Wings by Little Mix

Photo by Vivek Doshi on Unsplash

This week we’re going to be thinking about the upbeat feel good Wings by Little Mix. It’s a song which encourages us to listen to words of encouragement and spread our wings:

Mama told me not to waste my life, she said spread your wings my little butterfly.

My first thought is that I’m not too sure that I really want to be considered a butterfly. But when you start to explore the idea you begin to see how many cultures associate the butterfly with the soul, and as a powerful representation of life itself. In Christianity, it is even considered a symbolisation of new life through resurrection, emerging from the tomb of the chrysalis.

This imagery gives a really different metaphorical quality to the butterfly than my first thoughts, which to be honest, were as a pretty, but fairly insignificant and vulnerable creature. Indeed, it has been said that the butterfly represents something of endurance and hope in times of change.

Taking this positive view of the symbolism of the butterfly, the lyrics of this song take on a new significance. There is lots in the song about how we might be damaged by the words of others; Don’t let what they say keep you up at night … But you just keep on running up your mouth yeah … Your words don’t mean a thing, I’m not listening … Keep talking, all I know is … no matter what you say it won’t hurt me.

Words are often intended to damage us, but the metaphor of the butterfly is to endure and become the creation we were meant to be. The song encourages us to hold ourselves above what others might think; Talk, talk turns into air and I don’t even care, oh yeah … ‘Cause I’m too fly to care, oh yeah … And we don’t let nobody bring us down, don’t matter if I fall from the sky … These wings are made to fly.

But it does so with the realism that at times other people’s words will bring us down; Don’t matter if I fall from the sky, these wings are made to fly. I think this is a great reminder to us all. Words can hurt, and sometimes even stick for a while, but ultimately, we can be something greater. Take encouragement;

Mama told me not to waste my life, she said spread your wings my little butterfly. Don’t let what they say keep you up at night. And they can’t detain you, ’cause wings are made to fly.

Want some support learning to fly again? Why not consider booking an appointment with the author, Dr Dave Wood of Realign Coaching via Keia.