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.
Lazy Projector
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How do we know who's projecting this reel
And is it like gruel or like quick drying plaster
Tell me how long til the pain starts to kill
Is it like pirannahs on the problem
Are we not sure we don't know
You know history repeats itself
Come on, tell us something we don't know
Now whos the best boy and the casting director
And he edited, splicing your face from the scene
It's all in the hands of a lazy projector
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
They say all good things must come to an end
Every day the night must fall
How it all came to this
I simply can't recall
Too many cooks in the kitchen
How the mighty must fall
And I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
Oh I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
Oh I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
Breaking up at all
And it's all in the hands of a lazy projector
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
The song "Lazy Projector" by Andrew Bird invites the listener to think about memory, truth, and human error. The opening verse introduces the idea that memory can be unreliable and questions who truly owns the "reel" being projected. There is a sense of uncertainty about whether or not the pain will come, and how much it will hurt. These lines can be interpreted as a commentary on how individuals remember certain events and their associated emotions, with the uncertainty of how intense the pain may be.
The chorus brings up another layer of human error in the equation - a "lazy projector" that forgets, embellishes, and lies. It's unclear whether this "projector" is an actual person or an extended metaphor for the human mind. However, it seems that either way, the projector is responsible for altering the "reel." The second verse expands on this idea by introducing a cast and crew - including a "casting director" and an "editor" - who have a hand in shaping the narrative. This could be a commentary on the idea that the people involved in events have some degree of control over how they are remembered.
The song concludes with the repeated line, "I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all." This line could be interpreted in the context of a romantic relationship or a larger societal context, with the repeated chorus suggesting that misunderstanding and human error are responsible for unnecessary conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
If memory serves us, then who owns the master
We're not sure who is controlling the narrative, and it's hard for us to verify anything based on our recollections.
How do we know who's projecting this reel
We have no idea who's in charge of creating and disseminating the information that we receive.
And is it like gruel or like quick drying plaster
We're unsure about the quality of the information we're receiving, and we're questioning its validity and usefulness.
Tell me how long til the pain starts to kill
We're worried about the possible negative consequences that may result from believing in and acting on false or misleading information.
Is it like pirannahs on the problem
We're wondering if the issues we're facing are being addressed effectively or if we're just flailing around trying to find solutions.
Are we not sure we don't know
We're uncertain about what we don't know and what that means for our understanding of the situation at hand.
You know history repeats itself
We recognize that patterns and cycles often repeat throughout history, and we're concerned that we may be repeating mistakes or falling into familiar traps.
And time's a crooked bow
We understand that time is a complicated and convoluted force that can bend and warp our experiences in unpredictable ways.
Come on, tell us something we don't know
We're frustrated with the lack of clarity and certainty in the information we're receiving and we're hoping for a revelation or breakthrough that will shed new light on the situation.
Now whos the best boy and the casting director
We're questioning who's in charge of deciding what information gets shared and how it's presented, and we're wondering if they're making sound decisions.
And he edited, splicing your face from the scene
We suspect that someone is deliberately altering the narrative and removing important details that would change our understanding of a situation.
It's all in the hands of a lazy projector
We're realizing that the dissemination of information is often controlled by people who aren't invested in accuracy, truth, or fairness, and who may be more interested in taking shortcuts and making things easy for themselves.
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
We're recognizing the ways in which the dissemination of information can be compromised or corrupted, leading to falsehoods and embellishments.
They say all good things must come to an end, Every day the night must fall
We understand that everything is fleeting and temporary, and that change and endings are inevitable.
How it all came to this, I simply can't recall
We're struggling to remember the details and events that led up to the current situation, making it difficult to make sense of the present.
Too many cooks in the kitchen
We're recognizing that there may be too many people involved in making decisions or creating a narrative, which can lead to confusion, conflict, and a lack of direction.
How the mighty must fall
We're acknowledging that even powerful people or systems can fail or crumble, and that there are no guarantees of success or stability.
And I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
We're frustrated with a situation that seems to be falling apart or ending, and we're struggling to understand why it has to happen.
Oh I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
We're repeating our frustration and confusion about a situation that seems to be dissolving or disintegrating.
Breaking up at all
We're acknowledging the ending of something important, and we're recognizing the pain and loss that comes with that.
And it's all in the hands of a lazy projector
We're repeating our understanding that the dissemination of information is controlled by people who may not be invested in accuracy, truth, or fairness.
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
We're repeating our acknowledgement of the ways in which the dissemination of information can be compromised or corrupted, leading to falsehoods and embellishments.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@accade_acaso
If memory serves us, then who owns the master
How do we know who's projecting this reel
And is it like gruel or like quick drying plaster
Tell me how long til the paint starts to peel
Is it like Pyramus or Apollo or an archer we don't know
Though history repeats itself, and time's a crooked bow
Come on tell us something we don't know
Now who's the best boy and the casting director
And the editor splicing your face from the scene
It's all in the hands of a lazy projector
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
They say all good things must come to an end
Everyday the night must fall
How it all came to this, I simply can't recall
Too many cooks in the kitchen
How the mighty must fall
But I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
Breaking up at all
And it's all in the hands of a lazy projector
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
@christopherogden8790
Thank you ! Andrew Bird , man ! Loved this one , and the rest of all of your songs !
@gehmflor
Love his smile at the end!!!
@busyboysonedollarcircus6601
That first chorus whistle through is a golden eyebrow raise
@aaronwimberleymbamsf5776
Thanks AB- really like this timeless classic=]
@apairofkeets
never fails to amaze
@babyhaines86
It is never just in the hands of a lazy projector.
@appselfies
Siempre nos quedará silbar. Grande Andrew "pajaro" . Bo día
@knibbs1325
who else thinks he needs to revisit the album Soldier On?
@Wawadewa
LazzyBird brought me here :)
@accade_acaso
If memory serves us, then who owns the master
How do we know who's projecting this reel
And is it like gruel or like quick drying plaster
Tell me how long til the paint starts to peel
Is it like Pyramus or Apollo or an archer we don't know
Though history repeats itself, and time's a crooked bow
Come on tell us something we don't know
Now who's the best boy and the casting director
And the editor splicing your face from the scene
It's all in the hands of a lazy projector
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine
They say all good things must come to an end
Everyday the night must fall
How it all came to this, I simply can't recall
Too many cooks in the kitchen
How the mighty must fall
But I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
I can't see the sense in us breaking up at all
Breaking up at all
And it's all in the hands of a lazy projector
That forgetting, embellishing, lying machine