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.
Danse Caribe
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bandied by stiff cross currents
Anything but mild
Yes and no just simply weren't
Invented yet
Oh yes oh no
Then one day you'd had it
Ousted your dog-eared rabbits
You're through with pacifiers
You're through with pacifiers now
Here we go mistaking clouds for mountains
Here's the thing that brings the sparrows to the fountains
Here's the thing that makes you run for the highlands
Here we go mistaking clouds for mountains
Autonomy
The song "Danse Caribe" by Andrew Bird is a complex exploration of the journey towards autonomy, coupled by a child's evolution to adulthood. In the first verse, Bird describes the shameless abandon with which children often move. The child is described as being "bandied by stiff cross currents," which reminds us of the way children respond to stimuli. They are often tossed about by their environment and are not yet fully aware of the consequences of their actions. The lyrics suggest that the child is not characterized by being mild, but is rather the opposite; the child is bold, daring, and unafraid.
In the second verse, Bird describes what happens when the child reaches a critical point and decides to shed their childhood. The child exiles their close advisers, which may be in reference to the child distancing themselves from adults who may have influenced them in the past. The lyrics suggest that the child is no longer interested in the comfort provided by "pacifiers," which may symbolize early dependencies or protections. The final stanza of the song suggests that this newfound autonomy comes at a cost. The child may mistake clouds for mountains and run for the highlands. The song ends with Bird repeating the word "autonomy," emphasizing the central theme of the song in a final assertion of personal independence.
Line by Line Meaning
You were a shameless child
You were not afraid to express your true self and were unapologetic about it
Bandied by stiff cross currents
You were influenced by conflicting and strong opinions from different sources
Anything but mild
You were not meek or submissive, but rather bold and expressive
Yes and no just simply weren't Invented yet Oh yes oh no
The concept of right or wrong, and the ability to make clear decisions with certainty, were not yet fully developed
Then one day you'd had it Exiled your close advisers Ousted your dog-eared rabbits You're through with pacifiers You're through with pacifiers now
At some point, you reached a breaking point and decided to cut ties with those who were holding you back or exerting control over you. You are no longer willing to be pacified by others.
Here we go mistaking clouds for mountains
We often mistake small, insignificant problems for major, insurmountable obstacles
Here's the thing that brings the sparrows to the fountains
The small joys in life, such as simple pleasures like water, can bring happiness and fulfillment
Here's the thing that makes you run for the highlands
Sometimes fear or uncertainty can cause us to flee, seeking safety or refuge in new, uncharted territories
Autonomy
The ability to live independently and make decisions without being controlled or influenced by others
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrew Wegman Bird
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JAM
Danse Caribe
You were a shameless child
Bandied by stiff cross currents
Anything but mild
Yes and no just simply weren't
Invented yet
Oh yes oh no
Then one day you'd had it
Exiled your close advisors
Ousted your dog-eared rabbits
You're through with pacifizers
You're through with pacifizers now
Here we go mistaking clouds for mountains
Here's the thing that brings the sparrows to the fountains
Here's the thing that makes you run for the highlands
Here we go mistaking clouds for mountains
Autonomy
eacey
I love at 4:52 how Andrew Bird's riffs got the guitarist smiling
Blueskin Kitchen
Yes! Just wrote about it
Sergio Ochoa
Somehow this is at least ten times better than the album recorded version, I clearly love it.
Amiee Josephine
For sure!! 😍
M Miller
Yes totally agree. Same is true for his live Pickathon version of Greenland.
Heather McAlister
I love how he clearly feels the music, he's a wonderful live artist. :)
Paul Johnson
When we can meet together again in public, my friends, make an Andrew Bird experience top of list. Saw him in the lobby of the MCA in Chicago and in a theater in Wisconsin. Both life changing evenings. Can't explain it but be there if you can. And take your children. Those were the best nights we've ever had.
Blueskin Kitchen
Beautiful to see the guitars reaction to every single iteration of Andrew with his violin. He is like "wow..that was cool!" Every. Single. Time.
undeadpiano
He should make more live concert DVDs. So much of his focus is on the live experience and while I love his albums, a few DVDs would do better justice to the many qualities that make him awesome
masterwerksllc
Agreed, Andrew Bird is so well versed in all forms of music. Just listening to this song, I took a journey through the Smoky Mountains to Trenchtown to Johannesburg.