Hello, I’m Stevie Nix and welcome to Song Sung New, the podcast where we take a song and see if we can find some covers that were only waiting for this moment to be free.
I thought today we could start with a guessing game.
What do Patti Boyd, Donovan and Johann Sebastian Bach have in common?
Dunno?
Let me give you a hint.
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Still not sure? That was Bore-ay in E Minor, written by Bach in the early 18th Century and if you still haven’t picked the connection I say fair enough because it’s a little tenuous.
Anyway, the answer is: without Bach, Donovan and Patti Boyd we wouldn’t have Blackbird, one of the signature songs on The Beatles’ White Album.
So what exactly is the connection? OK, it goes like this: in February 1967, Patti Boyd, then wife of George Harrison, came across an ad for transcendental meditation classes which, given she was on a journey of spiritual self-discovery, caught her attention.
Twelve months later, that journey resulted in Patti, George, the other Beatles, Donovan, Mike Love from The Beach Boys and one or two others, visiting the Maharishi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India.
During their two-month stay there was a lot of down time and Lennon and McCartney used it to learn a new guitar technique from Donovan: fingerpicking. Lennon learned it in two days.
Not sure how long it took McCartney to pick it up, but I’m guessing not long. Probably hours, such is his talent.
Anyway, some time between leaving India in April and starting recording what would become the White Album in May, McCartney retreated to his farm in Scotland where he took Bach’s Bourree in E Minor and refashioned it into the guitar part for Blackbird.
Let’s hear Bourree again.
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It’s hard to hear Blackbird in that, but McCartney is quite open about the fact that’s where it came from.
So that’s the music, how about the lyric, which, I must say, is one of McCartney’s better ones? What’s this song about?
Well, it’s actually a bit political, but in true McCartney style, not overtly political. Although, to be fair he did release Give Ireland Back To The Irish three years later.
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In 2009, McCartney told the crowd at Coachella Blackbird was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in US. And, 19 years later, he elaborated in an interview with GQ, quote
“The civil unrest was going through my mind and I just thought it would be really good if I could write something that If it ever reached any of the people going through those problems, it might give them a bit of hope.” end quote
In another interview, he said, quote:
“It's not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it's a bit more symbolic.” end quote
OK, so let’s get into this.
Just as he did with Mother Nature’s Son, his other acoustic number on the album, McCartney begins the song with some guitar playing, which sets not just the tempo, but the mood.
And the mood is upbeat. Optimistic. As McCartney said, he wanted to give people suffering civil rights atrocities some hope. He didn’t want to wallow in the struggle, rather help them on the road to equality. Inspire them. Lift their spirits.
For mine, this song works on two levels: the symbolic, which McCartney intended, but also a little bit more literal. And this is something veteran American soul singer Bettye Lavette identifies with, too.
In July 2014, at a performance in a London Jazz Club, she told the audience when researching the song, quote
“damn near everyone in the world had recorded it except the person that the song is about – the blackbird.” End quote.
And one of those blackbirds, was Lavette. She so identified with the song, she tinkered with the lyrics to tell her own tale.
Take a listen.
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Lavette’s career has been one of missed opportunity, for a whole manner of reasons – some her making, some not - but in 2020 she’s finally gaining her due recognition. So when she sings …
“All my life, I’ve just waited for this moment to be free.”
… you know this song is now autobiography.
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Lavette’s interpretation is more inspirational that McCartney’s, primarily because she makes the song personal. She wasn’t the only singer to reinterpret the song and take it in another direction, but we’ll get to that other artist a bit later.
First let’s look at a couple of notable covers. As Lavette said, this song has not gone unnoticed. It’s been covered by close to 300 artists in almost every genre imaginable, although I haven’t unearthed any death metal covers. And, if I did, I wouldn’t be playing them anyway.
So, where shall we start? How about with its most recent cover?
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis used to be in a group called 5th Dimension, which broke up some time in the 70s. And they are also married, not that it matters. Anyway, in April 2021 they released an album of Beatles covers, which also included Lennon’s Starting Over and McCartney’s Silly Love Songs.
The record was titled Blackbird and, while it isn’t an album I’d recommend you make a bee-line for, I did like the title track.
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The Sisters Love were an American R&B/soul quartet that were formed in 1968 by a couple of disgruntled Ray-Lettes, Ray Charles’s backing vocalists.
