Blackbird is a folk song written and recorded by Sir Paul McCartney in 1968. McCartney wrote of an escalating civil rights issue in the United States and the history of the issue, speaking for the minority; African Americans in the United States. Paul McCartneys character of a blackbird exemplifies the struggle and redemption of African Americans in the united states.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night" The blackbird symbolizes the population of african americans in the united states living in distress. The first line shows the struggle to be heard by the public and by the U.S. government. The blackbird can only sing in the dead of night to avoid being heard. If the many brave souls of the civil rights movements poke out they would be wrongfully prosecuted and wrongfully arrested. The night show the dark time they were going through. Notice that despite the fear the bird still sings,, much as the drive and need for equality was strong in black communities regardless of their political suffrage. 

"Take these broken wings and learn to fly" McCartney beautifully paints a picture of an injured bird learning to fly again. The communities and families of the south needed to "rise from the ashes" and learn from the tragedy. The south and african americans had been permanently changed by the civil war. There was a sour taste left in the mouth of south. The hard feelings and negative associations were the birds broken wings and the civil rights movement was a chance to change and prosper again. This bird has been hiding in the night and healing, much like the south had been quiet after the war. Civil rights activist had been hiding due to fear from the public. Despite a public image they had been meeting, evangelizing, plotting, and philosophizing much like this bird has been learning to fly. 

"All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise."  Timing is very significant in the importance of this line. The song was written in 1968 marking the last year of the civil rights movement. As Sir Paul looks back on the movement he sees the positive impact of the movement and the successful changes that have been made in the united states. "All your life" shows the daily struggle that those being pressed lived with. inequality is humiliating, inconvenient, and wrong. The people of the United States were forced to live like this for years and many for all of their lifetime. The bird waiting for his time to arise symbolizes the start of the civil rights movement, when enough was enough. It was time for a change and the community rose from the shackles of the racist infested south.

Sir Paul alliterates the first line of the song with a repeated; "Blackbird singing in the dead of night" showing that despite an internal revolution many were still left in the dark, so to speak. Many still could not ride a bus many could not eat at restaurants. This was all due to a fundamental change that needed to happen. The beautiful bird could not see the light until it was accepted by all of the creatures of the forest. African Americans could not experience true freedom until they were accepted by their neighbors, by their bosses,and by their local jurisdictions.

"Take these sunken eyes and learn to see" The south are symbolized by the sunken eyes. They had closed their eyes on change and were stuck in the past. The civil rights movement was the enlightening that the southern eyes needed to see. 

This vision that the south had was hundreds of years in the making and McCartney says the Civil Rights movement is the change it has always needed. "All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to be free." The south was free from the hatred that tied down their culture. Living in a constant state of hate and anger plagued the south and was taken out on the african americans living there.  

The last stanza of the song is a repeat of the first; 

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

This repeat of the last line is haunting to listeners due to its vagueness. He speaks again of the rise but not the success. This shows that while they rose and made a significant change, many were left with hate in their hearts and sunken eyes. 

