In April 2013, SZA released her S EP to good critical reviewsβ in July of that same year, it was announced she was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and began working on her Z EP, which would eventually become a full-fledged album. Z was released in April 2014.
Her debut album, CTRL was released on June 9, 2017 through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad. Upon release, CTRL was a massive critical and commercial success, and catapulted SZA into fame. The record debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. The album then received acclaim from music critics, many praised its cohesiveness and production, as well as SZA's vocal delivery. In 2018, CTRL received 4 Grammy nominations. She was then nominated Best New Artist. The album was ranked at 472 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, her first to do so.
After a 5 year hiatus from music, SZA released her second studio album, SOS on December 9, 2022 through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records.The album features guest appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Six singles were released between 2020 and 2023 to promote SOS, five were top-ten hits on the US Billboard Hot 100. The fifth, "Kill Bill", was SZA's first song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, SZA's first to do so, and also broke the record for the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the US alone. Several media publications ranked it as one of the best albums of 2022 and 2023. In 2023, it was ranked number 351 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, joining her debut album CTRL on the list.
To continue to promote the album, SZA had embarked on a North American, European, and Australian arena tour, the SOS Tour, from February 2023 to April 2024.
At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the album and its tracks received a total of nine nominations, including Album of the Year, and won Best Progressive R&B Album. The record was a total commercial success.
SOS Deluxe: LANA is SZAβs re-issue of her sophomore album SOS (2022). The album was released on December 20th, 2024 through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. LANA was delayed due to final changes to the album's mixing. βSaturnβ was released as the album's lead single on February 22, 2024, and was teased and performed at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. SZA said herself that this deluxe album became a whole other album. The album has 15 songs and includes leaked songs from SOS. The deluxe was hinted at on December 10, 2023, through various photos posted on her Instagram captioned βLANAβ.
Pretty Little Birds
SZA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're broken by the waves among the sea
They'll let you die, they'll let you wash away
But you swim as well as you fly
Pretty little bird, pretty little bird
You've hit the window a few times (the window a few times)
You're pretty little bird, pretty little bird
When the spiral down feels as good as the flight
When hating you feels good for the night
When the morning comes, I hope you're still mine
When the morning comes
If the morning comes
When the morning comes
If the morning comes (when the morning comes, I hope you're still mine)
When the morning comes
If the morning comes
Told you I like gentle giants so you softened up
And you've been jack'n, bean'n, stalk'n just to get to me love
I wanna be your golden goose
I wanna shave my legs for you
I wanna take all of my hair down and let you lay in it
Spread all of my limbs out and let you lay in it
Pretty little birds, pretty little birds
Do you mean every word, you mean every word? (do you mean?)
Pretty little girls, pretty little girls
We hit the window a few times
Lately, I feel like I'm robbin' myself
Like I'm robbin' mines
Diamond cerebral peek into your cortex
Be faithful and free and just play in your vortex
I see you lying and you fly by the pound
Fly by the ounce
Fly to the south
Don't mind them bitches that's cleanin' my house
Lord, you can see, lord
You can see heights that niggas can't afford
I see them lights and you look for that shit
Fuck all that playin', you pray for that shit
But my wings don't spread like they used to
But I wanna fly with you
('Til we hit the heavens) but my wings don't spread like they used to
But I wanna fly with you
'Til we hit the heavens
'Til we hit the heavens
In SZA's song "Pretty Little Birds", she is singing about a person who is like a phoenix, rising from the ashes, and is broken by the waves in the sea. She tells this person that even though others may let them die or wash away, they can both fly and swim well, and that they are not afraid of heights. SZA also expresses the hope that this person will still be hers in the morning. The chorus repeats the imagery of "pretty little birds" hitting the window a few times but not being scared of heights. SZA then confesses that she has been robbing herself and wants to be faithful and free in the "vortex" of this person's mind. She sees this person's potential and knows they can go heights that others can't afford. SZA wants to fly together with this person until they hit the heavens, but her wings don't spread like they used to.
The lyrics in "Pretty Little Birds" convey a sense of resilience and hope in the face of adversity. The phoenix imagery suggests that the person SZA is singing about is someone who has faced difficult times, but is still able to rise above it all. The repeated reference to hitting the window but not being scared of heights suggests that this person is willing to take risks even if it means stumbling a few times. The line "When hating you feels good for the night, when the morning comes I hope you're still mine" suggests that the person may face criticism or negativity, but SZA still wants to be with them regardless.
Line by Line Meaning
You are but a phoenix among feathers
You are exceptional and uncommon among those around you
You're broken by the waves among the sea
You've been through a lot of hardships and struggles
They'll let you die, they'll let you wash away
Some people may not care about you or your problems
But you swim as well as you fly
Despite everything, you are determined and resilient
Pretty little bird, pretty little bird
A term of endearment for someone special
You've hit the window a few times (the window a few times)
You've made mistakes, but you learn from them
You're pretty little bird, pretty little bird
You're still special and unique, regardless of your mistakes
You still ain't scared of no heights
You're brave and unafraid to take risks
When the spiral down feels as good as the flight
Even when you're struggling, you find happiness in the journey
When hating you feels good for the night
Some people enjoy bringing you down, but their negativity won't last forever
When the morning comes, I hope you're still mine
I hope despite everything, you'll still be there for me
When the morning comes
A reference to a new beginning or a fresh start
If the morning comes
An acknowledgement that life can be unpredictable or uncertain
Told you I like gentle giants so you softened up
I expressed my preferences to you and you adjusted your behavior to match
And you've been jack'n, bean'n, stalk'n just to get to me love
You've put in a lot of effort and hard work to pursue my affection
I wanna be your golden goose
I want to bring something valuable and special to your life
I wanna shave my legs for you
I want to put in effort to look good for you
I wanna take all of my hair down and let you lay in it
I want to be vulnerable and intimate with you
Do you mean every word, you mean every word?
