Listening to this song I thought a lot about the struggle of a young man whose family is stuck in a bad financial situation. There's more than one voice in the lyrics, that being the first flightless bird crying out to the demons and angels, and a close one of that bird who sees what the flightless bird sees but does not have the strength and courage to attempt flight like the first bird does.
"Now is the climax to the story
that gives the demons and angels purpose"
The intro could be being sung by either a third voice, a narrator, or possibly the second bird, who could be the narrator.
The angels and demons are made up of the super-elite. Actors, the 1%, those who don't have to deal with the struggle of a family living in a ghetto. The story could be thought of as the containment and leash that big business and wall street have on the flightless birds. The way they thrive in the sky is through the misfortune of the flightless birds (not to say that they all purposefully force the flightless birds to suffer, but they would not be as high up if the flightless birds could fly. This is the climax because the first flightless bird is going to attempt to fly, to get off the ground and get out of his ghetto, thus ending his story of being confined to the ground.
"I am cold, can you hear
I will fly with no hope no fear
And the ground taunts my wings
Plummet as I sing, plummet as I...sing"
Just like any young person trying to lead a better life than their unfortunate parents, the flightless bird is afraid, courageous, brave, and hopeless all at once. Confused and seemingly alone, he struggles to lift off of the ground and fly.
I don't think the first verse is sung by the second voice, only because in my interpretation, the second bird hasn't yet attempted to fly, but is only being inspired to fly by the first bird. The first bird sings the first verse, because they know what the pain is like to attempt to fly, or break the leash they are restrained by.
"All we are is an isle of flightless birds
we find our worth in giving birth and stuff
We're finding our homes again winding roads
and we think the going is tough
We pick songs to sing, remind us of things
that nobody cares about
And honestly we're probably
more suicidal than ever now"
This is the flightless bird singing about his situation, the way his people distract themselves and his unsustainable position.
"If you decide to live by
what you think's wrong and what's right
Believe me you'll begin to wish you were sleeping
your weeping will creep in your head and you'll cry"
The painful thing for the flightless bird is more than just the ghetto he lives in, but also the pain of his own morality that extends to what he sees as the evil of the flying birds. It's the pain of being blinded by the light that is his possible salvation, mixed with the horror of the impossible odds he, and the rest of the flightless birds, are given.
"But if we wake up every morning
and decide what we believe
we can take apart our very heart
and the light will set us free"
Even though the pain of the previous lyrics can be unbearable at times, he know that in the end it will be worth it.
"How frustrating and so degrading
His time we're wasting as time will fly by
and the sky will cry as light is fading
And He is waiting oh, so patiently
while we repeat the same routine
as we will please comfortability"
This is the voice of the close one to the first flightless bird. They are talking about how sad it is for the first flightless bird to want so bad to rise above and live a better life, but he is held back by things like his family and friends, who are fine with staying comfortable and distracting themselves from the problem he sees.
"And please think about
why you can't sleep in the evening
And please don't be afraid of
what your soul is really thinking
Your soul knows good and evil
Your soul knows both sides
And it's time you pick your battle
And I promise you this is mine"
I saw this as the second flightless bird being inspired by the first, and getting ready to attempt to fly themselves. They are crying out to their people and family to listen to their own sense of morality beyond themselves, and to judge the flying birds for their satisfaction off of their misfortune.
This is just my interpretation of the song, others are of course valid.
It's been a little while since a song has been so relatable and so powerful to me. It's songs like these that really pull on my innards and force me to wear out my headphones.
Listening to this song I thought a lot about the struggle of a young man whose family is stuck in a bad financial situation. There's more than one voice in the lyrics, that being the first flightless bird crying out to the demons and angels, and a close one of that bird who sees what the flightless bird sees but does not have the strength and courage to attempt flight like the first bird does.
"Now is the climax to the story that gives the demons and angels purpose" The intro could be being sung by either a third voice, a narrator, or possibly the second bird, who could be the narrator. The angels and demons are made up of the super-elite. Actors, the 1%, those who don't have to deal with the struggle of a family living in a ghetto. The story could be thought of as the containment and leash that big business and wall street have on the flightless birds. The way they thrive in the sky is through the misfortune of the flightless birds (not to say that they all purposefully force the flightless birds to suffer, but they would not be as high up if the flightless birds could fly. This is the climax because the first flightless bird is going to attempt to fly, to get off the ground and get out of his ghetto, thus ending his story of being confined to the ground.
"I am cold, can you hear I will fly with no hope no fear And the ground taunts my wings Plummet as I sing, plummet as I...sing" Just like any young person trying to lead a better life than their unfortunate parents, the flightless bird is afraid, courageous, brave, and hopeless all at once. Confused and seemingly alone, he struggles to lift off of the ground and fly.
I don't think the first verse is sung by the second voice, only because in my interpretation, the second bird hasn't yet attempted to fly, but is only being inspired to fly by the first bird. The first bird sings the first verse, because they know what the pain is like to attempt to fly, or break the leash they are restrained by.
"All we are is an isle of flightless birds we find our worth in giving birth and stuff We're finding our homes again winding roads and we think the going is tough We pick songs to sing, remind us of things that nobody cares about And honestly we're probably more suicidal than ever now" This is the flightless bird singing about his situation, the way his people distract themselves and his unsustainable position.
"If you decide to live by what you think's wrong and what's right Believe me you'll begin to wish you were sleeping your weeping will creep in your head and you'll cry" The painful thing for the flightless bird is more than just the ghetto he lives in, but also the pain of his own morality that extends to what he sees as the evil of the flying birds. It's the pain of being blinded by the light that is his possible salvation, mixed with the horror of the impossible odds he, and the rest of the flightless birds, are given.
"But if we wake up every morning and decide what we believe we can take apart our very heart and the light will set us free" Even though the pain of the previous lyrics can be unbearable at times, he know that in the end it will be worth it.
"How frustrating and so degrading His time we're wasting as time will fly by and the sky will cry as light is fading And He is waiting oh, so patiently while we repeat the same routine as we will please comfortability" This is the voice of the close one to the first flightless bird. They are talking about how sad it is for the first flightless bird to want so bad to rise above and live a better life, but he is held back by things like his family and friends, who are fine with staying comfortable and distracting themselves from the problem he sees.
"And please think about why you can't sleep in the evening And please don't be afraid of what your soul is really thinking Your soul knows good and evil Your soul knows both sides And it's time you pick your battle And I promise you this is mine" I saw this as the second flightless bird being inspired by the first, and getting ready to attempt to fly themselves. They are crying out to their people and family to listen to their own sense of morality beyond themselves, and to judge the flying birds for their satisfaction off of their misfortune.
This is just my interpretation of the song, others are of course valid. It's been a little while since a song has been so relatable and so powerful to me. It's songs like these that really pull on my innards and force me to wear out my headphones.