Late for the Sky

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". <br /> This is such a beautifully touching song and an example of why Jackson Browne's music still remains on my most frequently played list.

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". <br /> This is such a beautifully touching song and an example of why Jackson Browne's music still remains on my most frequently played list.

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

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. <br /> <br /> And it's exactly where he leads us with his words, to the words between the lines, that allow deep personal meaning to transpire.<br /> <br /> Not to mention that guitar which thanks for the chords, MMMerry, as I'm just beginning to learn to play the acoustic!

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

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.                           

@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.<br /> <br /> 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.

@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

@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:<br /> <br /> When we come to the place where the road and the sky collide<br /> Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide<br /> They told me I was going to have to work for a living<br /> But all I want to do is ride<br /> I don't care where we're going from here<br /> Honey, you decide<br /> <br /> Well I spend my time at the bottom of a wishing well<br /> And I can hear my dreams singing clear as a bell<br /> I used to know where they ended and the world began<br /> But now it's getting hard to tell<br /> I could be just around the corner from heaven or a mile from hell

@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.

@BRUCErulz <br /> 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