“Nor did I know back then that McCartney had written the song as an ode to Black women ("bird" being British slang for a pretty girl) at the pivotal moment of the civil rights struggle. That would only deepen my appreciation for "Blackbird” SongCivil RightsBlack WomenSong LyricsPaul MccartneyChristian Cooper Book:Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World Source: Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World