Now, the words had all been spoken
And somehow the feeling still wasn't right.
And still we continued on through the night.
Tracing our steps from the beginning
Until they vanished into the air
Trying to understand how our lives had led us there

Looking hard into your eyes
There was nobody I'd ever known
Such an empty surprise to feel so alone.

Now for me some words come easy
But I know that they don't mean that much
Compared with the things that are said when lovers touch
You never knew what I loved in you
I don't know what you loved in me
Maybe the picture of somebody you were hoping I might be

Awake again I can't pretend that I know I'm alone
And close to the end of the feeling we've known

How long have I been sleeping
How long have I been drifting alone through the night
How long have I been dreaming I could make it right
If I closed my eyes and tried with all my might
To be the one you'll need

Awake again I can't pretend and I know I'm alone
And close to the end of the feeling we've known

How long have I been sleeping
How long have I been drifting alone through the night
How long have I been running for that morning flight
Through the whispered promises and the changing light
Of the bed where we both lie
Late for the sky

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Lyrics submitted by Irishred516, edited by DavidPintilie

Late for the Sky song meanings

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+8
General Comment
This is Jackson's masterpiece. It is one of the most beautifully and touchingly heartbroken songs ever written by anyone. This is an exquisitely crafted song. I love the juxtapositions of - night / morning - awake / sleeping - closed eyes / dreaming - drifting / running - spoken words / whispered promises - steps from the beginning / close to the end - hard into your eyes / some words come easy - whispered promises / where we both lie - still wasn't right / changing light - continued through the night / running for that morning flight - bed / sky - vanished into the air / late for the sky and I love the function of this progression: And still we continued on . . . Awake again . . . How long have I been sleeping? How long have I been drifting . . . How long have I been dreaming . . . How long have I been running . . . For all of its literary technique, it remains eternally fresh. I'll add an additional nod to David's slide guitar which is glorious.

This is Jackson's masterpiece. It is one of the most beautifully and touchingly heartbroken songs ever written by anyone. This is an exquisitely crafted song. I love the juxtapositions of - night / morning - awake / sleeping - closed eyes / dreaming - drifting / running - spoken words / whispered promises - steps from the beginning / close to the end - hard into your eyes / some words come easy - whispered promises / where we both lie - still wasn't right / changing light - continued through the night / running for that morning flight - bed / sky - vanished into the air / late for the sky and I love the function of this progression: And still we continued on . . . Awake again . . . How long have I been sleeping? How long have I been drifting . . . How long have I been dreaming . . . How long have I been running . . . For all of its literary technique, it remains eternally fresh. I'll add an additional nod to David's slide guitar which is glorious.

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artmavenon July 02, 2006 Link
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@artmaven

Well put. I so admire JB's ability to structure his language. What a gift: lucky us! It is fun to deconstruct his lyrics. If one likes to craft lyrics, there is no better teacher than Jackson.

MMMerryon September 30, 2009
+5
General Comment
I have always loved the line "Of the bed where we both lie" where the word "lie", of course, has two meanings. That line reminds me of Dylan at his best.

I have always loved the line "Of the bed where we both lie" where the word "lie", of course, has two meanings. That line reminds me of Dylan at his best.

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itjustmeon October 17, 2006 Link
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@itjustme
+3
General Comment
For an interesting comparison, listen to the song by Jackson's good friend, the late great Warren Zevon, Hasten Down the Wind. Warren was a little more concise than Jackson was, but no less eloquent a songwriter, and Hasten Down the Wind is a great companion piece about the painful end of a relationship where the parties just drift apart and can't recapture what they had, but can't figure out why it isn't working any more. And if you really want to get the emotion in the song, go to archive.org and go to the Zevon archive and listen to the version in the 1976 WMMR radio show interview where he sits at a piano and plays solo.

For an interesting comparison, listen to the song by Jackson's good friend, the late great Warren Zevon, Hasten Down the Wind. Warren was a little more concise than Jackson was, but no less eloquent a songwriter, and Hasten Down the Wind is a great companion piece about the painful end of a relationship where the parties just drift apart and can't recapture what they had, but can't figure out why it isn't working any more. And if you really want to get the emotion in the song, go to archive.org and go to the Zevon archive and listen to the version in the 1976 WMMR radio show interview where he sits at a piano and plays solo.

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jswjron January 15, 2014 Link
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@jswjr
+2
General Comment
I first heard Late for the Sky in 1974. 33 years and at least 6000 listenings later this piece still kicks my ass. However, despite hours and hours of disection and interpretation and consideration, I still have not gotten my head around the phrase, "Late for the Sky" What the heck? Sky Blue Sky Black Jesus in the Sky.... But Late for the Sky? Any ideas?

I first heard Late for the Sky in 1974. 33 years and at least 6000 listenings later this piece still kicks my ass. However, despite hours and hours of disection and interpretation and consideration, I still have not gotten my head around the phrase, "Late for the Sky" What the heck? Sky Blue Sky Black Jesus in the Sky.... But Late for the Sky? Any ideas?

