Story Behind The Song

I pulled into a hotel in San Francisco one misty night in a light rain and fog. I sat down in my room and look out at the ocean. There, in front of me, was the rooftop of the building below. Sitting on that rooftop were 20 seagulls settling down for the night. They seemed so relaxed and carefree. They didn't have to think about all their troubles of the day, didn't have rent to pay, they just dozed off and slept peacefully in the mist.

Song Description

Sometimes all of life's decisions can be overwhelming. It'd be nice to be able to just wake up one day and fly away with a flock of seagulls.

Lyrics

Twenty seagulls sitting on a rooftop in the rain
Do they see me staring at them through my window pane

Whether headed up to Canada or down to Mexico
It's way beyond me how, without a map, they know which way to go

Sometimes I'd like to sprout some wings, let go this jumbled brain
Sometimes I wish I was a seagull on a rooftop in the rain

A seagull's life seems simple, yeah. Not much to worry 'bout
Don't have to make no big decisions, pay the rent or live with doubt

As far back as the dinosaurs, their instinct was to fly
I'll bet there never was a seagull had to stop and wonder why

Sometimes I'd like to sprout some wings, let go this jumbled brain
Sometimes I wish I was a seagull on a rooftop in the rain

Oh I pray that with the sunrise I'll awaken to the sound
Of the beating of those forty wings so high above the ground

And I'll look below to see that I've escaped the Earth's terrain
And from now on there'll be twenty-one seagulls on the rooftop in the rain