Sometimes, a song can just leave you stunned, not only with its creativity but with its meaning and how it is presented. “Blackbird“ is one of those. It is a song worthy of some consideration, so let’s take a look at the meaning behind “Blackbird” by The Beatles.
If Sergeant Pepper was special, we all waited in anticipation for what was to come next. They constantly surprised us with their creativity and desire to push boundaries. Everyone knew if you wanted the best, no one else was on the same planet as The Beatles.
Something Different
The White Album arrived, and I remember some people were disappointed. They had expected even more orchestrations than Sgt. Pepper, more of those lush string creations. More technical recording games. But the White Album wasn’t like that.
They had stripped everything back, allowing the songs to be more like you would hear from the band. The Beatles hadn’t spent hours playing games and inventing tricks. For the majority of the album, it was just the music.
One Of The First Tracks Completed
“Blackbird” was one of the first songs that they had completed for this important follow-up album. And the restraint I have just mentioned is all too evident. A voice, a guitar, a tempo tap, and a blackbird singing. That’s all. The bird song was added later from Abbey Road’s extensive library.
The song itself did promote questions at the time. One of those was, “Why ‘Blackbird’?” Was it about a bird, or was there something deeper going on here? It is important to try and understand what was going on at the time of its release.
It’s also important to know that a high percentage of Beatles fans weren’t in tune enough with world events to understand the message. For many people, if the song was called “Blackbird,” then that was what it was about. It was only later that the meanings behind The Beatles’ “Blackbird” began to appear.
A Common Site
The Common Blackbird, or as it is sometimes called outside of the UK, the Eurasian Blackbird, is a common sight. Even in inner cities, they are prevalent, so all of The Beatles likely grew up knowing of their existence.
Paul McCartney has said that when he wrote the song, he had in mind one of these birds rather than a black woman. I cannot say what he meant, but we will return to that statement to consider it further.
Their Political Side
By this time in their careers, The Beatles weren’t averse to waving the banners for situations they didn’t agree with. The occasional politically overt song was not beyond them. John’s “Revolution” is an example.
However, the message behind “Blackbird” was a little more specific and didn’t just complain about an issue. It offered hope that all will eventually be well. But, interestingly, it was written in such a way you would not realize that when it begins.
It could be described as a delicate ballad. A single Martin D-28 acoustic guitar and a tap timer along with McCartney’s vocals. And for good measure, a few bird noises occasionally. But this is not an ornithologist’s anthem; it has a far more serious meaning.
The Meaning Behind “Blackbird” by The Beatles – Origins
It was written at different times. Partly in Rishikesh in India and partly back in the UK during late 1967 and 1968. Whilst we will be able to clarify what appears to be the meaning of the song “Blackbird,” McCartney has made life a little difficult.
He has made various statements over the years about the song, its origins and meanings, and even the vernacular he used. Unfortunately, they don’t all seem to agree. But, then again, they are statements lifted from interviews that may have been lengthy. Sometimes, statements taken in isolation can be taken out of context.
At first, he said he was inspired to write the song after hearing a bird sing one morning whilst they were in India. He also said that he wrote it in Scotland after hearing about racial tensions in America.
Back to the “blackbird” I mentioned earlier…
McCartney has said that the word should be interpreted to mean a black girl. So, not really writing about a bird at all, then. This last interpretation of “Blackbird” by The Beatles was made as recently as 2002 on a radio show in Dallas, Texas.
A Commentary
What appears to be the real motivation behind the song “Blackbird” was McCartney’s revulsion of the treatment of African-Americans.
In the context of the well-publicized problems in the American South in the 60s, it is a commentary on the Civil Rights Movement. Paul and John may have had their differences at this time, but this was one issue where they both agreed with each other.
The Guitar Style
Let’s pause for a moment and discuss the guitar part. Some people think McCartney didn’t play it, but he did. Most bass players who play fingerstyle can play a decent acoustic guitar part. They use their fingers on the bass almost in a similar way to a finger-picking guitar style. I say “almost” because it isn’t a formal acoustic guitar-picking technique.
British Folk singer Donovan taught John Lennon a formal picking technique. John then used it on songs like “Dear Prudence“ on the White Album. Paul’s acoustic technique comes from another place and is almost classical in its style.
He has often said that when he and George were young that they both tried to learn a classical guitar piece. They were going to impress onlookers as young 14 and 15-year-olds do. The piece they were attempting to learn was JS Bach’s “Bourree in E Minor“.
That song has a very different way of playing…
Especially when you compare it with the standard American Country and Folk fingerpicking techniques. Donovan was teaching John a standard format that many people used.
Furthermore, the bass notes in “Blackbird” are often synchronized with the melody or changes in chord structures. “Blackbird” does not contain a standard picking technique. That, in some ways, is a style unique to McCartney. The semi-classical guitar style is a perfect match for “Blackbird.”
Cry Baby Cry
There was plenty of that in the early part of 1968 in America, culminating in the murder of Martin Luther King in April in Memphis. That brought matters to a head for the Civil Rights Movement and those that supported it, The Beatles included.
