THE JOURNEY OF YOUTH…
“Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters is a masterpiece. Now I know what you’re thinking. Masterpiece (aside from genius) is easily one of the most overly used words in the English language and is often placed in the most controversial of places. But before you tear into me in the comments and call me a hack, let me explain myself.
The Foo Fighters are a household name for a reason. They have released nine albums. With four of these albums being awarded Best Rock Album of the Year. The Foos have also been awarded with twelve Grammy Awards out of 25 nominations and have been renowned by critics as one of the best live performing bands in the world. All in all, they’re a pretty damn good band.
So now that we’re all clear on the fact that the Foo Fighters are world class. Let’s talk about their song, “Learn To Fly“.
Off of their 1999 album, “There Is Nothing Left To Lose“, Learn to Fly was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards and won a Grammy Award for the Best Short Form Music Video. So it’s fair to say that this song is pretty well acclaimed. But why is it so damn good?
To me it’s all to do with the lyrics. Don’t get me wrong, the song is amazing in its own right. Even with the vocals ripped from the song the melody and sound of Dave Grohl’s guitar, coupled with the the drumming prowess of Taylor Hawkins and not to mention the rhythmic brilliance of Nate Mendel’s incredible bass lines, balance the song beautifully and provide the song with a great foundation. But the lyrics are without a doubt what make this song a masterpiece.
To me this song is about Dave’s life. But not about his successes, but instead this song is about his struggles. From the first verse this song stands out to me as a story of constant friction.
"Run and tell all of the angels,
This could take all night,
Think I need a devil to help me get things right."
It sounds like a call for help. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s running out of options and he’s ready to resort to terrible things to figure it all out. He can’t get off the ground no matter how hard he tries.
The chorus of this song fills me with chills. The whole band elevates the track to an uplifting sound and melodically builds to a plateau normally coupled with joyful or inspiring lyrics. But in this instance the lyrics conflict with the melody. And it is done beautifully. It creates a unique separation between the melody and the lyrics.
"I'm looking to the sky to save me,
Looking for a sign of life,
Looking for something to help me burn out bright,
I'm looking for a complication,
Looking cause I'm tired of trying,
Make my way back home when I learn to fly."
This separation between the lyrics and the melody, keeps the meaning of the lyrics hidden behind the inspiring sound of the song. This in-turn highlights the meaning of the song. Those around him don’t notice or don’t understand his struggle. They don’t see his desperate attempts to fly.
To me this is a reflection of our human journey. We all struggle, we all suffer in ways overlooked by the rest of society. We’re all kids, forever adjusting and adapting to the journey of life. We suffer in silence, and we learn to fly as best we can.
Riff Reflection 