In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
On lead poisoned wings, you try to sing
Freak beak shrieks are thrown at your confusing hue
The peacock screaming eyes show no mercy oh, oh no mercy
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
The flock will make you choke on this sadistic joke
And the whippoorwills they make a din
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
Carry on
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
I hear your sorrow, may lose tomorrow
You'll lose you sorrow
When a fated weather will cleanse away
That painted feather and all that sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
A coquette in fur purr for the painted bird
Confound that dowdy flock with a sharp honed nerve
Because we're painted birds by our own design
By our own design, oh there's no more sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
Have you heard about the painted bird
Just a tainted bird hunting their twisted nerve
We've lost our sorrow, now it's tomorrow, tomorrow
No need to hide your feather under a fated weather
No more sorrow, sorrow
We've lost our sorrow
Now we're painted birds
Mocking that twisted nerve
It's absurd, it's absurd, painted bird
Freak beak shrieks are thrown at your confusing hue
The peacock screaming eyes show no mercy oh, oh no mercy
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
The flock will make you choke on this sadistic joke
And the whippoorwills they make a din
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
Carry on
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
I hear your sorrow, may lose tomorrow
You'll lose you sorrow
When a fated weather will cleanse away
That painted feather and all that sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
A coquette in fur purr for the painted bird
Confound that dowdy flock with a sharp honed nerve
Because we're painted birds by our own design
By our own design, oh there's no more sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
Have you heard about the painted bird
Just a tainted bird hunting their twisted nerve
We've lost our sorrow, now it's tomorrow, tomorrow
No need to hide your feather under a fated weather
No more sorrow, sorrow
We've lost our sorrow
Now we're painted birds
Mocking that twisted nerve
It's absurd, it's absurd, painted bird
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"you're Hitchcock carrion"
is without a doubt a reference to this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheBirds(film)