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.
Core
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't know my mind
When what you thought was the core
Turned out to be the rind
If I need your advice
I will let you know
But listen until then
This is no call-in show
Cause I tell you a story
'Bout what happened today
Nothing profound
Just something to say
And you write a prescription
On your notebook pad
For five different ailments
Didn't know I had
Listen you don't know
You don't know my mind
Listen you don't know
You don't know my mind
You thought the core was the rind
I tell you a story
'Bout what happened today
Nothing profound
Just something to say
And you write a prescription
On your notebook pad
For five different ailments
Didn't know I had
Listen you don't know
You don't know my mind
Listen you don't know
You don't know my mind
You thought the core was the rind
The lyrics of Andrew Bird's song "Core" reflect on misunderstanding between two individuals. The singer tells the listener that they do not know their mind and warns them against making assumptions about what they are thinking. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration with the listener, who appears to be imposing their opinions and advice on the singer. The singer asserts their independence and states that they will seek advice only when they need it.
The second verse of the song conveys a similar message. The singer tells another story, but instead of listening, the listener prescribes them medicines for five different ailments that they did not even know they had. The lyrics suggest that the listener is not actively listening and is instead imposing their own solutions on the singer's life. They remind the listener that they do not have a complete understanding of their mind and cannot make decisions for them.
Overall, the song "Core" emphasizes the importance of respecting individual autonomy and refraining from making assumptions about others. The lyrics assert the singer's independence and express frustration towards the listener's behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen you don't know
The listener lacks knowledge of the singer's mind
You don't know my mind
The listener cannot accurately gauge the singer's thoughts
When what you thought was the core
The listener misinterpreted or misunderstood something important to the singer
Turned out to be the rind
The initial interpretation or assumption was actually superficial or unimportant
If I need your advice
The artist may seek advice when necessary
I will let you know
The singer will initiate the request for advice
But listen until then
The singer requests that the listener not offer unsolicited advice
This is no call-in show
The listener should refrain from treating the conversation like a public advice-seeking platform
Cause I tell you a story
The artist is sharing an anecdote or story with no ulterior motive
'Bout what happened today
The story pertains to a recent event in the artist's life
Nothing profound
The story is not meant to be a profound revelation
Just something to say
The artist is sharing the story for the sake of conversation
And you write a prescription
The listener interjects with unnecessary advice
On your notebook pad
This advice is written down as if it were a prescription
For five different ailments
The listener presumes to solve multiple issues for the singer
Didn't know I had
The listener is unaware of the full extent of the artist's issues
You thought the core was the rind
The listener's advice was misguided or unhelpful
Listen you don't know
The listener still lacks knowledge of the singer's mind
You don't know my mind
The singer reiterates that the listener cannot accurately gauge their thoughts
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrew Wegman Bird
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind