The Happy Birthday Song

I love the irony of saying, "happy birthday," which is supposed to be a celebration of life, but often becomes an unfortunate reminder of a ticking clock as we get older. Repeating this in a carpe diem versus carpe-diem-because-you're-going-to-die, fraught with irony, i am quite pleased. I love Andrew Bird because his songs seem to present these quandaries for us to think about, without really offering too much of an explanation. Just a coping mechanism: music.

My favorite song on the album. Just a wonderful ending. It doesn't answer any of the questions that the first few songs pose ("Why are we alive"), but I like how it treats the question: Hey, who cares. Let's have fun. Sing me a song.

"'cause hell, what's it all about?"

This song reminds me of this quote I found somewhere... I think from a blurb about some of his music on NPR: "What's so wonderful about this music, and so rare now, is that those musicians would play each note like it was, you know, the last note they would ever get to play."

-- Andrew Bird

And, I dunno, it's just sort of like if you take something really simple and stupid, such as the "Happy Birthday" song and sing it with all your heart and soul- like it was your last day- it suddenly becomes extremely beautiful and meaningful.

Something that no one has commented on yet is just how sad it is to have to ask someone to sing you "Happy Birthday". If one imagines that this is actually being sung on the narrator's birthday, the fact that he's "oh so slowly" going through these routines like doing the dishes, and then that he has to ask someone to sing him "Happy Birthday", which people usually jump at doing without being asked, reflects strong isolation. Combined with the yearning "like it's gonna be your last day" even gives it suicidal undertones, just by the fact that on his birthday he's sitting alone thinking about the idea of having a last day at all.

This side of it is much easier for me to see today because it is my birthday. Don't worry, I'm having an ok one, but the lyrics certainly work in that context.

Though it doesn't take away from the meaning, I think the line is "it's a giant among cliches, and that's why I want you to sing it anyway".

Mr. Bird whistles and croons me to tears. Right on magicukelele.

it almost seems as if he views death not as the end, but as a new begining. as if it is just another, if not your first, birthday.

this album appears to based more upon the meaning of life and death other than lonleness which seemed to theme wheather systems. i dont know... im just ramblilng...

This is my favorite song of the album also. I think myrmidon hit it on the nose. Depressing song, but his voice and music makes it bearable... and enjoyable.

Also my favorite song of the album! This song is beautiful yet sad. I love it, and the way He sings it is sooooo soothing, ugh! So lovely.

I love this song, and when he sings "like it's hallelujah." beautiful.

@Myrmidon

you know, actually, i kind of see it as the opposite of that.

it seems to me like he's addressing someone who is having their birthday and doesn't want to celebrate it because they don't think that it matters. he's telling them to sing happy birthday to themselves, that they should celebrate no matter how mundane or meaningless things seem, no matter if they didn't even have anyone to sing to them.