The Bird and the Worm

I think the line is supposed to be "with fronds like these, who needs anemones?"

Silly sea humor. :) Also, what a great song! It just makes me want to smile for 3:27. And maybe a little after hehe.

While it's clearly a song about being in love, I think it's actually a little sadder than the song sounds. I'm taking it as, being crazy in love with someone who you KNOW is not good for you, and will hurt you, but you can't help but love them. (Birds eat worms).

If you listen, I mean, he's talking about being torn apart (if my segments get separated), and thrown away (I'm hooked so toss me over). And the whole "with friends like these". Clearly this is a girl that is NOT good for him, but he's going for it anyway and just enjoying it while he can? Or maybe a bit of wishful thinking that it will all work out (repeating "we where meant to be" at the end)

You might think is weird i imagine like somehow like romeo and juliet like the bird and worm is like two of is a person who can't be with each other some reason and somehow asking why cant we just get along

Owl City, explained to Female First that this "is a little song about an incredibly romantic bird and worm and the idea of the world being FULL of friends, even under the sea. It's about relationships that are too good to be true.

These themes of fantasy-like relationships are immediately seen through the title's use of predator and prey language, "The Bird and The Worm" and language that explicitly states that the worm will be torn apart and killed by the bird; "If my segments get separated...". This predator and prey language builds the idea within the first verse that love blinds us, we often see something dangerous and evil as beautiful and dreamy. In this case the worm enjoys the company of the bird and wants to spend time with her despite the fact that this love is literally tearing him apart. Its a metaphor for the emotional and mental impact love has on us once we catch feelings, how we perceive those we love as perfect despite the many apparent and crucial flaws they have, they are perfect to us.

Yet again this idea is explored when the worm is hooked onto a fishing rod and used as bait, "I'm hooked so toss me over and cast a line", the word 'tossed' is violent imagery that defines the cruel treatment of the worm. However he finds joy in being with the fish. This can be interpreted in two ways: The worm is blind and believes they are his friends when in reality he is just food to them or its a metaphor for how no matter how dark the world may seem, how we feel hooked and stung up to bleed out, there is always something to smile about.

The second verse shifts from the bird and the worm metaphor for a more realistic approach to love; a boy and a girl. The animal metaphor of the first verse leaves behind the idea that this love isn't what it should be, the worm is paired with the bird not because of love but because it is a food source, it could also be seen as a statement that love is found everywhere even in the most unlikely of places.

The boy and the girl segments feel dreamy and surreal despite staying within an Earthed context, it seems too good to be true. This can be interpreted as simply day dreaming, fantasising about all the things you wish you could do with a girl. This dreamy mood is mainly built by the use of artificial galactic language "The glow in the dark stars...".

The bridge and conclusion of the song is a shift in tone, as though it is a demand and a plead that something will work out from it all. That these day dreams will come true and that they were meant to be. Yet again this could be because despite what everyone believes love can be anywhere even in a predator and prey scenario. However I personally believe the song concludes with a boy, dreaming of a girl he can't have, thinking of everything they could do together but being blinded by this false connection. She's a bird, he's a worm, they are 'meant' to be, but not for the reasons this day dreaming lover may believe...

This song meaning could be precieved in multiple way, from my perspective :\n\nIf we see from the lyrics "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" and assume that is said from the boy\'s perspective we can see that the girl have bad "friends" or those that take advantage of her, the lyric says "if you\'re the bird then im the worm", birds love to eat worms besides seeds and say there\'s no seed to be found the bird would starve to death as other birds friends already took all the seeds around this one bird, thus the bird and the worm means, the boy is there to support the girl as she needs the help and ready to do anything for her.\n\n"I\'m hooked so toss me over, And cast a line (oh I\'ll try), Oh throw a party and greet my undersea friends (it depends), As they arrive (if they arrive)" me myself precieve this as the boy simply says "i\'ll take the beating you just stand behind me, that is if they\'re still interested to pester you"\n\n"You\'re the bird and I\'m the worm, And it\'s plain to see that we were meant to be, We were meant to be" as the lyrics says, they were meant to be, for the bird to survive the worm has to be there, in this case, the girl needs the boy, and the boy is ready to do anything for the girl.

This song is SOOO good. Definitely one of my favorites off Ocean Eyes.

P.S. (and your pets) should be (it depends)

I like the rythym to this song. It's like nice and jolly :D

Basically it's about 2 people crazy in love who leave everything they have to have a life of their own :)

I think the part that has the question mark by it is really "Slide the cotton off of your shoulder"... he just says "slide" kind of weird... haha.

I love this song. So cute.

Then, we'll take a long walk through the cornfield And I'll kiss you between the ears

Thats too cute. :)