When Paul McCartney wrote BLACKBIRD in 1968, the world was going through enormous CHANGE. The Beatles were already one of the most famous bands in the world, but Paul felt COMPELLED to use his voice for more than just entertainment. He was deeply affected by the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT in America — especially the stories of young Black girls who were trying to attend previously segregated schools. The song was inspired by hope during hardship, and Paul later explained that the blackbird symbolized a Black woman facing oppression in a world not made for her.