His early work, which echoed gypsy jazz and traditional folk, has led into his current sound, which mixes rock with more broad compositions. His years of solo song-craft have now enabled him to produce a sound that is uniquely his own.
Trained by the Suzuki method from a young age and a graduate of Illinois' Northwestern University, Bird released his first solo album, Music of Hair, in 1996. Vastly different from his later releases, this first album showcases his violin skills and pays tribute to his fascination with both American and European folk traditions, as well as jazz and blues.
His initial commercial exposure was in collaborative work with the band Squirrel Nut Zippers. He was quickly lumped in with the swing craze that swept the United States music industry in the mid '90s; this is an affiliation that he is still working to shed.
Taking on the role of band leader in 1997 with Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire, he released the album Thrills. This was followed by Oh! The Grandeur in 1998. Both albums were heavily influenced by traditional folk, pre-war jazz and swing, with Bird relying on the violin as his primary musical instrument.
In 2001, Bird released The Swimming Hour, his third release with the Bowl of Fire and a dramatic departure from previous recordings. The Swimming Hour featured a mixture of styles, from the zydeco-influenced "Core and Rind" to more straightforward rock songs. He has often referred to this record as his "jukebox album".
The Bowl of Fire unofficially disbanded some time in 2003, having featured many skilled Chicago musicians including Kevin O'Donnell, Nora O'Connor, Andy Hopkins (aka Mr. Rudy Day), Jimmy Sutton, Colin Bunn and Ryan Hembrey.
Bird then released two subsequent solo albums, both distributed through the label operated by Ani DiFranco, Righteous Babe Records. The two records, 2003's Weather Systems and 2005's The Mysterious Production of Eggs, continue a progression towards an eclectic indie folk sound that has proven challenging to classify.
Bird's live solo shows have been notable in that he uses a multi-track system to sample and loop his own performance. For example, he may record a snippet of his performance on violin, then play a "loop" of that sound. This provides a more full-bodied sound and aurally suggests a band performance, rather than the sound of a solo artist.
Bird's next full-length album Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum) was released on March 20th 2007.
November 2007 saw the Soldier On EP originally a European tour-only release. But due to high demand and unanticipated critical acclaim was released digitally and in CD-format on both sides of the Atlantic. Critics and fans alike have hearkened to the EP's first track, "The Trees Were Mistaken", a complex yet austere looping composition that marks a departure from Bird's earlier body of work. It also contains a cover of Bob Dylan's "Oh Sister".
January 2009 saw Noble Beast, also available with instrumental album Useless Creatures, released worldwide to positive reviews.
The Fatal Shore Songfacts reports that Break it Yourself, Bird's sixth solo studio album, was released on March 6, 2012 through Mom+Pop records in the US and Bella Union in the UK. The origins of the LP lie in a couple of jam sessions by a gathering of Bird's friends in the singer's western Illinois barn, near the banks of the Mississippi River.
Of his 2019 album My Finest Work Yet, Talia Schlanger of NPR says "Bird zooms way out on humanity across history's timeline, seeking insight about our current age, in a way he hopes 'stays above the news feed noise.'" Many tracks, including the opener "Sisyphus," include Andrew's trademark whistling.
50 Pieces
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gone from the brickyard, gone from the mine
All these unfamiliar places used to find your measured paces
Now it's all arriving, now it's all just fine
I thought perhaps we could sit down for tea
Nein, was the cold reply of Frau ecstasy
Sitting on a mossy stump, among all the bottles drunk, breathe cold against the air
Oh I smell your ragweed hair, smoked to the bone, soaked to the bone I'm all alone, poor me
I thought perhaps we could sit down for tea
Nein, was the cold reply of Frau ecstasy
Hey, who's that old man in the overalls,
His cows lick the ice from off the stable walls
Hey, who's that old man in the overalls,
His cows licked the ice from off the stable walls
The song "50 Pieces" by Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire tells the story of a traveler who has been away from home for a long time. The opening lines immediately set the tone for the longing and nostalgia that pervades the rest of the lyrics: "You've been away for such a long long time / Gone from the brickyard, gone from the mine." The singer describes the traveler as having been so accustomed to walking through the familiar terrain of home that they now find themselves in "unfamiliar places," where they must adjust to new surroundings and routines. But with time, the traveler becomes more accustomed to their new environment, and the singer expresses a hope that they might be able to catch up over a cup of tea: "I thought perhaps we could sit down for tea / Nein, was the cold reply of Frau ecstasy." The reference to "Frau ecstasy" suggests that the traveler has become jaded or cynical over time, perhaps from experiencing too many new things too quickly.
The second half of the song shifts focus to a different setting entirely, describing an old man and his cows. The singer seems to be observing the scene from a distance, commenting on the cows licking ice from the stable walls and wondering about the identity of the old man wearing overalls. It's possible that this is meant to evoke a sense of rural life, with its idiosyncratic characters and daily routines that don't change much over time. In contrast to the traveler who has been away for so long, this old man and his cows seem rooted in place, carrying on with their regular activities regardless of the passing of seasons or time.
Overall, the lyrics of "50 Pieces" create a sense of nostalgia and longing for the familiar, while also acknowledging the inevitability of change and the need to adapt to new circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been away for such a long long time
You've been gone for a very prolonged period
Gone from the brickyard, gone from the mine
You left your job at the brickyard and mine
All these unfamiliar places used to find your measured paces
You've been to many new locations and had to adapt your walking pace
Now it's all arriving, now it's all just fine
Finally, you're adjusting and feeling more comfortable
I thought perhaps we could sit down for tea
I wanted to have tea with you
Nein, was the cold reply of Frau ecstasy
You rejected my offer coldly
Sitting on a mossy stump, among all the bottles drunk, breathe cold against the air
I'm sitting outside, surrounded by empty bottles, and breathing the chilly air
Oh I smell your ragweed hair, smoked to the bone, soaked to the bone I'm all alone, poor me
I can smell your hair, which smells like ragweed, but I'm all alone and miserable
Hey, who's that old man in the overalls, his cows lick the ice from off the stable walls
I see an old man in overalls whose cows are licking the ice off the stable walls
Hey, who's that old man in the overalls, his cows licked the ice from off the stable walls
I repeat what I just saw, emphasizing that the cows actually licked the ice off the walls.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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