Bird Song

This song means something completely different to me, and it seems very different to the accapella version. To me it's about a girl who doesn't want to love because she's cold and can't love for whatever reason (perhaps hurt in the past, perhaps she just doesn't believe in love)

"Well, I didn't tell anyone But a bird flew by, Saw what I'd done. He set up a nest outside And he sang about what I'd become."

[He saw her, fell for her and knew she was so closed-off but wouldn't stop trying to get through to her.]

"He sang so loud, sang so clear. I was afraid all the neighbors would hear, So I invited him in just to reason with him. I promised I wouldn't do it again."

[He was persistent, wouldn't let her go, so she tried to reason with him, tell him she couldn't be with him.]

"But he sang louder and Louder inside the house And now I couldn't get him out. I trapped him under a cardboard box Stood on it to make him stop. Picked up the bird and battled with him I said, "That's the last song you'll ever sing." Held him down, broke his neck, Taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget. But in my dreams began to creep that old familiar, "Tweet, tweet, tweet."

[She pushed him away as much as possible, she didn't want anyone to know about how much he loved her. She tried to fight it as much as she could. But soon she realised she was thinking of him more often, she'd hear him everywhere, she starts falling for him.]

"I opened my mouth to scream and shout. I waved my arms and flapped about, But i couldn't scream and I couldn't shout, Couldn't scream and I couldn't shout. The song was coming from my mouth. From my mouth..."

[She tried to do the usual and fight it all again, by 'screaming and shouting' and pushing him away as always, but instead she heard a 'tweet tweet' from her own mouth, because she was singing the birdsong back. She was falling for him even though she never thought she would fall for anyone.]

Beautiful song.

just a thought..could the bird be a reference to her conscious. she feels guilty about something and just cant forget about it and instead feels guiltier("But he sang louder and Louder inside the house And now I couldn't get him out.")

anyone else agree?

Am I a fool for taking this completely literally?

That she killed the bird but it sang inside her guilt to make her scream the story out. Which is what the song is - the song the bird made her sing.

(( Reminds me of that story about the kings with big ears, and only one servant knows. He can't keep the secret so he whispers it to a tree. Years later that tree is made into muscial instruments and when they play them the music is saying 'the king's got big ears!' ))

To me the bird represents paranoia - " i was afraid all the neighbors would here" the paranoia came from taking drugs, and while she was high promised herself or her paranoia (the bird) she would stop taking drugs. As she starts to become clean from her addiction she begins to crave again - But in my dreams began to creep that old familiar, "Tweet, tweet, tweet."- "Old familiar" - not a new feeling, she is used those cravings "tweet, tweet, tweet " - That incessant need to have drugs "i opened my mouth to scream and shout, waved my arms and flapped about" - She tried to fight the cravings and not to give in. "but i couldn't scream, i couldn't shout" - She couldn't fight it and gave in "the song was coming from my mouth, from my mouth, from my mouth, from my mouth..." - Falling deeper and deeper into addiction and there's also a sense of relief from having fulfilled her craving.

Personally, I love this song. It is in every single one of my playlists. I think the meaning is deeper than she portrays it.

“But a bird flew by, saw what I done.” (They) saw what she did “Sang about what I’d become” Was disappointed and/or scared of her, or was she’d become “I invite him in just to reason with him, promised I wouldn’t do it again.” Was guilty of some unknown cause, didn’t want him to spread the word, hence, birdsonging. “He sang louder and louder” He began spreading this information, so she killed him.

The rest of the song basically explains her guilty conscience and how the bird is now basically haunting her in multiple ways. Absolutely a beautiful song.

I think the song is about a woman who did something she deeply regrets (murder?). The bird being a manifestation of her guilt. She goes back and forth with this crushing guilt to the point it gets so bad she "broke its neck" possibly meaning she ended her guilt in a very permanent way.

I think this song is about you doing something terrible to the one you love and wanting no one to know, but someone found out what you did and your worried that they are going to tell everyone including the person you love, so you do everything you can to make that person keep their mouth shut, but the guilt drives you so mad you cant help but blurt out everything you never wanted to tell.

I think this song is talking about when you do something horrible that you couldn't stand if the world knew and you're so nervous that someone else will find out that you are so suspicious and nervous you end up spilling the beans yourself

This song reminds me of Bukowski's poem called Bluebird.

Visit this link you'll find out what its really about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvMfbfZKVbY&feature=related