In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I wished I was smarter
Wished I was stronger
I wished I loved Jesus
The way the my wife does
I wished it'd been easier
Instead of any longer
I wished I could've stood
Where you would've been proud
That won't happen now
That won't happen now
There's a whole lot of sinners
That ain't gonna be heard
Disappearing every day
Without so much as a word
Somehow
I'm afraid I broke the wings
Off that little songbird
And she's never gonna fly
To the top of the world How
To the top of the world
I don't have to answer
Any of these questions
Don't have no guide to
Teach me no lessons
I come home in the evening
Sit in my chair
One night they called me for supper
But I never got up
I stayed right there
In my chair
There's a whole lot of singing
That ain't gonna be heard
Disappearing every day
Without so much as a word
Somehow
I think I broke the wings
Off a little songbird
And she's never gonna fly
To the top of the world
How
To the top of the world
I wished I'd had known you
Wished I had shown you
All of the things I
Was all these are
But I'd pretend to be sleeping
When you'd come in in the morning
To whisper goodbye
Go work at the rain
I don't know why
Don't know why
Cause everyone's singing
We just want to be heard
Disappearing every day
Without so much as a word
So how?
Gonna grab a hold
Of that little songbird
And take her for a ride
To the top of the world
Right now
To the top of the world
Wished I was stronger
I wished I loved Jesus
The way the my wife does
I wished it'd been easier
Instead of any longer
I wished I could've stood
Where you would've been proud
That won't happen now
That won't happen now
There's a whole lot of sinners
That ain't gonna be heard
Disappearing every day
Without so much as a word
Somehow
I'm afraid I broke the wings
Off that little songbird
And she's never gonna fly
To the top of the world How
To the top of the world
I don't have to answer
Any of these questions
Don't have no guide to
Teach me no lessons
I come home in the evening
Sit in my chair
One night they called me for supper
But I never got up
I stayed right there
In my chair
There's a whole lot of singing
That ain't gonna be heard
Disappearing every day
Without so much as a word
Somehow
I think I broke the wings
Off a little songbird
And she's never gonna fly
To the top of the world
How
To the top of the world
I wished I'd had known you
Wished I had shown you
All of the things I
Was all these are
But I'd pretend to be sleeping
When you'd come in in the morning
To whisper goodbye
Go work at the rain
I don't know why
Don't know why
Cause everyone's singing
We just want to be heard
Disappearing every day
Without so much as a word
So how?
Gonna grab a hold
Of that little songbird
And take her for a ride
To the top of the world
Right now
To the top of the world
Lyrics submitted by rjbucs28, edited by GRAMMARSNOB, vshjr
Top of the World Lyrics as written by Patricia J. Griffin
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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I felt the Dixie Chicks' video captured the true meaning of this song. We see 3 generations of a family where mistreatment occurs. However, at the end, the daughter chooses to show her own child affection; even though her father lacked it with her growing up.
The "songbird" is the daughter, it's also the father when he was a young child. The woman singing is from her father's perspective, and the way he treated her and her mother. In the video we see the father's mistreatment by his own mother which leaks onto his inability to show true love and affection to his own child. "I think I broke the wings off that little songbird, she's never going to fly to the top of the world.." He realizes that he's crushed the relationship with his daughter. He knows that his actions over the years has broken his daughter inside. "I wish i'd known you, wish i'd shown you, all that I was on the inside, But I'd pretend to be sleeping when you'd come in the morning, to whisper goodbye, go to work in the rain, I don't know why.." The father is reflecting on how he wanted to show his daughter love and affection, but never could, mainly because he was never shown affection as a child either. If anyone knows the attachment theory, this song embodies the importance of early attachments and how the lack of secure attachments can affect someone throughout life. One of my favorite and most personal songs.
@songbird1919 Something else I wanted to add:: I always wondered if patty griffin intended the "songbird" to refer to herself