[verse] Icarus ascended the metal-framed pylon In threadbare Converse and head-to-toe nylon. He wore swimming goggles and strap-on wings, All glue and feathers, panels, strings And with fear swelling, muscles straining He climbed ever upwards, see, he’d been scheming For years to rise above his station, it was a One man ‘wing and a prayer’ migration. [verse] He’d sold all he owned, burned all his bridges And while not particularly superstitious, He’d gone so far as to seek out a blessing From Daedalus, his dad, who’d been convalescing In a care home, a genius, gone to seed, Agoraphobic, all dandruff and tweed, But not Icarus, no, he’d escape All the rules and regulations, all the red tape. [chorus] Icarus, you need to stay in your lane Cos you ain't no bird, you ain't no plane. [verse] Set his sights on the stars, on the beauty of flight He tried to ignore that his outfit was too tight, That the glue hadn’t set, that he was gassed from the climb, That he’d found Dutch courage in a bottle of wine. There’d be no more excuses, no more delays. Toes dangling in space, he leapt and embraced His fate. He plummeted, terminal velocity. The air around him roared “What skulduggery Is this? Who the hell do you think you are? You’re just a mortal, you’re not an avatar.” [verse] So Icarus leaned into his descent. He wouldn’t bail now, he wouldn’t relent. He’d dreamed of this day for far too long, So, he plugged his ears with cotton wool; he’d prove them all wrong, The doubters, the haters, the bitter hope-breakers, The strangers, the neighbours, those who claimed the dangers Weren’t worth it - he was reckless, a bird-brained menace. He pitied them all, these earth-bound zealots. with single-minded focus, blazing through the gloom He flicked them the bird with a sonic boom! [chorus] Icarus, you need to stay in your lane Cos you ain't no bird, you ain't no plane. [verse] But the earth was now hurtling ever closer And that unforgiving witness, terra-firma Would have liked nothing better than to break his winning streak Coz an early grave would be the ultimate critique. Fighting blurred vision, wrestling G-forces Arial alchemy – Icarus was flawless. He levelled out – theories now turned facts, He was cruising, gliding, he started to relax. Left behind the city, left the fields, the ocean But what was this angelic commotion? [verse] A host of seraphim had him surrounded, All haloes and harps, shining, splendid “Hold the front page. What’s the story?” Thought Icarus as the angels, in all their glory Closed in with sharp claws, all hissing and venom. “This didn’t seem fitting for ambassadors of heaven. [chorus] Icarus, you need to stay in your lane Cos you ain't no bird, you ain't no plane. [verse] And before he knew it, they’d stripped him half-naked Celestial bullies, nothing seemed sacred. “Listen up kid, it’s nothing personal. What you just did’s nothing short of a miracle But we can’t have mortals mastering the skies. Manna’s already in short supply. [verse] Then they let go and for a moment he stayed Suspended in disbelief, wounded, betrayed. They shimmered, vanished and that broke the spell, Gravity grabbed him - he tumbled. Fell. [outro] If a boy with a dream and the courage to see it through Was sacrificed like that, what else might God do? To hell with him and all of the cynics Don’t let anyone else dictate your limits So, Icarus, don't stay in your lane The skies are yours, stake your claim. So, Icarus, don't stay in your lane The skies are yours, stake your claim.
