Andrew Bird (born July 11, 1973) is an American musician. He was born in La… Read Full Bio ↴Andrew Bird (born July 11, 1973) is an American musician. He was born in Lake Bluff, Illinois but currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Bird is a singer, a violinist and, since 2004, a guitarist. He is also an accomplished whistler.

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.

MX Missiles
Andrew Bird Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And now as I would judge and say you're aloof
But you know the truth is a seed
You know what you need is a conflagration
Cause when I see the blood
And the bits of your broken tooth
It gives me the proof that I need
It's the proof that you bleed
It's a revelation

Yeah it's a revelation, it's a revelation

I thought you were a life-sized paper doll
Propped up in the hardware store
Propped up on the front lawn watching the parade
Of those legionnaires with two-by-four's
As they're marching off to war
Yeah they're marching off to war

I didn't know what you were made of
The colour of your blood, what you're afraid of
Are you made of calcium or are you carbon-based
And if you're made of calcium I'll have to take a taste
Cause, listen, calcium is deadly tender to the tooth
And it's one sure-fire way to know if you're
Mx-missile-proof, oh no, or if you're just aloof

You were in the ground in late November
When the leaves in earth are down
Did you, did you think they would remember
How you almost made stage-out
Cause when you're running for the game against alfonso
And you fell upon the ground and chipped a tooth
Oh no, listen, I really have surprised her
To learn that you are really MX-missile-proof

Oh, I thought you were a life-sized paper doll
And you're propped up in the hardware store
You were propped up on the front lawn watching the parade of those legionnaires with two-by-four's
As they're marching off to war

Yeah they're marching off to war
Oh they're marching

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Andrew Bird's song MX Missiles is an interesting commentary on the nature of assumptions and misconceptions. The song ostensibly deals with a person who is seen as aloof, distant, and unapproachable, but as the song continues, the singer realizes that this assumption is misplaced. The person he sings about is not a life-sized paper doll, a thing to be propped up in front of the hardware store, but a person with blood and broken teeth, all the indicators of humanity.

The song poses an interesting question about the nature of truth. The singer believes that truth is a seed, something that lies at the core of all things and that can be accessed and discovered if one is only curious and patient enough. However, he also acknowledges that sometimes it takes a conflagration to reveal the truth. It is only when blood is spilled that the truth becomes apparent, and sometimes the only way for people to see the humanity of others is for them to be hurt, injured, or broken.

The song ends on an ambiguous note, with the singer realizing that he doesn't know if the person he is singing about is truly MX-missile-proof or just aloof. The song invites reflection on the nature of assumptions, misconceptions, and the fickleness of human nature.

Line by Line Meaning

And now as I would judge and say you're aloof
I perceive you as distant and detached from reality.

But you know the truth is a seed
You understand that the truth can grow from a small idea.

You know what you need is a conflagration
You realize that sometimes destruction is necessary for change.

Cause when I see the blood
When I witness the evidence of your pain

And the bits of your broken tooth
And the physical manifestation of your injury

It gives me the proof that I need
It confirms what I suspected

It's the proof that you bleed
It indicates that even you, who seem invulnerable, are human

It's a revelation
It is a moment of insight and understanding

Yeah it's a revelation, it's a revelation
It is a discovery that deserves emphasis and weight

I thought you were a life-sized paper doll
I believed you to be two-dimensional and insubstantial like a cut-out figure

Propped up in the hardware store
Displayed for the world to see, but lacking depth

Propped up on the front lawn watching the parade
Taking a passive role, observing but not actively engaging

Of those legionnaires with two-by-four's
Of those aggressive, war-mongering individuals

As they're marching off to war
As they embark on their violent mission

I didn't know what you were made of
I lacked the understanding of your true nature

The colour of your blood, what you're afraid of
Your vulnerabilities and fears that stem from your humanity

Are you made of calcium or are you carbon-based
Are you a fragile being or a resilient one?

And if you're made of calcium I'll have to take a taste
I need to test your strength to prove your worthiness

Cause, listen, calcium is deadly tender to the tooth
A lack of calcium can weaken your teeth and make you more susceptible to injury

And it's one sure-fire way to know if you're Mx-missile-proof, oh no, or if you're just aloof
It is a test to see if you are truly invulnerable or just pretending to be.

You were in the ground in late November
You were buried during the fall season

When the leaves in earth are down
When the foliage has fallen and decomposed

Did you, did you think they would remember
Did you believe your legacy would be preserved?

How you almost made stage-out
How you almost reached your full potential

Cause when you're running for the game against Alfonso
When you're competing against a formidable opponent

And you fell upon the ground and chipped a tooth
And suffered an injury that revealed your vulnerability

Oh no, listen, I really have surprised her
I was truly shocked by your resilience

To learn that you are really MX-missile-proof
To realize that you are invulnerable to harm

Oh, I thought you were a life-sized paper doll
I thought you lacked depth and substance

And you're propped up in the hardware store
You are on display for all to see, but not truly alive

You were propped up on the front lawn watching the parade of those legionnaires with two-by-four's
You are a passive observer of the aggression and violence around you

As they're marching off to war
As they leave to engage in battle

Yeah they're marching off to war
Their mission is to perpetrate violence and destruction

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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