Black History Month: Blackbird

In celebration of Black History Month, we want to shine a light on the role of music to include, inform, engage, and educate us; to keep alive the history of our painful obstacles and struggles, and to celebrate the accomplishments of all. 

Did you know…that Paul McCartney was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and the Little Rock Nine when he wrote “Blackbird”?  According to Paul, the idea of ‘you were only waiting for this moment to arise’ was about black people’s struggle in the southern United States. He used the symbolism of a blackbird, saying “It’s not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know. It’s a bit more symbolic!” *

Blackbird was written and recorded in 1968 and released that same year on the White Album. 

The following live version was performed by Paul McCartney in 2004 at the Glastonbury Music Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England. Watch it here.

There have been hundreds of covers of the song. This one by Jon Batiste is especially moving.

* For  more information about the history of the song, check out this video by Dr. John Kirk, a professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.