As I committed my crimes in a darkened room
A bird flew by, and saw what I'd done it set up a nest outside
And he sang about what I'd become
He sang so loud
He sang so clear
I was afraid all the neighbors would hear
So I invited him in, to reason with him
I promised I wouldn't do it again
But he sang louder and louder inside the house
And now I couldn't get him out
So I trapped him under a cardboard box
And stood on it to make him stop
I picked up the bird and above the dim 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

Then I put that bird in a cooking pot
Boiled him up and ate the lot
Then I sat in the silence
Thanked the lord for peace
Coughed up a feather and fell asleep
But in my dreams began to creep
That old familiar tweet tweet tweet

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
'Cause the song was coming from my mouth

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



Lyrics submitted by betsapp91

Track duration: 02:55

"Bird Song" as written by Devonte Hynes, Florence Leontine Mary Welch

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Bird Song song meanings
Add your thoughts

15 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:The bird is her conscience and the song is her own confession. She found that by trying to hide her crimes she adding to her crimes (lying) and that they were a burden. Constant worry about the secrets getting out. She also realizes the more she tries to cover up the crimes the harder it is to cover them (there are too many lies getting too thick and becoming less plausible). Eventually she confesses, seeming involuntarily confessing, potentially realizing the only way to be free of the burden of the crimes is to confess.
    Flag RogueWCon April 09, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The first verse and chorus are saying that someone had found out what she was doing, and they began to tell people. It then says that she killed the bird, which she thought would stop people from finding out.

    Then, the remainder of the song is explaining that she didn't kill the 'bird', but rather found out that she was the bird, and the 'Song' was coming from her mouth.
    Flag DevSeaon January 01, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I'm not sure if it's actually supposed to be a bird but i do know that someone (or something) saw/found out all the terrible things she had done and was going to tell everyone so she killed it.
    After every terrible thing inlcuding killing the "bird" haunts her, and she can't stop saying what she had done.
    Flag ashleym917on July 13, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I understand that the song is about recognizing everything wrong that she has done, trying to hide it but not being able to.

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

    When I was little, teachers would tell their students "a bird told me..." if they did something wrong. For me this bird is her conscience. But not only that, it's like the good in her, the angel on her shoulder.

    "He sang so loud
    Sang so clear
    I was afraid all the neighbors would hear"

    The "bird" was basically screaming all the bad things she had done and she didn't want anyone to know what she had become.

    "So I invited him
    Just to reason with him
    I promised I wouldn't do it again"

    She tried to hide the bad things she had done, promising herself she wouldn't do all those bad things again.

    "But he sang louder and louder inside the house
    And now I couldn't get him out"

    That angel on her shoulder is bigger than that, knows better than that and keeps trying to make her feel guilty.

    "So I trapped him under a cardboard box
    Stood on it to make it stop
    I picked up the bird and above the dim
    I told him 'that's the last time you'll ever sing'
    Held him down, broke his neck
    Taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget"

    She "killed" the angel, killed that voice inside her.

    "But in my dreams
    Began to creep
    That old familiar tweet, tweet, tweet"

    The angel was still alive.

    "I opened my mouth to scream and shout
    I waved my arms and flapped about
    I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout
    The song was coming from my mouth"

    She tried to fight of the noise but she finally notices she was the bird. All the time she was it. But she finally confesses to herself all the things she has done.

    So, yeah, I really can't put my thoughts about this song, 'cos it's one of those things you have in your mind but don't know how to write it. But I hope you get my point :P
    Flag overratedlieson May 12, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:She says, "well, I didn't tell anyone, but a bird flew by," however, I'll take "as I committed my crimes in a darkened room," same premises meaning she thought her "sins" were between herself and herself only. I do like the imagery of "crimes in a darkened room" as if she is developing photographs of a time long gone...O' what a sin!

    Anywho, as the song progresses over even more time farther from, let's say the inital incident captured by film, she encounters a little moon bird who sings and sings of what she had done...which wasn't anything in reality. Not anything at. all.

    The little bird convinced her she did, in fact, commit such a horrendous crime (though, eventually did so...to some nonsensical degree) so she tried to snuff him out all the while developing some strange relationship with it. Maybe, a symbolic reference to developing a relationship with yourself...denial vs remorse, but in this particular situation, it was the bird who set his nest up outside.

    Each time she tries to separate herself from the past, perhaps with feelings she strives to overcome...the little songbird chirps a mega tweet, tweet, tweet...always representing the deth of her while she'd like to think she effectively snuffed out not only the past, but the little songbird as well.

    Until it is from her own mouth singing/confessing/ever relating to the songbird that she continues to sing and sing, about what? Does she even know? Strange.
    Flag driftingdreameron April 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment: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.
    Flag lc102on October 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I immediately thought of both "Tell Tale Heart" and "Bluebird" by Poe and Bukowski, respectively. They coincide nicely, especially based on most of the interpretations here. In Poe's short story, a murder has committed and the guilty is all-consuming. In Bukowski's poem, there is an intense reluctance at showing any sort of "soft-side." Hmm.
    Flag lindsayh423on October 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe's Tell Tale Heart, when she says
    "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."
    Flag xGothicxLolitaxon April 03, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Visit this link you'll find out what its really about

    youtube.com/…
    Flag florencefan2on March 12, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment: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!' ))
    Flag horrorshockon February 04, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain