Bones of Birds

Soundgarden

Time is my friend
Till it ain't, and runs out
And that is all
That I have, till it's gone

Try to build a home, bones of birds
Singing in the cold and fall to earth

Hey sometimes she won't cry
When the smallest one is trapped
Too weak to survive
Probably maybe

Tried to look out
Through a hole, in the vague
Circling above
Looking down, bird of prey

Try to build a home, bones of birds
Singing in the cold and fall to earth

Hey sometimes she won't cry
When the smallest one is trapped
Too weak to survive
Too weak to survive
Too weak to survive
Probably maybe

Try to build a home, bones of birds
Singing in the cold and fall to earth

Hey sometimes she won't cry
When the smallest one is trapped
Too weak to survive Probably
Hey sometimes she won't cry
When the smallest one is trapped
Too weak to survive
Too weak to survive
Too weak to survive
Maybe


Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by skyfire, Mellow_Harsher, LennartB, JrhythmG, treeking77, BabuBhatt, postal1248, heavensbloom

Bones Of Birds Lyrics as written by Chris J Cornell

Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP

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Bones of Birds song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentThe song is vague because it captures a feeling and the feeling is that of a loss of control while you watch your children grow up. You only get a glimpse of their innocence through a hole in a bag. Sometime she won't cry when the smallest one is down says to me that the children are naive and don't protect each other. Someday that nativity will end, probably, maybe...... in the meantime, you try to build them, build a home, but they are fragile, like the bones of birds, which are filled with air and break so easily. The overall feeling is one of wanting to protect something that is so fragile but in the end you must let them fly.
    alex310194on October 07, 2016   Link
  • 0
    Song MeaningMy favorite song on the album. Meaning described by Chris here: youtube.com/…
    percepteson December 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThe band gives pretty good descriptions on the backgrounds of each track on King Animal. This album is one of the best rock albums to come out in years. Bones of Birds, Blood on the Valley Floor, Rowing.... all phenomenal songs.
    deemicon December 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General CommentWas just pondering these lyrics and came to the conclusion, that it may be possible that the song is centered on the eagle...

    A bird of prey is a carnivorous bird which hunts other birds, such as a hawk or eagle...

    And in thinking about whether or not it is possible for eagles to drown I found that it is possible for them to drown when they are trying to catch fish from a river.

    Perhaps, in the mother eagle teaching her offspring to catch fish, the ones who are unable, *too weak to survive... would drown in the learning process?

    Could be a likely point of reference

    In the King Animal commentary I noticed that Chris Cornell said that the song is about not wanting his children to lose there innocence...

    Could be that the Eagle scenario is a deeper meaning of life... learning how to make it in life, how to survive, basic skills and the parent figure having the responsibility of teaching and making sure everything is ok during the childhood... also the burden of what if this child fails...

    Seems like a likely interpretation, but who knows?

    :)
    heavensbloomon January 11, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI interpret the song as a drug addict trying to survive .
    No one can save him but himself despite the love and nurturing and trying by his close loves ..
    gina110993on November 14, 2022   Link

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