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.
Capsized
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night's falling, someone is by your side
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
But when you break up
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Another break-up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break-up, this ship is capsized
Just keep your lamp on
Now he's a dyin' bed-maker
He's a dyin' bed-maker Jesus gonna make my
It's a holy ghost, holy ghost religion
It's a holy ghost religion, Jesus gonna make my
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break-up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break-up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up
Night's falling, someone is by your side
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
But when you break up
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
In Andrew Bird's song Capsized, the lyrics speak of the ups and downs of a relationship. The first verse talks about the comfort of having someone by your side at night, while the second verse depicts the loneliness and feeling of being abandoned when a relationship ends. The chorus repeats the lines "And when you wake up, another sunrise, another break-up, this ship is capsized," conveying the idea that every new day brings new challenges and potential for heartbreak.
In the bridge, the lyrics shift to talk about a man who is dying and finding comfort in his faith. The words "He's a dyin' bed-maker, he's a dyin' bed-maker, Jesus gonna make my" are repeated, suggesting that the man is preparing for his final moments and is relying on his religious beliefs to see him through. This contrast between the themes of love and loss in the verses and the lyrics about death and religion in the bridge adds depth and complexity to the song.
Overall, Capsized is a poignant and contemplative exploration of the highs and lows of relationships, punctuated by moments of faith and mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Now when you wake up
Right now, when you open your eyes
Night's falling, someone is by your side
It is nighttime and you have someone next to you
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
Get yourself together, my dear, you have someone there for you
But when you break up
However, when your relationship ends
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
You will feel like everything is crashing down and nobody is there to support you
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
You will be left alone with your own problems and messes to clean up
And when you wake up, another sunrise
And when you awaken to a new day
Another break-up, this ship is capsized
Another relationship ending and feeling like everything is sinking
Just keep your lamp on
However, keep your hope and light shining
Now he's a dyin' bed-maker
Now he is dying after a life of manual labor
He's a dyin' bed-maker Jesus gonna make my
He believes that Jesus will save him before he dies
It's a holy ghost, holy ghost religion
It is a religion focused on the Holy Spirit
It's a holy ghost religion, Jesus gonna make my
He believes that Jesus will save him before he dies due to his religious faith
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
You will be left alone with your own problems and messes to clean up
And when you wake up, another sunrise
And when you awaken to a new day
Another break-up, this ship is capsized
Another relationship ending and feeling like everything is sinking
And when you wake up
And when you awaken
Night's falling, someone is by your side
It is nighttime and you have someone next to you
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
Get yourself together, my dear, you have someone there for you
But when you break up
However, when your relationship ends
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
You will feel like everything is crashing down and nobody is there to support you
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
You will be left alone with your own problems and messes to clean up
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
You will be left alone with your own problems and messes to clean up
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
You will be left alone with your own problems and messes to clean up
And when you wake up, another sunrise
And when you awaken to a new day
Another break up, this ship is capsized
Another relationship ending and feeling like everything is sinking
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Clue Vios
Now when you wake up
Night's falling someone is by your side
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
But when you break up
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
[Chorus]
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
Just keep your lamp on
[Verse 2]
Now he's a dyin' bed maker
He's a dyin' bed maker Jesus gonna make my...
It's a holy ghost, holy ghost religion
It's a holy ghost religion Jesus gonna make my...
[Chorus]
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
[Verse 3]
And when you wake up
Night's falling, someone is by your side
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
But when you break up
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
[Chorus]
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
Pippi Amorin
One of my favourite artists ever. It's funny because for years and years I cherished some of his songs I had found by chance, but never looked much into it. I thought those pieces were like chocolate: I couldn't toss them around. Thought there couldn't be more material just as brilliant. But lately I've been engulfing in all his work and it's absolute joy, power, inspiration. He's a classic.
Dillon Snyder
fantastic. I just discovered Bird, every album is gold. where is the red carpet for this man?
tamie341
He actually is pretty well regarded, not in the mainstream but he gets alot of critical praise
Lisette Elbers
Superb 😍
brooke bird
he was at the Grammy's red carpet today but didn't win :(
Fábio Bittencourt
Batidas de músicas brasileiras 😍
Anni Young
I feel like this song is so underrated
This is liquid gold
Ooh Lah Lah Ah!
Also nice to hear in the late after dark right after having a lot a lot of fun dreaming while sleeping, I love really really this ih! 😌🎤🎧🎵🎶⭐💗
Clue Vios
Now when you wake up
Night's falling someone is by your side
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
But when you break up
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
[Chorus]
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
Just keep your lamp on
[Verse 2]
Now he's a dyin' bed maker
He's a dyin' bed maker Jesus gonna make my...
It's a holy ghost, holy ghost religion
It's a holy ghost religion Jesus gonna make my...
[Chorus]
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
[Verse 3]
And when you wake up
Night's falling, someone is by your side
Pull it together, darling you're not alone
But when you break up
Sky's falling, no one is on your side
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
Spoon dirty laundry, darling you're all alone
[Chorus]
And when you wake up, another sunrise
Another break up, this ship is capsized
Lisette Elbers
Bird's singin, lyrics, compositions and playing of his band members fabulous and on top of it...these drumzzz wow!!!