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BRUCErulzon February 24, 2007 Link
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@BRUCErulz

For me "Sky" seems to be a metaphor for heaven (the place where we allow the dead to go). In this song, the narrator suddenly realizes that his relationship with his lover died some time ago. The time is past due to accept that it is over and to let it go. The time is also overdue to leave the coop and find another gig "farther on".
This is such a beautifully touching song and an example of why Jackson Browne's music still remains on my most frequently played list.

phearton January 05, 2009

For me "Sky" seems to be a metaphor for heaven (the place where we allow the dead to go). In this song, the narrator suddenly realizes that his relationship with his lover died some time ago. The time is past due to accept that it is over and to let it go. The time is also overdue to leave the coop and find another gig "farther on".
This is such a beautifully touching song and an example of why Jackson Browne's music still remains on my most frequently played list.

phearton January 05, 2009

Kicks my ass, too. Kills me. It's got a simple chord structure in C that works on down the scale, and then the tag at the end from C to Bb, back and forth to the tonic.

Re: the "sky" references, I heard him say, in concert, that his family/friends had put a ban on some of these words of which JB is so fond. Sky, angels, light-dark-night with their suffixes. LOL. Clearly I have too much time on my hands, but one day I took a couple of these words and made a tic sheet. Oh boy.

It's hard when you have accessible words which are so versatile and are so nicely given to metaphor.

MMMerryon September 30, 2009

Late for the sky...where dreams become and where you are allowed to soar, yet he is late. All of his dreams were grounded and never allowed to take flight, but such is the plight of those drifting alone, along through the night.

And it's exactly where he leads us with his words, to the words between the lines, that allow deep personal meaning to transpire.

Not to mention that guitar which thanks for the chords, MMMerry, as I'm just beginning to learn to play the acoustic!

idgyon December 30, 2011

I agree with what others have already said regarding the metaphorical significance of the phrase "late for the sky" (heaven, a place to dream and soar, etc.). Without discounting any of this, the song's last lines ("How long have I been running for that morning flight...late for the sky") have always brought a very literal image to my mind: someone having a stress dream that they're running through an airport for a flight that they're late for (and, presumably, going to miss).

This is purely subjective (nothing in the lyrics suggests that JB intended this literal dream image). Even with this overly literal interpretation, however, the line still packs abundantly rich metaphorical possibilities (e.g., feelings of: we blew it, we missed out, we overslept, we're stuck on the ground, we've missed an opportunity to really go somewhere, we should've waken up sooner and gotten out of here, etc., etc.). That's the beauty of true poetry: one interpretation doesn't negate, but rather builds upon, other non-mutually-exclusive perspectives.

I also love the insight and naked honesty of lines like: "You never knew what I loved in you/I don't know what you loved in me/Maybe the picture of somebody you were hoping I might be" (and just about every other line in the song).

Don't know why, but this song has haunted me for decades.
Thanks for initiating a thought-provoking discussion, Bruce.

feralhamsteron June 01, 2012

In Vietnam '67 the term "sky up" or just "sky" was used meaning "to exit" or "to leave" Perhaps here "late for the sky" means that he should have left this relationship sooner.

jmurdaon October 14, 2014

@BRUCErulz -- The "sky" part refers to heaven. The relationship Jackson sings about has been dead for a while, yet they haven't left each other yet, so it lingers on. It is late for the sky, the afterlife. It means the relationship is dead, yet has lingered on unnecessarily after it's death, and should be put to rest.

And as feralhamster pointed out, Jackson uses the imagery of being late for a morning plane to emphasize the anxiety and fear he has over this lingering, dead relationship. He really should be leaving, but he is very late in doing so.

3d1mandakngon July 16, 2016

@BRUCErulz The title actually came from a conversation Jackson had with someone about being late for a flight. He said, "I'm late for my plane, I'm late for the sky." He thought the phrase "Late for the Sky" would be a good title for a song in the future and this was the product. The title could have a deeper meaning like all of you have listed, but from what I've heard, that's at least where the title originated for the song

Cbuck22on August 16, 2016

@BRUCErulz everyone pretty much got it. It’s heaven, the afterlife, spirituality, dreams etc. Compare to the first two stanzas of the The Road (physical life) and the Sky (the afterlife, etc) from the same album:

When we come to the place where the road and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
They told me I was going to have to work for a living
But all I want to do is ride
I don't care where we're going from here
Honey, you decide

Well I spend my time at the bottom of a wishing well
And I can hear my dreams singing clear as a bell
I used to know where they ended and the world began
But now it's getting hard to tell
I could be just around the corner from heaven or a mile from hell

Mickey Cold Cutson November 28, 2019

@BRUCErulz I should have left here awhile ago, I should already be on a plane to somewhere far away. I'm still here but I'm doing the wrong thing because I should already have taken off . . . that said I believe he's said it was just a nonsense phrase.

citicaton May 27, 2021

@BRUCErulz
Yes , I’ve heard Jackson explain this …….one night after a concert he took a young lady back to his room …..in the morning he was due to fly out to the next gig ……..as he left her , he said I have to go ….I’m late for the sky

geoffrey11on September 19, 2022
+2
General Comment
I really love the title Late For The Sky. To me it has two meanings: 1) Late to take off to the sky (i.e. "for"= destination as in the plane for Rio) 2) Late FOR the sky- as in, the sky is late in its changing Both ways fit for the song. Pure brilliance.