Two years later, in 1970, they turned their attention to Blackbird and gave it a soul makeover. It wasn’t bad, but I’ve heard better.
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Two years later and Sarah Vaughan recorded three albums, two of which were Duke Ellington tributes. The records received mixed reviews, but it was enough for Atlantic records to offer her a contract. In 1981, she went into the studio to record an album of Beatles covers .
Unfortunately the album did little to re-establish Vaughan’s flagging reputation and she was dropped after just one record.
A good indication as to why the record flopped can be heard on Track 8, Blackbird.
It begins innocently, if unremarkably,
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Builds a little momentum at the chorus courtesy of some subtle strings
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But then inexplicably pivots into some soul/funk.
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Who the hell came up with that? Go to your room.
Speaking of soul/funk, Sylvester is the name Stallone’s mother bestowed on her son, and it’s also the name of an American soul/funk and sometimes disco singer from the 70s.
His version was came out on his 1979 live album, Living Proof.
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Ellen Andersson is a Swedish jazz singer who in 2020 released her first album, You Should Have Told Me, which was covered in covers. Interesting covers though. Some quirky, some more down the line. Blackbird was a bit of both.
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If you like that, you’ll love the album.
Speaking of quirky, in 1988, a guy called Bobby McFerrin had an international hit with this song:
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Every sound you heard there was McFerrin’s voice. Four years earlier, in 1984, another African American shot to fame courtesy of his vocal gymnastics – Michael Winslow. If you’ve ever seen Police Academy you’ll know who I’m talking about. And, if you haven’t, don’t worry be happy you haven’t.
McFerrin was also making a name for himself at this time and in 1984 released an all-vocal album called The Voice. Imagine if he’d trademarked that title.
On it was a cover of James Brown’s I Feel Good
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And Blackbird
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McFerrin’s schtick was impressive at first but, let’s face it, it soon grated. And that’s why McFerrin remains a one-hit wonder.
The Dandy Warhols made a promise on the title track of their 2003 album Welcome To The Monkey House. And this was their promise.
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And, in 2009, following the unexpected death of Michael Jackson, they made good on that promise, giving the song a thoroughly modern makeover.
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Dionne Farris is a singer who had a hit in 1994 with a song called I Know and also contributed vocals on Arrested Development’s first album.
Her debut album Wild Seed - Wild Flower was a commercial hit, but it would be another 13 years between it and her second.
One of the highlights of Wild Seed - Wild Flower was this acoustic funk cover of Blackbird.
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On August 16 and 17 2008, Eddie Vedder recorded his performances at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC.
The set list was a mix of Pearl Jam staples interspersed with solo tracks, and covers. The performances would eventually see the light of day in 2011 with the release of the DVD Water On The Road.
Among the songs played, but not released was this acoustic cover of Blackbird.
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Which included bird noises from singer and audience
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Faith Pillow is not some Christian merchandise - although it could be, you never know - but either way it’s also the name of a talented American singer from back in the day. Pillow never had a hit, to the best of my knowledge, but she could sing, as she demonstrated during this 1979 performance in Chicago. The song goes for seven minutes, but here’s my favourite part.
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Ferdinand Sarnitz is an Austrian DJ you’ve never heard of who used to go by the stage name Left Boy. In 2010, Left Boy introduced himself with a self-funded album called The Second Coming.
The record ended with a song called Blackbird, which some would say samples The Beatles but I’m saying covers The Beatles.
See what you think.
Jana Herzen & Charnett Moffett are an American jazz duo with one album to their name, 2020’s Round The World. It was a collection of covers, with a few originals thrown in, and some of the covers were interesting. There’s a version of Kermit’s Rainbow Connection, for example, and Men At Work’s Down Under. If you liked Andersson’s cover, chances are you’ll like this one, too.
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Bettye Lavette and Faith Pillow aside, what binds all of these covers together is their adherence to the melodic thrust of McCartney’s original. The air of optimism that permeated through The Beatles’ track is retained. Even in The Dandy Warhols’ version.
That isn’t the case in our final cover, however. This performance sticks rigidly to McCartney’s lyric, yet tells an altogether different tale.
The artist in question is jazz singer Rene Marie, a woman who married at 18, had two children by the age of 23 and was a divorcee at 41 when her husband said it’s either me or the music.
