Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly Tattoo Meaning, Design & Ideas

‘Take these broken wings and learn to fly’ is most notably a lyric from the 1960’s rock band, The Beatles. The song ‘Blackbird’ was written by Paul McCartney and featured on the band’s 1968 double album The Beatles.

The lyrics within the song speak of a Blackbird that is singing somewhere in the ‘dead of night’, meaning it must be dark out. Taking these broken wings and learning to fly is the next lyric in line. This is repeated only a couple of times but may be the most powerful message of the song.

To take something that is broken and be able to make it miraculously work again is a wonderful thing. Although the writer Paul McCartney has given a couple of different statements on what the meaning of this song is, the real meaning is what the listener takes it as. This phrase ‘take these broken wings and learn to fly’ does not always have to necessarily signify the band or the song, however.

‘Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly’ Tattoo Designs

Whether you are a fan of the Beatles or not, ‘Take these broken wings and learn to fly’ is an inspiring phrase that is perfect for a meaningful tattoo. This phrase signifies to the individual that time will eventually heal everything. Picking up the pieces of your life and moving on, we all go through rough patches in life, but those times of struggle are what make us who we are, the struggles mold and shape ourselves. With the dedication to getting over these trials and tribulations, we emerge victorious and conquer our hardships.

This ‘take these broken wings and learn to fly’ phrase, coins just that. If these words draw your attention, they are something you should consider getting inked on your skin, for the very reminder that you must strive to get over the resistance that you feel is holding you back.

The first thing to consider in getting this tattoo is placement. ‘Take these broken wings and learn to fly’ is a pretty hefty phrase. When getting this tattoo, make sure the spot you plan on getting it is going to be able to fit all of this without the words being jumbled or too stretched out. Since arm tattoos generally don’t stretch as much as other tattoos, getting the phrase ‘Take these broken wings and learn to fly’ should not be a problem.

This tattoo can be done in several different ways. Choosing your favorite font style for this phrase will be the next step in completing your new tattoo. There are literally hundreds of different fonts to choose from so coming up with the perfect one should not take too much time. Keep in mind however that if you get this inked on a spot where everyone can see it, you will want to choose a font that is readable to others.

Nothing is more awkward than having somebody stare at your tattoo trying to figure out what it says. Considering this tattoo is a phrase that signifies picking oneself up and freeing oneself, an inspiring tattoo such as this is frequently seen written in bold cursive letters. Italics are another fancier way to display this phrase.

Keeping it old school with the typewriter font is another common way to tattoo this message. Some popular places to put this design include the back of the shoulder, the side of the rib cage, the back of the neck, and on the forearm.

An Image and a Phrase

Often when getting a tattoo of a particular phrase that you may believe has a certain meaning behind it, a graphic that goes along with the phrase not only makes the tattoo more interesting, but it gives it life. There is nothing wrong with getting the ‘take these broken wings and learn to fly’ tattoo by itself, but with a little imagery, it takes the idea to a whole new level. The most common graphic that is displayed with this phrase is the picture of a feather.

The Native Americans would wear feathers to symbolize their communication with the spirit world and to express their celestial wisdom of the ascension and spiritual evolution on a higher plane. The feather is perfect for this phrase because, without the feathers on a wing, it is not possible for the bird to take flight.

The image of a feather that is drifting in the wind with parts of the feather flowing off it but then bursting into little birds is a way to give your tattoo a little more detail. Giving this illusion of a feather breaking apart and turning into a whole bird flying away, or even a small flock of birds flying off the feather goes perfectly well with the phrase, ‘Take these broken wings and learn to fly’.

Usually, this tattoo is done in black ink, those who get this tattoo pertaining to the Beatles song, blackbird, are fine with that. Recently, water-colored tattoos have been very popular. Adding some color to your tattoo gives off a real eye-catching and interesting effect.

The image of a bird by itself says a lot. The symbol of a bird has always been identified as a figure of freedom. Being able to fly away from whatever is bothering you to get a clear and healthy mind is a nice thought. With many different species of birds, there can be many different symbolic meanings behind each one. Since ‘take these broken wings and learn to fly’ is a popular lyric in the Beatles song ‘Blackbird’, a tattoo of just a blackbird and the phrase makes an excellent tattoo idea.

The blackbird itself has an incredible meaning and symbolism behind it. As the birds themselves are very intelligent, this bird represents quick wit, intelligence, and wise knowledge. A tattoo of the image of a blackbird with the phrase written around the graphic could signify that you were smart enough to pick yourself up when you became broken, only to pick yourself back up and fly away free.

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