The White Album came out in November of that year. “Blackbird,” largely a McCartney contribution, was on that album. John chipped in with his typical, more blunt approach as he sang “Revolution.”
Interesting that John did not encourage what was happening, considering what some saw as a revolution. Ironically, “Revolution,” the song, questions the tactics being used by the Civil Rights Movement in 1968. John was quite clear – we can’t run away anymore; we need to speak out. But there are different ways of doing that.
While we are talking about protest songs on the album…
What about George’s monumental “While My Guitar Gently Weeps“? A display of his character and how he saw what was going on in America’s south, and for him, other places. This was a year of demonstrations, despair, and death. George felt that keenly, as they all did.
A Specific Statement
Whilst “Revolution” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” addressed wider issues, “Blackbird” seemed more personal. As if the song was making a specific statement. We found out later that it was.
The Meaning Behind “Blackbird” by The Beatles – A Driving Force
McCartney claims that whilst all four Beatles were aware of the racial tensions in America, “Blackbird” was his statement about it. In his mind, it seems to have culminated with the incident in Little Rock, Arkansas. But why it suddenly was his inspiration over ten years later is not so clear.
What Happened in Little Rock?
A Supreme Court ruling said that having “white-only” schools was unconstitutional. Nine black students tried to enroll in the previously all-white but now free school in Little Rock in 1957. Arkansas Governor, Orval Faubus, decided that the law didn’t apply to him and called out the Arkansas National Guard to make sure the nine could not enter the college.
That prompted an intervention from President Eisenhower. He sent federal troops in to ensure they gained access to the school as per the law. Faubus became the ‘face’ of racial prejudice in parts of America. The Civil Rights Movement got the worldwide publicity they needed, and years later, The Beatles got a song for the White Album.
As a side note, McCartney got to meet two of the nine students. He met Thelma Mothershed and Elizabeth Eckford after a concert he performed in Little Rock in 2016. I doubt Faubus would have gone had he been alive.
Origins and Meaning
It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of “Blackbird” by The Beatles with any certainty due to timeframes and comments made about its origin.
Originally, McCartney claimed that he was inspired to write the song when he heard a bird singing in the morning while they were all in India. So, did he start to write the song in India in 1967? Was the Little Rock confrontation in his mind then? Unlikely, I think.
Later, he claimed to have written the song sitting in his kitchen in his house in Scotland. McCartney said he picked up an acoustic guitar and started to work out the tune. Was that tune based on something he had started to write in India the year before? Possibly.
Desegregation Was The Impulse
But, he said that the moment he decided to do it was when the Little Rock schools decided to desegregate. That was in 1958, ten years before.
What is more likely, in my opinion, is that terminologies and timeframes have been misunderstood. It is possible that he came up with the idea in India, even maybe a few guitar phrases.
The sad call of the bird singing stirred something inside him, but nothing to do with the Civil Rights happenings at that time. He then resumed writing it in Scotland.
The Trigger
That resumption may have been inspired by a radio or TV program or a newspaper report about the ongoing trouble in the American South. Maybe that was the trigger for the song if they talked about the “Little Rock Nine.” It had been a well-known incident in the late 50s.
The ‘blackbird’ connotation regarding a black lady might have come to him when the song was finished, or just after. It is a relevant and descriptive association. Perhaps before the recording, the “message to a black lady” became the driving force of the song. Songwriters will know how a song can start as one thing but then transform accidentally into another with a slight adjustment to the lyric.
The message and meaning of “Blackbird” become clearer by looking at it that way. A song about encouragement, about being brave enough to stand up for yourself. About hope. The lyrics then become symbolic. It is interesting how the song generates a kind of peace and calmness. That was the opposite of the growing racial tension developing that he could see.
“Take These Broken Wings”
That is crucial, and some might say, the most crucial part of the lyric. The encouragement that recognizes you have been knocked down, but by mending your “wings,” you can learn to fly again.
There is some discussion about where that line came from, but I am not going to get into that. All I would say is that I do know that John was immersed in reading a text in the latter half of 1967 and early 1968. That book was a poetic novel by Khalil Gibran written in the early 1900s called Broken Wing.
Did John contribute a line as he had done for “Eleanor Rigby”? No Matter. That is for others to decide. The important thing here is the song. And, in the eyes of all of The Beatles at the time, there weren’t many things more important than the Civil Rights movement.
Curious About The Meaning Behind Other Well-Known Songs?
If so, check out our thoughts on The Meaning Behind “Both Sides, Now” by Joni Mitchell, The Meaning Behind “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, The Meaning Behind “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, the Meaning Behind “Hotel California” Song By The Eagles, and the Meaning Of ‘American Pie’ Song Lyrics for more fascinating song analysis.
The Meaning Behind “Blackbird” by The Beatles – Final Thoughts
It has always been a special song for Paul, and us, and he often performs it live these days. Here he is at Glastonbury in 2004. It’s a song with a message and a very important meaning and should probably be recognized as one of his most important works. That meaning and its message still resonate today.
Until next time, happy listening.
