| "Blackbird" | |
|---|---|
 Cover of theNorthern Songs sheet music | |
| Song bythe Beatles | |
| from the albumThe Beatles | |
| Released | 22 November 1968 |
| Recorded | 11 June 1968 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:19 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Audio sample | |
"Blackbird" is a song by the Englishrock bandthe Beatles from their 1968 double albumThe Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written byPaul McCartney and credited toLennon–McCartney, and performed as a solo piece by McCartney. When discussing the song, McCartney has said that the lyrics were inspired by hearing the call of ablackbird inRishikesh, India, and by thecivil rights movement in theSouthern United States.
Widely regarded as one of the best songs by the band, it has been covered by several artists, includingAgua De Annique,Crosby, Stills & Nash,Judy Collins,Neil Diamond,Billy Preston,Sia,Sarah McLachlan and on the American musical seriesGlee. In 2024,Beyoncé covered the song for her eighth studio albumCowboy Carter which became the version with the highest placement on theBillboard Hot 100.
McCartney explained onChaos and Creation at Abbey Road that the guitar accompaniment for "Blackbird" was inspired byJohann Sebastian Bach'sBourrée in E minor, a well-known lute piece, often played on the classical guitar. As teenagers, he andGeorge Harrison tried to learnBourrée as a "show off" piece. TheBourrée is distinguished by melody and bass notes played simultaneously on the upper and lower strings. McCartney said that he adapted a segment of theBourrée (reharmonised into the original'srelative major key ofG) as the opening of "Blackbird", and carried the musical idea throughout the song. The first three notes of the song, which then transitioned into the opening guitarriff, were inspired from Bach.[1][2][3][4]
The first night his future wifeLinda Eastman stayed at his home, McCartney played "Blackbird" for the fans camped outside his house.[5]
Since composing "Blackbird" in 1968, McCartney has given various statements regarding both his inspiration for the song and its meaning.[6] He has said that he was inspired by hearing the call of ablackbird one morning when the Beatles were studyingTranscendental Meditation inRishikesh, India, and also[7] writing it in Scotland as a response to theLittle Rock Nine incident and the overallcivil rights movement, wanting to write a song dedicated to people who had been affected by discrimination.[8][9]
In May 2002, following a show inDallas, Texas, McCartney discussed the song withKCRW DJChris Douridas, saying:
I had been doing some [poetry readings] in the last year or so because I've got a poetry book out calledBlackbird Singing, and when I would read "Blackbird", I would always try and think of some explanation to tell the people ... So, I was doing explanations, and I actually just remembered why I'd written "Blackbird", you know, that I'd been, I was in Scotland playing on my guitar, and I remembered this whole idea of "you were only waiting for this moment to arise" was about, you know, the black people's struggle in the southern states, and I was using the symbolism of a blackbird. It's not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it's a bit more symbolic.[10]
In 2018, McCartney further elaborated on the song's meaning, explaining that "blackbird" should be interpreted as "black girl",[11] in the context of the civil rights troubles in southern 1960s US.
His stepmother, Angie McCartney,[7] has claimed that McCartney wrote it for her elderly mother, Edith Stopforth, who was staying at Jim McCartney's house while recovering from a long illness. Angie recalled that McCartney visited the house and sat at Edith's bedside, where Edith told him that she would listen to a bird singing at night.[7]
Although McCartney has been consistent in the meaning, there are still varied interpretations – as a nature song, a message in support of theBlack power movement, or a love song.[12] Writing in the 1990s,Ian MacDonald noted the theory that "Blackbird" was intended as "a metaphor for the black civil rights struggle",[5] but pointed to the composition's romantic qualities, arguing that the early-morning bird song "translates ... into a succinct metaphor for awakening on a deeper level".[13] However, during an informal rehearsal atEMI Studios on 22 November 1968, before he andDonovan took part in aMary Hopkin recording session, McCartney played "Blackbird", telling Donovan that he wrote it after having "read something in the paper about the riots" and that he meant the black "bird" to symbolise a black woman.[14]
Along with McCartney's "Helter Skelter", "Blackbird" was one of several White Album songs thatCharles Manson interpreted as the Beatles' prophecy of an apocalyptic race war that would lead to him and his "Family" of followers ruling the US oncountercultural principles. Manson interpreted the lyrics as a call to black Americans to wage war on their white counterparts, and instructed his followers to commit a series ofmurders in Los Angeles in August 1969 to trigger such a conflict.[15]
The song was recorded on 11 June 1968 atEMI'sAbbey Road Studios' Studio 2, in London,[16] withGeorge Martin as theproducer andGeoff Emerick as theaudio engineer.[17] It is a solo performance with McCartney playing aMartin D-28 acoustic guitar. The track includes recordings of a malecommon blackbird singing in the background.[17][18]
Apart from the blackbird, only three sounds were recorded: McCartney's voice, his guitar, and a tapping that keeps time on the left channel.[19] This tapping "has been incorrectly identified as ametronome in the past", according to engineer Geoff Emerick, who said it is actually the sound of Paul tapping his foot. McCartney also said the same inThe Beatles Anthology documentary (1995). Emerick recalls Paul's foot-taps being mic'd up separately.[20] Footage included in the bonus content on disc two of the 2009 remaster of the album shows McCartney tapping both his feet alternately while performing the song.
