what is cranes in the sky about

"Cranes in the Sky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Solange. The song explores the singers unsuccessful attempts to distract herself from a longstanding pain. In an interview with Beyoncé, Solange revealed that the song was written eight years ago after a break-up with her sons father. She was battling feelings of self-doubt, self-pity, and a sense of emptiness at the time. While working on music in Miami, she saw cranes in the sky, which she found to be an eyesore and not what she identified with peace and refuge. However, she found inspiration in the cranes and used them as an analogy for her transition. She saw the excessive building going on in the country at the time and realized that people were not dealing with what was in front of them. The song won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.