Beatles' Blackbird still relevant today

Posted January 2021

By T Gedi

Cub Reporter

Blackbird by The Beatles symbolizes Black women in America during the Civil Rights Movement. Paul McCartney, vocalist and bassist for The Beatles, was inspired to write the song after the Little Rock Crisis.

The song is short (2:18 minutes to be exact), yet powerful, the uplifting lyrics written at High Park Farm in Kintyre, Scotland. Blackbird’s lyrics align perfectly with the mere four sounds used: McCartney’s voice, his Martin D 28 acoustic guitar, bird sounds, and the tapping of his foot to keep time.

I can’t lie. I’m not a fan of The Beatles. Nothing personal, I just could never get into them. Like, yeah, I think young Paul McCartney was super hot. I know all the lyrics to Love Me Do and I bought the vinyl of their first album from a thrift shop, but I couldn’t name five songs. However, Blackbird is a song that’s going into my playlist. It’s peaceful, calming, and memorable.

Peaceful? Memorable? Why? Well, first and foremost, the track opens up with, “Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life. You were only waiting for this moment to arise.” It makes me think of my own life. Nothing too sad, thank God, but it reminds me of the times I’ve had to make do with what I had. You see how I connected it to my own life? Memorable.