I really love the title Late For The Sky. To me it has two meanings: 1) Late to take off to the sky (i.e. "for"= destination as in the plane for Rio) 2) Late FOR the sky- as in, the sky is late in its changing Both ways fit for the song. Pure brilliance.

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Detsub1494on June 14, 2008 Link
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@Detsub1494
+1
General Comment
This is such an incredible song, that I agree with the above poster who can't believe nobody else has placed a comment. Staying too long in a relationship, knowing it's essentially over, not knowing why when in your head you have the answers, but just can't bring yourself to leave. The song literally aches with the relaization that it's OVER and all that's left is to admit it out loud and get on with it. Sometimes the pain of ending a relationship is harder that staying in one that isn't working and feeling you failed at something you really tried at and wanted to work. You ask yourself, "how did this happen and how did it come to this" (How long have I been sleeping? - that i didn't notice the disintergration of my relationship...) That's what this song has always meant to me. It's a haunting tune as well. Fantastic. Jackson at his best.

This is such an incredible song, that I agree with the above poster who can't believe nobody else has placed a comment. Staying too long in a relationship, knowing it's essentially over, not knowing why when in your head you have the answers, but just can't bring yourself to leave. The song literally aches with the relaization that it's OVER and all that's left is to admit it out loud and get on with it. Sometimes the pain of ending a relationship is harder that staying in one that isn't working and feeling you failed at something you really tried at and wanted to work. You ask yourself, "how did this happen and how did it come to this" (How long have I been sleeping? - that i didn't notice the disintergration of my relationship...) That's what this song has always meant to me. It's a haunting tune as well. Fantastic. Jackson at his best.

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LolaBaton October 19, 2004 Link
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@LolaBat
+1
General Comment
"Looking hard into your eyes There was nobody I'd ever known Such an empty suprise To feel so alone." "Awake again, I can't pretend That I know I'm alone, And close to the end" This is amazing song writing! This song is awe inspiring.

"Looking hard into your eyes There was nobody I'd ever known Such an empty suprise To feel so alone." "Awake again, I can't pretend That I know I'm alone, And close to the end" This is amazing song writing! This song is awe inspiring.

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Adored_Pumpkinheadon June 22, 2007 Link
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@Adored_Pumpkinhead
+1
General Comment
I too have loved this song since the 70's along with all of the other Jackson Browne offerings from that period, yes even "Lawyers in Love". The title has always conjured up an image of an airplane leaving, so I guess I have to agree with makebusy7 in this. What amazes me most is that although I savor Browne's double meanings, I never tumbled the double meaning of "in the bed where we both lie". What a great website this is for introspection.

I too have loved this song since the 70's along with all of the other Jackson Browne offerings from that period, yes even "Lawyers in Love". The title has always conjured up an image of an airplane leaving, so I guess I have to agree with makebusy7 in this. What amazes me most is that although I savor Browne's double meanings, I never tumbled the double meaning of "in the bed where we both lie". What a great website this is for introspection.

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gregoriogalleryon January 12, 2008 Link
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@gregoriogallery
+1
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This song was one of my best friend's favorite songs. Taxi Driver was also one of his favorite movies. He decided to take his own life on march 6th 2008. So what does this song mean to me?......Him, my best friend.

This song was one of my best friend's favorite songs. Taxi Driver was also one of his favorite movies. He decided to take his own life on march 6th 2008. So what does this song mean to me?......Him, my best friend.

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diablo0072kon March 08, 2008 Link
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@diablo0072k

I created an account, just to reply to this. Just wanted you to know that the combination of this song, plus your comment, really put me in a mood. I'm very sorry about your friend and hope that all has been good for you in the last five or so years.

This song is incredibly powerful and I appreciate your comments. Be well and God bless you, friend.

nathanwnelsonon September 29, 2014
+1
General Comment
Rolling Stone's original review of the album says it all to me: rollingstone.com/artists/jacksonbrowne/albums/album/262007/review/6068364/…

Rolling Stone's original review of the album says it all to me: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jacksonbrowne/albums/album/262007/review/6068364/late_for_the_sky">rollingstone.com/artists/jacksonbrowne/albums/album/262007/review/6068364/…</a>

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mmckeaneyon May 25, 2008 Link
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