Meaning of “A Safe Place to Land” by Sara Bareilles (Ft. John Legend)
This is a track that Sara Bareilles co-wrote in response to the immigrant crisis which gripped the United States particularly in 2018. “A Safe Place to Land” serves as an appeal for listeners to offer support to such people, even if only ideologically. It basically acts as a statement of sympathy to the plight of immigrants. Also, at times it reads as if it is actually encouraging such migrants to take a ‘leap of faith’ in pursuit of the American dream.
Thus part of the song is based on the challenges that immigrants face in trying to establish a home in America. These sections in particular are presented in symbolic language and metaphors. And other parts are centered on more-specific appeals for the listening audience to help “strangers”.
Conclusion
Being that immigration is never mentioned outright in the song, it is totally possibly for a listener to conclude that it is based on helping individuals in need in general. The track therefore has an applicability outside of just the specific topic the writers intended it to focus on. Or put differently, the audience can be inspired to “show… a safe place to land” to anyone on various types of harrowing journeys.
Facts about “A Safe Place to Land”
Sara Bareilles and John Legend have already collaborated in a sense in that they co-starred in “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert”. They respectively played the roles of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ in the aforementioned TV show.
Sara Bareilles wrote this track alongside Lori McKenna.
Both writers were together they saw footage of immigrant “children… being taken away from their families”. What they saw inspired Sara to start writing the song the following day.
“A Safe Place to Land” was produced by T-Bone Burnett. T-Bone also worked on the entirety of Amidst the Chaos, Sara’s 2019 album which this track is featured on.
“A Safe Place to Land” was released by Epic Records with the rest of the album on 5 April 2019.
Didn’t John Legend contribute writing to “A Safe Place to Land”?
No, he didn’t.
This piece is riveting for me. I listen to it for inspiration several times a month. I feel this for all the hopeless people now and in the past. I work for social justice as best I can from my adoption of a child with disabilities to providing meals to homeless teens to writing and protesting for justice. I’m trying to be a hand in the darkness. Thank you for finding vivid words to express this anguish.
Thank you, for all that you do, have done, and will do in the future, as a decent, loving human being.
I thought of 9/11 talking about the building on fire🥲
That’s just where I went windows wide open this leap is on faith” to those poor souls who jumped out of those infernos. I wish I could have reached out and caught them and showed them a safe place to place to land.
I took it to my heart as a survivor of domestic violence
This song brings me to tears every time I hear it. As a survivor of domestic abuse, I know intimately what it feels like to be without hope. The message is so important – be the helping hand.
I and my young daughter were actually rescued by a stranger, who gave us a safe place to land after seeing our suffering from an abusive spouse / father. Our close bond and safe harbor has been going strong now for 12 years.
This song makes me think of my daughters struggles having lose her husband a is left behind with 2 young children
For my tired and brave mother… wanting freedom from dialysis of 13 years, insulin injections, medications for over 15 years, hospitalizations… the metaphoric words of this song gave me that interpretation. RIP mom…. we love you so much! I miss you so much but we can’t be selfish… you’ve been through so much. Sleep tight and we’ll see you again in time.
I have only recently begun to follow Sara Bareillus career. I really love her spirit, her interaction with the audience when she is on stage, and the words to the songs she sings. I love this particular song and can’t stop watching her and John Legend singing it. I only learned a few minutes ago about the reason for the song – immigrants who have the courage to leave dangerous situations in their countries and seek a new life in the United States. That means all the more to me. I have thought of it in terms of our lives. That there are times we have to take chances. To find the life that wants to live in us. I hope someone will tell Sara that she is an amazing singer/songwriter in my opinion. I am a pastor and love to find encouraging ways to help people through their struggles. Would love to have a way to speak with her sometime.