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.
Chemical Switches
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the backrooms, to the alleys, to the avenues
That you lost your sense of humor
And the first place you look is the soles of your shoes
And I watch these ice fields melt into the sea
Warming your oceans for centuries
Will your saline waters bring you back to me?
Chemical switches thrown in the dark
All it takes is a spark to begin
And can you tell which is the one with a mark?
Bleeds through the clothes to the skin
Too long I keep searching the alleys and avenues
But it seems I'm doing it wrong
For I've seen neither hide nor hair of you
And it's a short short walk from pebbles to bricks
From stones back to sticks
We're lowering the boiling point
And as time goes back it's harder to fix
It's a volatile mix, like hydrogen and oxygen
Chemical switches thrown in the dark
All it takes is a spark to begin
In the first verse, the lyrics depict a rumor circulating about someone losing their sense of humor. The singer suggests that this person's search for their lost humor begins at the bottom of their shoes, perhaps indicating that they are feeling down or disconnected from their usual source of happiness. The mention of ice fields melting into the sea represents a larger environmental issue of global warming, as warming oceans have an effect on the planet for centuries. The singer wonders if these changing oceans will bring the person back, but acknowledges that the weight of the situation is overwhelming, bringing them to their knees.
The chorus of the song introduces the concept of "chemical switches" being thrown in the dark. This refers to the unpredictable and transformative nature of emotions and relationships. Just a spark is enough to ignite these switches and set something in motion. The lyrics also pose the question of whether one can determine which switch has been activated, as it can leave a mark that goes beyond superficial appearances, affecting one's very essence.
In the second verse, the singer admits to searching for the person in the wrong places, specifically in the alleys and avenues. Despite their efforts, there is no sign of the person anywhere. The mention of a "short short walk from pebbles to bricks" and "stones back to sticks" suggests a progression from smaller, less solid objects to larger, more substantial ones. This serves as a metaphor for the difficulty of reversing a situation or fixing a broken relationship. The lyrics also refer to the lowering of the boiling point, indicating that as time passes, resolving the issues becomes more challenging. The overall mix becomes volatile, similar to a dangerous combination of hydrogen and oxygen.
The song's chorus is repeated, emphasizing the idea of these chemical switches being thrown in the dark. The lyrics imply that it only takes a small spark to ignite a significant change or consequence. The repetition reinforces the idea that emotional connections and the complexities of human relationships can be unpredictable and transformative, as if operated by these metaphorical switches.
Overall, "Chemical Switches" explores themes of emotional change, the impact of global warming, the difficulty of fixing broken relationships, and the volatile nature of emotions. It depicts a sense of longing and uncertainty, while also highlighting the potential power of small actions to instigate significant shifts in one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep hearing a vicious rumor
There is a widespread rumor that I constantly come across
From the backrooms, to the alleys, to the avenues
The rumor has spread everywhere, even in the hidden corners and main streets
That you lost your sense of humor
People are saying that you have stopped finding things funny
And the first place you look is the soles of your shoes
When you feel down, you tend to focus on the ground, specifically your shoes
And I watch these ice fields melt into the sea
I observe the gradual disappearance of icy landscapes as they merge with the ocean
Warming your oceans for centuries
This warming process has been ongoing for centuries, affecting the temperature of the oceans
Will your saline waters bring you back to me?
Could the saltwater embodying you eventually reunite us?
All the weight is bringing me to my knees
The burden of the situation is overwhelming and causing me to feel defeated
Chemical switches thrown in the dark
Unseen mechanisms within us get activated unexpectedly
All it takes is a spark to begin
A small ignition is enough to set off a chain reaction
And can you tell which is the one with a mark?
Can you differentiate the one that is different or damaged?
Bleeds through the clothes to the skin
It profoundly affects us, permeating from our attire to our inner selves
Too long I keep searching the alleys and avenues
I have been fruitlessly looking in every possible place for a duration that feels excessive
But it seems I'm doing it wrong
My search method appears to be flawed or ineffective
For I've seen neither hide nor hair of you
I have not encountered any trace or appearance of you
And it's a short short walk from pebbles to bricks
The transition from small, insignificant things to significant obstacles is unexpectedly quick
From stones back to sticks
Even the progress made can regress, returning to a less advanced state
We're lowering the boiling point
We are reducing the threshold at which a significant change occurs
And as time goes back it's harder to fix
As time passes, it becomes increasingly difficult to resolve or mend the situation
It's a volatile mix, like hydrogen and oxygen
The combination of elements is unstable and explosive, similar to hydrogen and oxygen
Chemical switches thrown in the dark
Unseen mechanisms within us get activated unexpectedly
All it takes is a spark to begin
A small ignition is enough to set off a chain reaction
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
גילי רזאל
I love it
fish Guy
Beautiful