Owl City - On the Wing Lyrics
Lyrics
Breathe, and I'll carry you away into the velvet sky
And we'll stir the stars around
And watch them fall away into the Hudson Bay
And plummet out of sight and sound
The open summer breeze will sweep you through the hills
Where I live in the Alpine Heights
Below the Northern Lights, I spend my coldest nights
Alone, awake, and thinking of
The weekend we were in love
(The weekend we were in love)
Home among these mountaintops can be so awfully dull
A thousand miles from the tide
But photos on the walls of New York shopping malls
Distract me so I stay inside
I wish the rockets stayed over the Promenade
'Cause I would make a hook and eye
And fish them from the sky, my darling, she and I
We're hanging on so take us high
To sing the world goodbye
I am floating away
Lost in a silent ballet
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue
And I am right beside you
Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades
Still photos and noisy arcades
My darling we're both on the wing
Look down and keep on singing
And we can go anywhere
Are you there?
(Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?)
Are you there?
(Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?)
Or are you just a decoy dream in my head?
Am I home or am I simply tumbling all alone?
I am floating away (floating away)
Lost in a silent ballet (silent ballet)
I'm dreaming you're out in the blue
And I am right beside you
Awake to take in the view
Late nights and early parades (and early parades)
Still photos and noisy arcades (noisy arcades)
My darling we're both on the wing
Look down and keep on singing
And we can go anywhere
(Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?)
Are you there?
Video
On The Wing
Meaning & Inspiration
"On the Wing," released by Owl City on July 31, 2018, offers a profound exploration of longing, imagination, and the search for connection, resonating with themes that echo throughout Scripture. The song paints a vivid picture of an individual residing in a secluded, elevated landscape – the "Alpine Heights" – where isolation and introspection become constant companions. This sense of being set apart, while fostering a connection to the celestial and the breathtaking beauty of nature, also breeds a deep yearning for presence and shared experience. The lyrics speak of stirring stars and watching them fall into the vastness of the Hudson Bay, a metaphor for grand, almost cosmic, dreams that contrast with the perceived dullness of a life removed from the vibrant pulse of the world. This duality mirrors the spiritual journey many embark on, where the pursuit of divine truth can sometimes feel distant from the tangible joys of fellowship and earthly connection.
The central narrative revolves around a cherished memory, "the weekend we were in love," which serves as a beacon of warmth against the "coldest nights" of solitude. This powerful recollection fuels the singer's imaginative flights, wishing for "rockets" to be within reach, to physically pull a beloved closer. It's a palpable desire for reunion, a yearning to bridge the chasm of separation. The imagery of wishing to "fish them from the sky" and the plea, "take us high, to sing the world goodbye," speaks to a profound hope for transcendence, for an escape from the limitations of their current reality into a shared, elevated state of being. This resonates with the biblical longing for divine communion, as seen in Psalm 42:1, which exclaims, "As the deer pants for the water so my soul pants for you, O God." The song’s "silent ballet" of floating away and dreaming of being "out in the blue" and "right beside you" captures this spiritual aspiration, the desire to be in God's presence, to experience His nearness.
The recurring question, "Are you there?", laced with the possibility of it being a "decoy dream," highlights the vulnerability of faith and the struggle to discern the divine presence amidst our own thoughts and desires. This uncertainty mirrors the human experience of seeking assurance, the desire to know if our faith is grounded in reality or merely an echo of our own wishing. Yet, even in this uncertainty, there is an enduring hope. The repeated affirmation, "I am floating away... I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you," suggests an underlying trust, a belief that even in the midst of doubt, a connection exists. The "late nights and early parades," the "still photos and noisy arcades" represent the mundane realities of life, the sensory experiences that ground us. However, the song proposes that even within these, "my darling, we're both on the wing," suggesting that shared experience, love, and faith equip us to transcend the ordinary and explore boundless possibilities, finding joy and purpose wherever we are. The concluding lines, "And we can go anywhere," encapsulate a powerful message of freedom and potential, a reminder that with companionship and a hopeful spirit, guided by the unseen, the journey itself becomes the destination.