Interpretation
Kurt walked into the choir room ten minutes earlier than he usually would. Which was ten minutes before Glee. He hadn't want to cause a scene, so he had merely faked ill and been sent to the nurse's office.
For some reason, today seemed to be out to get him. He had found a sequin from Pavarottie's casket in his side bag while getting ready for school. Then, in an argument with his father, his father had used his full name. "Kurt Elizabeth Hummel!" Elizabeth was also his mother's name. His original name had been "Kurt Marcus Hummel", but, once he was old enough, he had asked his dad if he could legally change it, as an ode to his mother. His wish had been granted, and now he carried the name with pride. Usually.
But with so much death and unexplained bad feelings floating around the fashonista's skull, he wasn't so much proud of it as being reminded of to whom it once belonged.
He heard light guitar chords being plucked in the choir room as he entered. He recognized the light melody as "Blackbird". He sighed, his tone hopeless. Was the universe really that intent on bombarding him with memories of pain today?
He entered anyway. The nurse had said he was fine, but he really wasn't in the mood to go back to his classes, so he went to his favorite room to find solace. But a tall, blond boy had changed his plans.
Kurt made his presence known.
"Hello Sam. A little odd to see you here." Sam's playing ceased and he half-smiled up at Kurt.
"Yeah, well, with what's happening…" he waved a hand as a metaphore for the troubles in his life, "I could use a break. Why are you here?" He addressed Kurt.
"Essentially the same reasons. Was that Blackbird you were playing?" Sam nodded. Strumming a random chord as punctuation.
"The Beatles aren't usually my thing, but that song's really hopeful, and, well, I could use some hope right now." Kurt pulled a chair over and sat across from the sullen jock.
"I understand…in a sense. I find that the Beatles, at least, in my opinion, wrote songs not for themselves, but they wrote songs strictly to be interpreted by others. To have people relate to their music, without pre-conceived ideas. I believe the song is about second chances, and bravery, my dad insists it's about a bird that's black." Sam laughed. The sound rang out in the near-empty choir room, it was a sound that the same walls had been thirsting for since just after Christmas.
"Yeah. I guess I didn't interpret it well. My sister keeps wanting it as a lullaby. I just keep thinking of how it never changes. Maybe we'll never get out of that Goddamn hotel." Sam quickly shrugged an apology.
"I understand. If it makes you feel any better, the song reminds me of funerals. I sang it at my pet bird's funeral, and then Blaine reminded me of my mother…and black is the traditionally mourning colour." Sam started plucking out the first few chords again.
"That sucks. It's supposed to be like, a hopeful song. About getting out and doing something, coming back from bad times and whatever." Kurt nodded.
"Not about death and repetitive depression, right?" Both boys were silent for a few moment. The thoughts they were thinking were far too private, even for their blossoming friendship. Funerals, evictions. Death, stress. Hurt, embarrassment. Tears, tears. After a while, Sam piped up again.
"Why don't we make it about good stuff? Me and you, right now." Kurt raised a perplexed eyebrow.
"I'm not sure I understand…" Sam motioned to his guitar.
"Right now. We can sing the song, and we can make it about like, going to New York, or us winning nationals, or about you and me being friends or something. Make it about something good, a new beginning, a road we want to go down, instead of one we were forced to. Something like that. Right now." Kurt smiled, slowly nodding. Sam returned his smile, and started strumming, the guitar making the soft melody envelope everything in the room, releasing the stress, the hurt, the bad feelings, seeping into the pours of the two humans, and letting themselves get immersed in the music.
Kurt's voice set in softly, the lyrics pouring out like a soft breeze.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night This line was no longer about being alone, having to be brave by yourself, but rather, showing the world what you have when they have no choice but to look at you.
Take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life This line wasn't about coming from a broken life, it wasn't about gaining sympathy, but about using that pain to deepen your life, to enrich your points of view, and to mature you in ways people truly appreciate.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise This line no longer represented the years of seemingly pointless waiting for a small break, but rather that it just took the hard times to build a beautiful future, that there was always a new chance.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken eyes and learn to see, all your lifeYou were only waiting for this moment to be free Sunken eyes and solid masks soon became clear windows to polished souls, those of which the owner should be very proud. No longer feeling like the outcast, and knowing truly that you can be free.
Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night The world was truly anyone's for the taking. The boys knew that they're lives would be hard, as were everyone's, there would indeed be struggles, fall-outs, and much more turmoil, but what they were striving towards is what would keep the light alive within them
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
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
An uproar of applause boomed from behind both boys, and they turned to lay eyes on the entirety of the Glee club and Mr. Schue smiling at them. Both Kurt and Sam wonder, to this day, if they were clapping for the performance, or if they truly knew what the two were saying.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise