Bluebird on a telephone line
"How are you? I'm feeling fine."
"Sweetly do", I whisper your name
Lonely solo taxi ride to a cheap motel
On the wrong side of the tracks
The facts are tricky to explain
Cold front bearing down
Blowing in from Birmingham
By dawn the window's wet with icy rain
Behind fourteen doors
A sad parade of paramours
Are throwing little white rocks at sorrow's window pane
Me, I've found someone to love more than the rain
Salvation Army ringing bell
Kingdom come and wishing well
Hey Santa Claus I see your junkie eyes
It's the devil and the deep blue sea
With old friends I hope I never see again
All tangled up with misery and lies
The lonely hiss of passing cars
Feeds the ache of ancient scars
Like ghosts beneath my bed, rattling chains
No good luck charm or remedy
Ever proved to soothe my sanity
Nor bad medicine served to ease my pain
Had to find someone to love more than the rain
Now, old habits will die hard
This pile of junk setting in my yard -
Souvenirs from the wrecking ball of dreams
You spend a lifetime tearing temples down
It gets to feel like hallowed ground
It's a shallow grave where ne'er the bluebird sings
Last time home when I played this song
You said, "Dad, it's sad, and way too long"
And I pulled you close and held you in my arms
Yes, salvation wears a thin disguise
'Cause I can see the heaven in your eyes
And I thank God them years I searched
Were not in vain
Finally found someone to love more than the rain
Bluebird, I love you more than the rain
"How are you? I'm feeling fine."
"Sweetly do", I whisper your name
On the wrong side of the tracks
The facts are tricky to explain
Blowing in from Birmingham
By dawn the window's wet with icy rain
A sad parade of paramours
Are throwing little white rocks at sorrow's window pane
Me, I've found someone to love more than the rain
Kingdom come and wishing well
Hey Santa Claus I see your junkie eyes
With old friends I hope I never see again
All tangled up with misery and lies
Feeds the ache of ancient scars
Like ghosts beneath my bed, rattling chains
Ever proved to soothe my sanity
Nor bad medicine served to ease my pain
Had to find someone to love more than the rain
This pile of junk setting in my yard -
Souvenirs from the wrecking ball of dreams
It gets to feel like hallowed ground
It's a shallow grave where ne'er the bluebird sings
You said, "Dad, it's sad, and way too long"
And I pulled you close and held you in my arms
'Cause I can see the heaven in your eyes
And I thank God them years I searched
Were not in vain
Bluebird, I love you more than the rain
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This is definitely my favourite Jim White's song. The way he tells this sad story and the soft, haunting music in the background, sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.
And the lines: Last time home when I played this song, you said "Dad, it's sad, and way too long." And I pulled you close and held you in my arms.
Gosh...
To understand the lyrics, you must know the true story behind it:
For reasons I won't go into here, Jim had to leave his wife and daughter ("Lonely solo taxi ride...") and here he describes spending the Christmas alone - dazed and confused. Unable to see his family, just talking with his daughter on the phone.
He's ashamed of what happened in the past and don't want to face his old friends either ("It's the devil and the deep blue sea, with old friends I hope I never see again all tangled up with misery and lies").
He still loves his wife (he wrote her an apology in form of the song "That Girl From Brownsville Texas" after the breakup), but most of all he misses his daughter...