Twelve months later, in 1997, she began her professional career. Another four years down the track, in 2001, she released her third album, Vertigo, which included a stark reworking of Blackbird.
But before we hear from Marie, let’s hear from McCartney because I’ve just realised we’ve heard from everyone except the guy who wrote it. So, this is how Blackbird begins, according to its author.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Marie takes the same three lines and completely rewrites McCartney’s song … while barely changing a word.
McCartney’s original is, as we said, infused with optimism. Taken literally, this Blackbird is singing and it’s the dead of night. There’s no other sounds competing for space at this late hour. The bird has the stage.
The bird has broken wings but it will soon be able to fly regardless. This is the moment the bird has been waiting for. There is a sense of anticipation at the prospect of finally being set free.
Marie takes the same three lines and applies an altogether different perspective.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life, you’ve always waited for this moment to arise
The Blackbird is alone. It is still singing, but it’s the dead of night. There are no other sounds. There is a sense of dread. It begins as soon as Marie sings the first two syllables.
Black-birrrrrrrrrrrrd she sings, holding the second syllable, suggesting this is the type of sound the bird is making. And it is not a peaceful, joyous sound. Marie is saying the bird may well be in danger.
We don’t know, but it might be wise for the bird to stop singing. It is, after all out at night, all alone, hampered by its broken wings. Note wings, plural. Both wings are broken, but it is being asked to fly. Is it possible to fly with broken wings?
The song never says the bird succeeds. It never suggests the wings heal. In Marie’s version, it seems highly unlikely the bird will be able to fly. And this is a seismic moment for the bird. All roads have led here. What if the bird can’t fly? What then? It’s the dead of night, remember. Predators abound.
Back to McCartney to continue his telling.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of a dark black night
McCartney is gently cajoling the bird to take flight. Like a parent teaching a child to learn to ride a bike, McCartney knows the bird will be OK. It just needs to pluck up the courage to take flight. Freedom awaits. Go and grab it.
It’s eyes are sunken, but if it tries, it will see, it will even see the light in a dark, black night.
Marie’s Blackbird also has sunken eyes, eyes so sunken it cannot see. Again, as with the broken wings, it’s being asked to ignore the obvious and push on. But there’s no guarantees and the odds seem stacked against it. There is also a sense that the clock is ticking. The moment of opportunity is here. If the bird doesn’t take it, the chance won’t come again. It’s now or never.
But the night is dark, there is a light, but it is in the distance. The bird has broken wings and sunken eyes. It’s not really in a position to seize this moment.
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McCartney ends his story where it began by repeating the first verse.
“You were only waiting for this moment to arise,” he sings over and over, before ending the song with a pluck of his guitar string.
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“You were only waiting for this moment to arise.” What does that mean, exactly?
The bird has ONLY been waiting for this moment – that suggest this is all the bird has been doing. And by the time the song ends, it is still waiting. There is no flying, or seeing. The bird remains trapped in the broken reality of now, unable to see a future much less fly toward the promise that it brings.
I’m not sure this is what McCartney is trying to say, but it’s a plausible interpretation.
Marie’s version ends with her cajoling the bird to “fly”. Fly, fly, fly, she whispers. Or is this what the bird is saying to itself? Either way, it’s futile. To borrow a phrase from McCartney’s former songwriting partner, this bird has not flown.
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Five years later, McCartney would return to these themes with more conviction, less ambiguity on Bluebird. It’s late night again, but there are no broken wings. This bird does not need to learn to fly. This bird is not alone, and it is flying toward freedom and all the joys that entails.
Late at night when the wind is still
I'll come flying through your door,
And you'll know what love is for
I'm a bluebird.
Fly away through the midnight air
As we head across the sea,
And at last we will be free
You're a bluebird.
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So what drove McCartney to revisit Blackbird, if in fact this was what he was doing? Although I find it difficult to believe he didn’t see the obvious connection. Is this a case of McCartney having to end a song on a happy note? This was the guy, after all, who said in 1976
“Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs
And what's wrong with that I'd like to know.”
Blackbird was neither a love song, nor was it silly. It just might be the most un-silly song McCartney’s ever written.
Lyrics have never been his forte, but when he does make the effort, when he actually sits down and thinks about what he’s writing, his songs soar even higher.
Like a Bluebird. And, definitely like a blackbird.
End with end of Blackbird fingerpicking.
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