The mono version contains the bird sounds a few seconds earlier than the stereo recording, and was originally issued on a mono incarnation ofThe Beatles (it has since been issued worldwide as part ofThe Beatles in Mono CD box set). The song appears on the 2006 remix albumLove with "Yesterday", billed as "Blackbird/Yesterday". "Blackbird" provides an introduction to "Yesterday".
In 1973, McCartney included the song, along with the Beatles track "Michelle",[21] as part of his acousticmedley in the television specialJames Paul McCartney.[22]Starting with his1975–76 world tour with the bandWings, McCartney has performed "Blackbird" on every one of his concert tours.[23] A solo performance of the song, followed by "Yesterday", appears on Wings' 1976 live albumWings over America.
McCartney also included "Blackbird" in his set at theParty at the Palace concert in June 2002. In 2009, McCartney performed the song at theCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commenting prior to singing it on how it had been written in response to the Civil Rights Movement, and added, "It's so great to realise so many civil rights issues have been overcome."[24]
A live version appears in the multi-CD collectionGood Evening New York City, which was released in 2009 and recorded inside the American stadiumCiti Field.
The song is regarded as one of the best in the Beatles' discography, and is generally considered one of McCartney's finest musical achievements.[18][25][26][27][28] Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its release, Jacob Stolworthy ofThe Independent listed "Blackbird" at number five in his ranking of the White Album's 30 tracks. He said that its "beautiful calmness" was at odds with the growing racial tensions that allegedly inspired the song, and concluded: "For many, it's the apotheosis of McCartney's career and remains a standout in his solo live shows."[29] Although the 1985Mr. Mister song "Broken Wings" contains an identical lyric, "Take these broken wings and learn to fly", Mr. Mister memberRichard Page has described this as "a mindless unintentional reference" attributable to songwriterJohn Lang being inspired byKahlil Gibran's 1912 bookBroken Wings.[30]
According toIan MacDonald:[31]
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[32] | 91 |
| USBillboard Hot 100 Recurrents[33] | 20 |
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Streaming (OCC)[34] | 31 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[37] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[38] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States digital sales | — | 506,630[39] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
"Blackbird" was the eighth-most-recorded song of all time as of December 2008.[40]
Crosby, Stills & Nash recorded a version in February of 1969 during sessions fortheir debut album; it was later released on theirbox set of 1991.[41][42] Concert versions by the trio can also be found on thedocument of their 1974 tour as well as the2019 expanded set of performances from the Woodstock Festival.[43][44]
In 2008, Scottish folk musicianJulie Fowlis sang "Blackbird" inScottish Gaelic on a recording commissioned byMojo magazine to celebrateThe White Album's 40th anniversary.[45][46] The song has subsequently been part of her live repertoire.[47][48]
In 2010,Chris Colfer covered the song in the musical seriesGlee,[49] which was included in the soundtrack albumGlee: The Music Presents the Warblers. The version peaked at number 37 on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming the song's highest placement on the chart until Beyoncé's 2024 cover.[50]
In 2015,Dave Grohl performed "Blackbird" during the88th Academy Awards' "In Memoriam" segment.[51]
| "Blackbiird" | |
|---|---|
| Song byBeyoncé,Brittney Spencer,Reyna Roberts,Tanner Adell,Tiera Kennedy | |
| from the albumCowboy Carter | |
| Released | 29 March 2024 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:11 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producers | |
| Lyric video | |
| "Blackbiird" onYouTube | |
American singerBeyoncé recorded a cover of "Blackbird", for her eighth studio albumCowboy Carter, titled "Blackbiird", featuring country singersBrittney Spencer,Reyna Roberts,Tanner Adell andTiera Kennedy.[53] The cover received favorable reviews, both for the production and for the significance the new version takes on within Beyoncé's body of work.[54] It also became the version with the highest placement on theBillboard Hot 100, peaking at 27.[50]
The version uses the original Beatles instrumental.[55] McCartney expressed admiration for Beyoncé's cover, stating: "I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place. I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out. You are going to love it!"[56]
Along with a cover ofDolly Parton's "Jolene", "Blackbird" was critically acclaimed by music critics. The cover was appreciated both for its production and its placement as the second track after "American Requiiem", as it emphasizes the sense and narrative ofCowboy Carter's rediscovery of the African American country genre.[57][58][59][60] Clare Thorp ofBBC News pointed out that the decision to sing the song with four emerging African American female artists was "intentional" and makes the verse "You were only waiting for this moment to arise" a "significant moment" for the whole purpose of the album.[61] Dave Simpson ofThe Guardian wrote that Beyoncé's version of the song "has a deep resonance: a spiritual interpretation" with "musicians who have struggled to gain a foothold in the notoriously gate-kept Nashville" and "appreciating the decision to reintroduce the song to the younger generation".[62]
At the2024 People's Choice Country Awards the cover was nominated for The Cover Song of the Year.[63]
On 25 December 2024, Beyoncé, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy debuted "Blackbiird" live as part of the former's2024 NFL Halftime Show set list.[64] The song was included on theCowboy Carter Tour setlist.[65]
Weekly charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[66] | 47 |
| France (SNEP)[67] | 114 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[68] | 23 |
| Portugal (AFP)[69] | 79 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[70] | 90 |
| UK Singles Sales (OCC)[71] | 17 |
| UK Streaming (OCC)[72] | 31 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[73] | 27 |
| USHot Country Songs (Billboard)[74] | 6 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[75] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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