Are your feelings and words sincere and genuine?
Lately, I feel like I'm robbin' myself
I feel like I'm missing out on something important or not living up to my potential
Like I'm robbin' mines
I'm depriving myself of something that belongs to me
Diamond cerebral peek into your cortex
A glimpse into your thoughts and inner workings
Be faithful and free and just play in your vortex
Be true to yourself and live your life without any limitations
I see you lying and you fly by the pound
I see you succeeding and achieving a lot
Don't mind them bitches that's cleanin' my house
Don't pay attention to people who are beneath you or try to bring you down
Lord, you can see, lord
An expression of awe or reverence for a higher power
You can see heights that niggas can't afford
You can achieve things that others can only dream of
I see them lights and you look for that shit
I see your ambition and drive to succeed
Fuck all that playin', you pray for that shit
You're not messing around or wasting time, you're serious about your goals
But my wings don't spread like they used to
I'm not as confident or capable as I once was
But I wanna fly with you
I still want to experience new things and take risks with you
('Til we hit the heavens) but my wings don't spread like they used to
I'm not as sure of my abilities, but I'm still willing to try and pursue my dreams with you
But I wanna fly with you
I still want to experience new things and take risks with you
'Til we hit the heavens
A metaphor for reaching new heights or achieving success together
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Missing Link Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Solana Imani Rowe, Isaiah Rashad McClain, Terrace Martin, Josef Leimberg, Carter Lang, Tyran Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
You are but a phoenix among feathers
You're broken by the waves among the sea
They'll let you die, they'll let you wash away
But you swim as well as you fly
Pretty little bird, pretty little bird
You've hit the window a few times (the window a few times)
You're pretty little bird, pretty little bird
You still ain't scared of no heights
When the spiral down feels as good as the flight
When hating you feels good for the night
When the morning comes, I hope you're still mine
When the morning comes
If the morning comes
When the morning comes
If the morning comes (when the morning comes, I hope you're still mine)
When the morning comes
If the morning comes
Told you I like gentle giants so you softened up
And you've been jack'n, bean'n, stalk'n just to get to me love
I wanna be your golden goose
I wanna shave my legs for you
I wanna take all of my hair down and let you lay in it
Spread all of my limbs out and let you lay in it
Pretty little birds, pretty little birds
Do you mean every word, you mean every word? (do you mean?)
Pretty little girls, pretty little girls
We hit the window a few times
Lately, I feel like I'm robbin' myself
Like I'm robbin' mines
Diamond cerebral peek into your cortex
Be faithful and free and just play in your vortex
I see you lying and you fly by the pound
Fly by the ounce
Fly to the south
Don't mind them bitches that's cleanin' my house
Lord, you can see, lord
You can see heights that niggas can't afford
I see them lights and you look for that shit
Fuck all that playin', you pray for that shit
But my wings don't spread like they used to
But I wanna fly with you
('Til we hit the heavens) but my wings don't spread like they used to
But I wanna fly with you
'Til we hit the heavens
'Til we hit the heavens
@ariethmatos4048
Lyrics:
You are but a phoenix among feathers
You're broken by the waves among the sea
They'll let you die, they'll let you wash away
But you swim as well as you fly
Pretty little bird, pretty little bird
You've hit the window a few times (the window a few times)
You're pretty little bird, pretty little bird
You still ain't scared of no heights
When the spiral down feels as good as the flight
When hating you feels good for the night
When the morning comes, I hope you're still mine
When the morning comes
If the morning comes
When the morning comes
If the morning comes (when the morning comes, I hope you're still mine)
When the morning comes
If the morning comes
Told you I like gentle giants so you softened up
And you've been jack'n, bean'n, stalk'n just to get to me love
I wanna be your golden goose
I wanna shave my legs for you
I wanna take all of my hair down and let you lay in it
Spread all of my limbs out and let you lay in it
Pretty little birds, pretty little birds
Do you mean every word, you mean every word? (do you mean?)
Pretty little girls, pretty little girls
We hit the window a few times
Lately, I feel like I'm robbin' myself
Like I'm robbin' mines
Diamond cerebral peek into your cortex
Be faithful and free and just play in your vortex
I see you lying and you fly by the pound
Fly by the ounce
Fly to the south
Don't mind them bitches that's cleanin' my house
Lord, you can see, lord
You can see heights that niggas can't afford
I see them lights and you look for that shit
Fuck all that playin', you pray for that shit
But my wings don't spread like they used to
But I wanna fly with you
('Til we hit the heavens) but my wings don't spread like they used to
But I wanna fly with you
'Til we hit the heavens
'Til we hit the heavens
@leboganglegodi6811
"My wings don't spread like they used to but I wanna fly with you...."
@gagiugrekhelidze3391
best moment on the song
@asiawilliams399
I like what she says after that
@gabeestrada7233
My favorite line osrs
@tayluc777
Till we hit the heavens πΆ
@MrZaylon123
youβve hit the window a few times
@midnightblues2634
it's so sad and upsetting how underrated this is
@nataliewees3993
YUP.
@XtraFootage_
yup this is my top 5
@jessstudios8898
FRRRRR