Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a surreal picture of an individual launched "through the air" into Brooklyn. This strange descent is met with a welcoming "cheer" as they approach the ground. The entire event unfolds "early in the morning," lending it a dreamlike quality. It feels like a fated arrival, both anticipated and mysterious.
A central tension emerges from the paradox of "fly away" being linked to "coming near / To the ground." This isn't a literal escape but a profound transition, a descent that feels like a form of flight. This arrival is underscored by the poignant declaration from a "Russian choir": "Beautiful life, full of grieving." The line encapsulates a bittersweet acceptance of existence, where joy and sorrow are inextricably linked.
The introduction of the "Russian choir" singing "in the square" as the individual "come down through the Brooklyn air" is a striking craft choice. The choir acts as a communal voice, lending a ceremonial, almost elegiac weight to the scene. Their pronouncement about life being "full of grieving" elevates the personal arrival into a universal statement, suggesting a collective understanding of life's inherent sorrow alongside its beauty.
These lyrics are effective because they create a powerful sense of allegorical significance without ever explicitly stating it. The surreal imagery of being launched and flying down, combined with the solemn pronouncements of the choir, evokes a feeling of destiny or a pivotal life event. The repeated phrase "early in the morning" suggests a moment of profound newness or awakening, even if that awakening comes with the full weight of human experience, both beautiful and sorrowful.