Learning To Fly – English Lyrics

• By: Pink Floyd
• Album: A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into Pink Floyd's iconic "Learning To Fly," a song that masterfully intertwines the literal act of aviation with the metaphorical journey of self-discovery and new beginnings. Through its evocative lyrics and soaring melodies, you can explore English expressions related to overcoming challenges, pursuing dreams, and embracing change. The song's unique blend of Gilmour's personal experiences and the band's historic transition makes it a compelling piece for understanding both the language and the deeper human experience of growth and freedom.

[English]

Into the distance a ribbon of black

Stretched to the point of no turning back

A flight of fancy on a windswept field

Standing alone as my senses reeled

Fatal attraction is holding me fast

How can I escape this irresistible grasp

Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies

Tongue tied and twisted, just an earth bound misfit I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings

Unheeded warnings I thought I thought of everything

No navigator to find my way home

Unladened empty and turned to stone

The sole intention is learning to fly

Condition grounded but determined to try

God keep my eyes from the circling skies

Tongue tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit I

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer

My grubby halo a vapour trail in the empty air

Across the clouds I see my shadow fly

Out of the corner of my watering eye

To dream unthreatened by the morning light

Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

There's no sensation to compare with this

Suspended animation a state of bliss

Can't keep my mind from the circling skies

Tongue tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit I

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
flight /flaɪt/ A1	noun - the act of flying through the air
escape /ɪskeɪp/ A2	verb - to get free from something dangerous or unpleasant
irresistible /ˌɪrəˈzɪstəbəl/ B2	adjective - impossible to resist or refuse
circling /ˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move in a circle around something
navigator /ˈnævɪɡeɪtər/ B1	noun - a person who plans and directs the route of a ship, aircraft, etc.
intention /ɪnˈtenʃən/ B1	noun - a plan or purpose
determined /dɪˈtɜːrmɪnd/ A2	adjective - having made a firm decision to do something
suspension /səˈspɛnʃən/ B2	noun - the state of being suspended or temporarily stopped
bliss /blɪs/ B1	noun - great happiness
windswept /ˈwɪndswɛpt/ C1	adjective - swept by the wind, often bare or exposed
reel /ril/ B1	verb - to be very dizzy or unsteady
grasp /ɡræsp/ A2	verb - to take and hold something firmly
halo /ˈheɪloʊ/ B1	noun - a circle of light around the head of a saint or angel in art
vapour /ˈveɪpər/ B2	noun - a substance diffused or suspended in the air, especially one that is liquid at normal temperatures
unthreatened /ˌʌnˈθrɛtənd/ C1	adjective - not threatened or in danger

Key Grammar Structures

• Into the distance a ribbon of black

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis

  ➔ Normally, the sentence would be 'A ribbon of black stretches into the distance'. The inversion – placing 'Into the distance' first – draws attention to the direction and creates a more poetic effect. It's a stylistic choice common in literature and song lyrics.

• Fatal attraction is holding me fast

  ➔ Metaphor & Present Continuous

  ➔ "Fatal attraction" is a metaphor for a powerful, irresistible force. 'Is holding' is the present continuous tense, emphasizing that this force is actively and currently affecting the speaker. The use of 'fast' as an adverb modifies 'holding', indicating the strength of the attraction.

• Tongue tied and twisted, just an earth bound misfit I

  ➔ Participle Phrases & Apposition

  ➔ "Tongue tied and twisted" are participle phrases acting as adjectives describing the speaker's state. 'Just an earth bound misfit' is in apposition to 'I', meaning it renames or further describes 'I'. The 'I' at the end is a stylistic choice, common in poetry, to maintain rhythm and emphasis.

• To dream unthreatened by the morning light

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive 'to dream' expresses the purpose or goal. The phrase explains *why* the speaker desires this state – to dream without being disturbed by the waking world. 'Unthreatened by' is a past participle phrase functioning as an adjective modifying 'dream'.