Maybe Sparrow Lyrics

Lyric discussion by treant 

Cover art for Maybe Sparrow lyrics by Neko Case

This song seems like an allegory about trying to warn a young person about the pitfalls of life. The sparrow represents a young, talented but inexperienced person, and the sparrow's song is their passion in life, perhaps musical ability. The hawks are people who are predatory, who take advantage of vulnerable people. The sparrow doesn't listen to the singer's warning and is figuratively killed by the hawks. Later, the singer hears an airplane overhead that seems to be echoing the sparrow's song, symbolizing that that their art lives on after them.

Song Meaning