Are you wondering, "What does Martin Luther King Jr. and The Beatles have in common?" Did you know that Paul McCartney wrote the song "Blackbird" as a tribute to the 1963 march on Washington? The song is credited to Lennon/McCartney. While in Scotland in 1968, McCartney was inspired to write these lyrics. The song was released Nov. 22, 1968. As McCartney explained before his solo acoustic guitar set during the Driving USA Tour in 2002, the word "bird" is British slang for girl. So, blackbird, becomes a synonym for "black girl."
Enjoy listening to The Sessions Voices performance of "Blackbird." The video incorporates Super 8mm footage and documentaries from the national archive.
