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.
Masterswarm
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay your eggs where it's warm
We come here to swarm
Come by sea
Swarm like smoke in the dawn
We were the young
We were the swarm
Midges and moths
Cut from a cloth
We were the young
We were the swarm
Flailing fetal fleas
Feeding from the arms of the master
Burrow into me
And this is sure to misspell disaster
Oh and the young in the larval stage
Orchestrating plays
In vestments of translucent alabaster
So they took me to the hospital
They put my body through a scan
What they saw there would impress them all
For inside me grows a man
Who speaks with perfect diction
As he orders my eviction
As he acts with more conviction
Than I
Oh, burrow into me
This is sure to misspell disaster
Oh, burrow into me
You're feeding from the arms of the master
[Repeat: x3]
We were the young
We were the swarm
We were the young
Radiolarians
Come what may
Come what may
Come
The song "Masterswarm" by Andrew Bird is a complex and enigmatic exploration of identity and transformation. The lyrics describe a group of creatures swarming towards warmth, possibly seeking safety or nourishment. The imagery of larvae, fleas, and smoke creates a sense of chaos and urgency. The singer describes themselves as part of this swarm, suggesting they are also seeking something essential.
The second half of the song takes a surprising turn, describing a medical scan that reveals a man growing inside the singer's body. This man speaks with "perfect diction" and seems to have taken over the singer's will. The final repetition of "Come what may" is haunting, suggesting an acceptance of fate or a resignation to uncertainty.
Overall, "Masterswarm" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that raises questions about identity, control, and the limits of the human body.
Line by Line Meaning
Come what may
No matter what happens
Lay your eggs where it's warm
Find a safe and comfortable place to lay your eggs
We come here to swarm
We are here to gather and move together in large numbers
Come by sea
Arrive by water
Swarm like smoke in the dawn
Move together quickly and gracefully like smoke at sunrise
We were the young
We were once inexperienced and immature
We were the swarm
We worked together in large groups to achieve a common goal
Radiolarians
A type of plankton that can be found in the ocean
Midges and moths
Different kinds of insects
Cut from a cloth
Similar in nature or origin
Flailing fetal fleas
Helpless and weak infant bugs
Feeding from the arms of the master
Taking advantage of the resources of a more powerful entity
Burrow into me
Enter my body like a parasite
And this is sure to misspell disaster
This action will certainly lead to trouble
Oh and the young in the larval stage
Immature bugs that are still developing
Orchestrating plays
Working together to accomplish a goal
In vestments of translucent alabaster
Wearing beautiful and delicate clothing
So they took me to the hospital
I was brought to a medical facility
They put my body through a scan
They examined my body using technology
What they saw there would impress them all
The results were very surprising and impressive
For inside me grows a man
There is a human being growing inside of me
Who speaks with perfect diction
The developing human has excellent speech skills
As he orders my eviction
He is taking over my body and forcing me out
As he acts with more conviction
He has more determination and resolve than I do
Oh, burrow into me
Inviting the bugs to enter my body
You're feeding from the arms of the master
You are taking advantage of the resources of a more powerful entity
We were the young
We were once inexperienced and immature
We were the swarm
We worked together in large groups to achieve a common goal
Come what may
No matter what happens
Come what may
No matter what happens
Come
Arrive
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrew Wegman Bird
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind