Roots And Wings by The Wallflowers

Album: Exit Wounds (2021)

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Songfacts®:

Typical of Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan's songwriting, "Roots And Wings" is laden with metaphor. He introduces a person he describes as a "heavy bird" who can't fly, then he gives this person roots for grounding and wings to fly.

"It's about having some recognition of where you come from and some appreciation for where you're going," Dylan explained to the New York City radio station Q104.3.
The song was released as a single from the seventh Wallflowers album, Exit Wounds, produced by Butch Walker. "Every transition involves exit wounds" Dylan said regarding the title.
By this time, The Wallflowers were essentially a Jakob Dylan solo project. Their core lineup stayed together for several years after their 1996 breakthrough album Bringing Down The Horse, but then then it went through a series of changes with long breaks between albums. Dylan some soundtrack work and released his first solo album, Seeing Things, in 2008.

Comments: 1

Eva Lalo from ChicagoWashington Post: Dylan quickly clarified that he’s not singing to his children there, and that it’s “not a nice song.” Without divulging details, he said it’s about people in his life who he’s helped and who haven’t shown gratitude. “I’m the one who got you in flight,” he explained, “and you’re not acting like that now.”

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