White Winged Dove by Stevie Nicks
There are many, many songs that involve the symbolism of birds in them. One of the most popular is White Winged Dove by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame.
Stevie wrote and recorded this song as part of her very first solo effort, and in fact she named her entire tour the White Winged Dove tour. The song is actually titled "Edge of Seventeen" but is more commonly known by its dove name.
Just like the white winged dove
Sings a song, sounds like she's singing
coo ... coo ... coo ...
The title of the song came from a conversation Stevie had with Tom Petty's wife. Stevie asked how old she was when she met Tom, and when the woman said at the "age of 17", Stevie misheard it and thought that "edge of seventeen" was a very cool way to describe that time of life.
Stevie has said in many interviews that this song is about Stevie's uncle John, who she watched die in the hospital. She held his hand while he died, and then ran out into the hall after he passed on. She was worried about his spirit, that it had passed on contentedly.
Well then suddenly there was no one left standing in the hall
In a flood of tears that no one really ever heard fall at all
I went searchin' for an answer up the stairs and down the hall
Not to find an answer - just to hear the call
Of a nightbird singing come away, come away
For her, the "white winged dove" was his spirit, leaving the body and going on to a peaceful life. She wanted to hear it as it went, to hear that it was going in peace, going on to its new life.
Stevie Nicks - BellaDonna CD
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