 degrees
Engine gauges and suction, check

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer
My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

There's no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, a state of bliss
Can't keep my mind from the circling sky
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I



All comments from YouTube:

@ashleymatossian8265

My husbands favorite band was pink floyd; when he died I had a dream with particular lyrics repeating over and over in my dream so much so that when I woke up I had to Google it to figure out was that a real song or just made up in my dream, and when I googled the lyrics it was THIS SONG...I NEVER knew this was a Pink Floyd and had only heard the song a few times in 80s when I was a kid and believe in my heart it was my husband visiting me in my dream to let me know he was safe and in a good place above the clouds and also telling me shame on me for not knowing it was Pink Floyd, Lol.

@JoseLuna-xo6tx

What a beautiful story, stay strong

@ashleymatossian8265

Thank you 🌿🌿🌿

@pyzer_music_travel

which lyrics did you hear in the dream?

@naticoronel2263

Ashley Matossian Pink Floyd is mágic. This song is so amasing ....

@ashleymatossian8265

@@pyzer_music_travel I don't remember exactly, it was one of those dreams where it was so clear in my dream but once I woke up, the lyrics immediately started fading from my mind so I hurried at that moment upon waking to quickly Google what I had heard in my dream and that's when this song popped up..it's weird because even though it was interpreted thru my dream as lyrics it was more like a FEELING of lyrics or words and melody...it's hard to explain.

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@johnnyjohnson1326

The older I get the more emotional I get when I listen to Pink Floyd.
The lyrics in this song are more about reminiscing now, but when I first heard it I thought about how awesome life was going to be.
I passed my love of Pink Floyd on to my children and I hope they pass it to theirs.
Some bands/music are eternal and Pink Floyd is at the top of that list.
If you read this, I truly hope you learn to fly and have an amazing life. Don't take your anything for granted. Go after everything you want.

@ZACH_95_

It’s about learning to fly a plane lol

@KaBarAce

​​@@ZACH_95_ Pink Floyd always has two meanings

@brad25000

Go after what you want but be cautious of yourself so that you don't become selfish and full of never ending gluttony for your desires.
The heart is deceitful be careful...

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