Baxter Fernandez

December 8, 2015
Song Analysis
Professor Intawiwat
ENG 111-10
One of, if not the, most famous bands in history is The Beatles. The Beatles consisted of
John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. The band first started forming
in the late 1950s with Ringo Starr joining last in the 1960s (Rolling Stone). They are famous
not only for their pop and rock music, but also for how they have influenced the music genres
and other musical artists.
The 1960s was a time of turmoil in the United States. This is when the Civil Rights
movement was at its height. Segregation was being protested, schools were first starting to
become integrated, and it was the start of a new beginning for African Americans in the South. It
was also a prominent time of music. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and more
were all producing music. A song written in 1968 by The Beatles titled Blackbird captures
what was happening in the U.S. in the 1960s (Turner, Steve).
Blackbird was first performed publicly by Paul McCartney with his guitar outside of
his home with a crowd of fans around him (Turner, Steve). While the Beatles were together, any
song written by McCartney alone or Lennon alone legally had to be credited to both (Rolling
Stone). Though credited to both McCartney and Lennon, McCartney was the sole vocalist and
guitarist and it is believed that he wrote the entire song. Blackbird came out on the Beatles

White Album. The White Album, a double album with a plain white cover, was the ninth album
The Beatles released (Wikipedia). The lyrics of the song are metaphorical. The title Blackbird
comes from the slave trade, where the term blackbird was used to refer to black people in a
derogatory manner (Turner, Steve).
The first line, Blackbird singing in the dead of night, refers to the oppressed black
woman trying to overcome unequal rights (metrolyrics) (Turner, Steve). Dead of night refers to
the dark times people were living in. Take these broken wings and learn to fly is encouraging
African Americans to use all of their misfortunes to learn to overcome their obstacles
(metrolyrics). All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arrive is referring to the
centuries African Americans had been waiting and fighting for equal rights. Take these sunken
eyes and learn to see, is again saying to take misfortune and become something better
(metrolyrics). The last stanza says Blackbird fly, blackbird fly into the light of the dark black
night (metrolyrics); which means to leave hardships in the past and overcome them.
This song was written to give hope to the struggling African American people. Though
often listened to by fans who do not know the meaning behind this song, Blackbird became a
popular Beatles song. The Beatles broke up in 1970; it was announced as Paul McCartneys first
solo album was released (Rolling Stone). Unfortunately, ten years later John Lennon was shot
and killed by a mentally disabled man who claimed to be Holden Caulfield from the book
Catcher in The Rye. In the 1990s George Harrison was diagnosed with lung cancer and in 2001
it killed him (Rolling Stone).

Works Cited
Turner, Steve. "Blackbird." The Beatles, a Hard Day's Write: The Stories behind Every Song.
New York: MJF, 2011. 260-61. Print.

"Beatles." METROLYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

(http://www.metrolyrics.com/blackbird-lyrics-beatles.html)

"The Beatles Biography." Rolling Stone. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
(http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-beatles/biography)

"The Beatles (album)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_%28album%29)