"City Dove" is the eighth track from Tori Kelly's debut studio album, Unbreakable Smile. It was released on June 23, 2015 through Capitol Records.
Background[]
It is ostensibly about a dove flying through the city, but the dove also serves as a metaphor for her direction-less path in life: not knowing exactly where she’s going or what she will do.
During her opening tour for Unbreakable Smile, Tori said:
"I have never done this before but we literally just wrote a whole song off of this title, and I had no idea what it meant, but we just like created a meaning for it. And by the end of the day, we had this song that I connected with so much. […] This is a song about that in between place; you know you’re destined for something greater but maybe you’re not sure what it is yet or maybe you are sure what it is."
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Don't know what it's all about
But every time I look around
All I see is how we're holding on
Don't ask me what's wrong or right
I don't even know the time
All I know is I'm holding on
[Pre-Chorus]
I haven't figured anything out
I haven't figured anything, anything, anything out
[Chorus]
City dove
Fly between the buildings and fences
Soft inside, but rough on the edges
Waiting here for something to come
Just holding on, oh
City dove
Fly between the stars and the headlights
Passing by the clouds and the street signs
Knowing that there's something to come
Just holding on, oh
[Verse 2]
I don't really know my fate
I just know I'm on my way
There will be mistakes, movin' on
I try to get to the heart of it
Fly low, but looking for heaven
I know, I know I'm holding on
[Pre-Chorus]
I won't figure everything out
I'll never figure everything, everything, everything out
[Chorus]
City dove
Fly between the buildings and fences
Soft inside, but rough on the edges
Waiting here for something to come
Just holding on, oh
City dove
Fly between the stars and the headlights
Passing by the clouds and the street signs
Knowing that there's something to come
Just holding on, oh
[Post-Chorus]
(City dove, you fly high)
(City dove, you fly high)
(City dove, the headlights)
(City dove, the headlights)
(City dove, the street signs)
Waiting here for something to come
Just holding on, oh
(City dove, you fly high)
Fly between the stars and the headlights
Passing by the clouds and the street signs
Knowing that there's something to come
Just holding on, oh, yeah