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.

Nomenclature
Andrew Bird Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just think of the lives you could swap with your own
While you're selling your coats, you're sewing your own
You know it's not the easy way

Sometimes we've got to pay to play
With finger paints and macrame
It's time we asked the sea and say
Could you bring a different nomenclature?

Now the colors have bled to gray
To ones that don't exist in nature

A nomenclature is washing away, washing away
A nomenclature is washing away, washing away
But did it carry you away, carry you all the way?

Did it carry you away, carry you all the way?

Nomenclature's washing away, oh it's washing us all away
Nomenclature's washing away, oh it's washing us all away

Overall Meaning

In Andrew Bird's song Nomenclature, the lyrics speak to the concept of identity and the ability to exchange one's life for another. The first two lines encourage the listener to consider the alternate realities that exist, and the fact that while we might be busy with our own lives, others are going through their own unique experiences. The next line, "you know it's not the easy way," reminds us that confronting this reality takes effort and introspection.

The next verse introduces the idea of "paying to play," acknowledging that exploring these alternate worlds and identities requires sacrifice and risk. The reference to "finger paints and macrame" adds a childish innocence to the idea, as if to suggest that this pursuit of understanding oneself is something we should have learned as children. The chorus then brings in the metaphor of color and names, suggesting that our very language is limiting when it comes to expressing ourselves and understanding each other. The washing away of our nomenclature represents the possibility of transcending those limitations and arriving at a more honest and fluid way of communicating.

The final repetition of the chorus questions whether this process of personal growth is worth it and whether it has truly taken us anywhere new. It's up to the listener to decide for themselves whether this journey of self-discovery is worth the effort.

Line by Line Meaning

Just think of the lives you could swap with your own
Consider the experiences you could have if you lived someone else's life

While you're selling your coats, you're sewing your own
As you make a living, you're also creating your own unique identity

You know it's not the easy way
Acknowledging that forging your own path is difficult

Sometimes we've got to pay to play
We must put in effort and make sacrifices to achieve our goals

With finger paints and macrame
Engaging in creative activities

It's time we asked the sea and say
We should seek guidance from the unknown

Could you bring a different nomenclature?
Can we have a new way of naming and understanding the world?

Now the colors have bled to gray
The vibrancy and richness of life has diminished

To ones that don't exist in nature
To unnatural and artificial colors

A nomenclature is washing away, washing away
The current system of naming and understanding the world is disappearing

But did it carry you away, carry you all the way?
Did the previous way of understanding the world fully transport and fulfill you?