The Songs of Wings

I’m a man of songs, as my karaoke-singing buddies would reluctantly attest. And these days, two songs in particular keep playing in my head. I would sing them over and over at heart, and feel mystified by the power of the lyrics.

The first is Jimi Hendrix’s iconic Little Wing:

Well she's walking, through the clouds
With a circus mind that's running wild
Butterflies and zebras
And moonbeams, and fairy tales
That's all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind
When I'm sad she comes to me
With a thousand smiles she gives to me free
It's all right she said, it's all right
Take anything you want from me
Anything

Fly on Little Wing
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Little Wing

The second is Westlife’s pop Flying Without Wings:

So impossible as they may seem
You've got to fight for every dream
'Cause who's to know
Which one you let go
Would have made you complete

Well, for me it's waking up beside you
To watch the sunrise on your face
To know that I can say I love you
In any given time or place
It's little things that only I know
Those are the things that make you mine

And it's like flying without wings
'Cause you're my special thing
I'm flying without wings

I tell you, it is not a coincidence that both songs have the elements of “wings” on them. Angelic things in life can really make you ‘fly’ without wings, but ‘wings’ do not always get you flying, as Icarus (not my karaoke buddy) would reluctantly attest.