Song of the Day

**8/27/09

Evan Rachel Wood - Blackbird

------------------Looking forward to my seminar class, Rock Lyrics: Society and Culture, tomorrow morning. It's one of those classes that I'm willing to get up in the morning for, regardless of the death march across campus to make it by 8 a.m. Since a portion of our journey will set sail on the British Invasion, I dug around my library for a nice blend of old and new. Hence, "Blackbird," a Beatles song we've all heard before, but probably didn't hear the meaning behind the lyrics.

"Blackbird," penned by Paul McCartney on The White Album, was a reaction to the racial tensions growing in the U.S. during the riots and civil movements of the late sixties. The British slang term for "woman" is "bird." Taken flight through Evan Rachel Wood in the magical mystery movie, Across the Universe, "Blackbird" is softened with mandolins and a slower tempo, yet the message remains the same. Get today's song from Across the Universe: Original Movie Soundtrack, or the Beatles' 1968 album, The White Album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zai0R-Tvd4