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.

Oh No
Andrew Bird Lyrics

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In the salsify mains of what was thought but unsaid
All the calcified arithmatists were doing the math
And it would take a calculated blow to the head
To light the eyes of all the harmless sociopaths

Oh arm in arm we are the harmless sociopaths
Oh, arm in arm with all the harmless sociopaths
Calcium mines are buried deep in your chest

Oh the calcium mines you buried deep in your chest

Ooh
You're deep in a mine
Ooh
A calcium mine
Oh

Let's get out of here
Past the atmosphere
Squint your eyes and no one dies or goes to jail
Past the silver bridge
Oh the silver bridge wearing nothing but a one-sie and a veil

Ooh
You're deep in a mine, o-o-oh
Ooh
A calcium mine
Oh no no

Arm in arm we are the harmless sociopaths
Oh arm in arm with all the harmless sociopaths
In the calcium mines buried deep in your chest
Oh the calcium mines buried deep in your chest

Ooh
Deep in a mine, oh-no
Ooh
A calcium mine
Oh-no

So let's get out of here
Past the atmosphere
Squint your eyes and no one dies or goes to jail
Past the silver bridge
Oh the silver bridge wearing nothing but a one-sie and a veil

Oh-no
Oh-no

Oh-no
Oh-no

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Andrew Bird's song "Oh No" are enigmatic but also evocative. It appears to touch on themes of repressed emotions and the cost of living in a society where people suppress their feelings. The "salsify mains" could refer to the hidden, underground parts of people's minds where they feel their most profound emotions, but for various reasons can't express them. This imagery creates a picture of unspoken and buried feelings. The reference to "calcified arithmetists" suggests that society prioritizes logic over emotions, and people who do not conform to this norm have to hide their feelings, becoming "harmless sociopaths." The calculated blow to the head could represent the need for something drastic to happen to make people see how important it is to express their emotions.

The chorus "Arm in arm we are the harmless sociopaths" reflects the notion that people can be united in their struggle to express their emotions. The calcium mines symbolize people's innermost emotions buried deep within themselves, often heavily guarded and rarely shared with others. The idea of escaping through space past the atmosphere could imply a form of emotional escape to avoid the truth of the situation - that people need to confront their feelings. The silver bridge could represent a gateway to an alternative world, emphasizing the desire to escape reality. The lyrics thus convey a certain restlessness, reflecting the feeling of being stuck and the desire to escape.

Line by Line Meaning

In the salsify mains of what was thought but unsaid
In the deepest, darkest parts of our minds where we keep our secrets

All the calcified arithmatists were doing the math
The logical, analytical, and emotionless people were calculating and analyzing everything

And it would take a calculated blow to the head
It would take a significant and deliberate disturbance to awaken them

To light the eyes of all the harmless sociopaths
To make the emotionally numb and disconnected people feel something

Oh arm in arm we are the harmless sociopaths
We, the emotionless and detached people, are together in our lack of feeling

Calcium mines are buried deep in your chest
The things that weigh heavily on your heart and mind are buried deep within you

Oh the calcium mines you buried deep in your chest
The things that are weighing heavily on you are caused by yourself

Let's get out of here
Let's escape this situation

Past the atmosphere
Beyond our current surroundings

Squint your eyes and no one dies or goes to jail
If we ignore certain details, we won't have to suffer the consequences

Past the silver bridge
Beyond the point of no return