Flying
The Strawbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Young boy that I know feels he has lived too long
His spirit of adventure slipped away
With little sense of pride, he feels deep down inside.
He is flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again.
Young girl that I know feels she has lost her way
Her only chance of love once passed her by
But little does she know, this is hardly so.
She is flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again.
And just as in the willow pattern fantasy
The boy and girl have crossed the bridge of tears
And like the birds above, they are sending down their love.
Flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again
Flying, flying, flying to be free again.
Dying, dying, dying to be free again
Dying, dying, dying to be free again.
The Strawbs's song Flying paints a picture of two young individuals engraving their way into society, feeling overwhelmed and restrained by their circumstances. The first verse describes a young boy who has lost his sense of adventure and feels like he has aged past his prime. The second verse depicts a young girl who feels like she has missed her chance at love. Both of these individuals desperately yearn for a sense of freedom, hence the repetition of the phrase, "flying to be free again."
The chorus repeatedly drives the point home that flying represents freedom, and the more time passes, the more suffocated these young souls feel. The bridge of tears mentioned is likely a reference to the Willow Pattern, an ancient Chinese legend about a pair of lovers who are kept apart by their families. The fact that the boy and girl have crossed the bridge of tears emphasizes the idea that they have found a way to overcome their issues.
Finally, the last chorus of the song poses a slightly darker spin on the concept of freedom. The word "dying" replaces "flying," implying that these individuals would rather die than continue to live a life without the freedom they so desperately seek. This darker notion provides a sense of urgency and desperation that makes the song feel especially powerful.
Overall, The Strawbs's Flying is a poignant tale about the constant search for freedom in a society that can often feel restrictive and limiting.
Line by Line Meaning
Young boy that I know feels he has lived too long
The boy is young but feels like he has already lived too much due to lacking adventure and excitement in life
His spirit of adventure slipped away
The boy has lost his sense of adventure and willingness to explore
With little sense of pride, he feels deep down inside.
The boy lacks self-esteem and feels inadequate within himself
Young girl that I know feels she has lost her way
The girl is lost and feels like she has missed her chance for love
Her only chance of love once passed her by
The girl believes that she had one opportunity for love but it has already gone
But little does she know, this is hardly so.
However, the reality is far from what the girl perceives
And just as in the willow pattern fantasy
The story is like the plot of the willow pattern, which is a Chinese folktale
The boy and girl have crossed the bridge of tears
The boy and girl have overcome their obstacles and challenges in life
And like the birds above, they are sending down their love.
Just as the birds above them, the boy and girl are sharing their love
Flying, flying, flying to be free again
The repeated line represents the feeling of liberation that the boy and girl find through their love and adventure
Dying, dying, dying to be free again
The repeated line symbolizes the desire for freedom and release from the constraints of their past lives
Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stefan van der Spuy
I grew up in the best time; teenager and youngster in the years 1968 - 1980. There were just SO MANY awesome bands, including Strawbs, which I have just rediscovered today!
MrHistorian123
There are times when you forget that music can be this good.
Martin Kent
Yuppers................................................................................
she-3PO
bursting at the seams is their best album. SO AMAZING. <3
THE NERVE
Great song.. fantastic drum sound. Compared to the noise that passes for music these days...real talent..real songwriters and musicians. Sublime.
Thomas Bryant
I still have my original vinyl album from 1972 at age 21. This group still sounds really great.
Adrian Lewis.W
Still gives me goosebumps. Their best tracks, peaking in ‘Ghosts’ was an ability to have 2 very emotive and different musical themes which transform from one to the next by the most perfect morphing and harmony, in a single track. Superb
Stephen Lisson
Adrian, that's when you know how great a band is.....when their music still gives you goosebumps after all these years. I'm 63 now and I still love this band .Their music still sends chills up my spine.
Andy Richards
I remember buying this album. I would say it’s the Strawbs best album ever.
Stephen Lisson
This is a great album Andy. Whether it's their best I can't really say. I liked a lot of their early albums the folky rock kind. Then this came out and wow!!!!. their change started to happen. More prog rock than folk rock. I loved Hero and Heroine, probably the most, but, this is a brilliant!!!! album.