Beyoncé’s groundbreaking country music album, Cowboy Carter, is out today. It’s sure to be full of surprises, including her renditions of the durable classics: The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Cowboy Carter is the second installment of Beyoncé’s trilogy, which began with her seventh studio album Renaissance in 2022. In Act I, she appears on the album cover riding a disco ball horse. In Act II, she reverse-rides a white horse while hoisting an American flag.
Stylized as “BLACKBIIRD” on the album—but “Blackbird” here to keep spellcheck from going on strike—Beyoncé’s cover is a faithful rendition of the White Album original.
However, following Beyoncé’s work, there’s more to this song choice and why it appears on her new country album.
Little Rock Nine
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education landmark decision ruled state laws establishing racially segregated schools were unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, in 1957, nine teens became the first Black students to enroll in Little Rock (Arkansas) Central High School following the school board’s pledge to desegregate its schools voluntarily.
But the night before the students’ first day, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to block the school’s entrance. A federal judge ordered the students—known as the Little Rock Nine—to begin attending Central High. However, an angry mob appeared alongside the National Guard to prevent the students from entering their school building.
More than two weeks later, a federal judge ordered the National Guard to be removed, and the students tried again to enter their school. Now escorted by the police, they used a side-door entrance while an angry mob attempted to rush into the high school. After a few hours, officials sent the Little Rock Nine home because they feared for their safety.
President Orders Arkansas to Follow the Constitution
On September 25, 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower took federal control of the Arkansas National Guard and sent U.S. Army troops to the school so the Little Rock Nine could safely begin attending class.
The Black students’ turmoil was far from over, as they faced additional harassment from some white students. Nevertheless, Ernest Green became the first Black student to graduate from Central High in 1958.
Paul McCartney and the Civil Rights Movement
Paul McCartney told GQ in an interview he’d heard about Black Americans’ struggles in the U.S. South, in particular the Little Rock Nine, and that inspired him to write “Blackbird.”
He said, “I just thought it’d be really good if I could write something that, if it ever reached any of the people going through those problems, it might kind of give them a little bit of hope.”
Then, he explained the song title. In England, girls are colloquially called “birds.” Moreover, McCartney thought of Black girl as a “Blackbird.”
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
The song appeared on The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled double album (the White Album). McCartney used Bach’s “Bourrée in E Minor” as inspiration for what he played on his Martin acoustic guitar. After several attempts, he and engineer Geoff Emerick moved outside Abbey Road studios to record the final version outdoors.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Though “Blackbird” was never released as a single, it is a defining song for The Beatles and has equally become an enduring standard.
Beyoncé’s Version
Black country artists Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts add their voices to Beyoncé’s faithful cover of “Blackbird.”
Cowboy Carter is the result of Beyoncé’s deep dive into the history of country music. On her website, she said the album “was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed … and it was very clear that I wasn’t.”
She alluded to the 2016 Country Music Association Awards ceremony, where she performed “Daddy Lessons” with the Chicks. “Daddy Lessons” was Beyoncé’s first foray into country music and appeared on her album Lemonade. Many country music fans openly questioned whether her performance belonged.
She added, “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me.”
If, arguably, the biggest music star on the planet still feels discrimination in the U.S., it’s only further proof the struggle for civil rights in America persists. The struggle not only threads Beyoncé’s decision to cover “Blackbird,” but it’s the throughline of Cowboy Carter.
Blackbird fly
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
