Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
C-Birds
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
no hotels, no dressing gowns
bow down to C-birds crossing,
I see a money tree,
Fairy tales and killer bees,
bow down to C-birds crossing, baby,
(inaudible tribal chanting)
Another jew in the captain's tower,
make that a shock,
from his wicked taser gun,
you make it all too fun
(inaudible tribal chanting over and over)
The opening lines of Adam Green's "C-Birds" tells a story of a college town with no hotels, and no dressing gowns. This could indicate a place that is not as developed or "fancy" as other places. The use of the word "bow down" in the second line suggests some sort of reverence or respect for the "C-birds crossing." This perhaps shows that the residents of the college town see the C-birds as a symbol of something important.
The next line mentioning a "money tree" seems to indicate that perhaps the people in the college town see the C-birds as a source of good fortune or prosperity. The line "Fairy tales and killer bees" is an interesting contrast, as fairy tales typically symbolize something hopeful and optimistic, while killer bees are associated with danger and violence. Again, the line ends with a reference to the C-birds, which seems to be a recurring theme throughout the song.
The final two lines of the verse mention "Another jew in the captain's tower" and "his wicked taser gun." This line is more difficult to interpret, but could be a reference to issues of discrimination and systemic oppression. The line "you make it all too fun" adds an element of irony to the situation, suggesting that perhaps those in power enjoy oppressing others. The repeated tribal chanting in the background gives the song an eerie, otherworldly feel which adds to its overall mysteriousness.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a college town,
I observe a town dominated by a college, with no hotels or luxurious gowns in sight
no hotels, no dressing gowns
There are no hotels or dressy apparel in this town
bow down to C-birds crossing,
Honor the majestic crossing of these C-birds
I see a money tree,
I witness a tree that grows money
Fairy tales and killer bees,
Stories of fantasy and dangerous bees
bow down to C-birds crossing, baby,
Pay respect to the crossing of C-birds, my dear
(inaudible tribal chanting)
Unintelligible rhythmic singing and chanting
Another jew in the captain's tower,
Yet another Jewish person in power at the helm
make that a shock,
It's quite surprising to see that
from his wicked taser gun,
He could inflict harm with his menacing Taser
you make it all too fun
This seems amusing to you
(inaudible tribal chanting over and over)
Continued, indiscernible tribal singing and chanting
Contributed by Evelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.