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.
Pulaski at Night
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cup runneth over
Horns of plenty, coffers full
We're starting over
Half empty, half full
Cup runneth over
Horns of plenty, coffers full
I write you a story
But it loses its thread
And all of my witnesses
Keep turning up, turning up dead
I paint you a picture
Of Pulaski at night
Come back to Chicago
City of, city of light
Come back to Chicago
I paint you a picture
But it never looks right
'Cause I fill in the shadows
And block out the, I block out the light
I send you a postcard
It says, "Pulaski at night"
Greetings from Chicago
City of, city of light
Come back to Chicago
City of, city of light
Come back to Chicago
(Starting over)
(Starting over)
We're starting over
The lyrics to Andrew Bird's song "Pulaski at Night" have a somewhat mysterious and contemplative tone. The first four lines seem to draw a parallel between a cup and one's perspective on life. The cup can be seen as half empty or half full, but regardless of which way it's viewed, there is abundance in one's life. The use of the phrase "starting over" suggests that there has been some kind of change, perhaps a fresh start, and that the abundance in one's life is a positive aspect of that change.
The following verse shifts to the singer's attempt to convey meaning to someone else. He tries to write a story, but it loses its thread. Witnesses keep turning up dead, which could be interpreted as people who could have corroborated the story disappearing, or it could simply be a metaphor for the difficulty in sharing one's experiences and interpretations with others. The next verse describes the singer's attempt to paint a picture of Pulaski at night, a neighborhood in Chicago. He invites the listener to come back to Chicago, the "city of light." There seems to be a longing in the singer's words, as if he is seeking a connection with someone or somewhere that he can't quite reach.
The final verse brings the song full circle, as the singer sends a postcard from Chicago, once again referring to it as the "city of light." The song concludes with a repetition of "starting over," signifying that there is still potential for new beginnings and abundant life, even if it is sometimes challenging to communicate those experiences to others.
Line by Line Meaning
Half empty, half full
Viewing the same experience in different ways brings different outcomes
Cup runneth over
We have more than enough
Horns of plenty, coffers full
Our resources are abundant
We're starting over
We have a chance to begin anew
I write you a story
I try to convey a message
But it loses its thread
It becomes disorganized
And all of my witnesses
People who can attest to my words and experiences
Keep turning up, turning up dead
They are no longer around or available to confirm my message
I paint you a picture
I create an image in your mind
Of Pulaski at night
A description of this specific place and time
Come back to Chicago
Return to this place
City of, city of light
A place that shines and stands out
I paint you a picture
I create an image in your mind
But it never looks right
It is not an exact representation
Cause I fill in the shadows
Adding my own interpretation
And block out the, I block out the light
Hiding certain details and aspects
I send you a postcard
A message to remember a place and time
It says, 'Pulaski at night'
A reference to a specific experience
Greetings from Chicago
A warm greeting from this city
Starting over
A new beginning
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oforlikelalune1506
Half empty, half full
Cup runneth over
Horns of plenty, coffers full
We're starting over
Half empty, half full
Cup runneth over
Horns of plenty, coffers full
We're starting over
I write you a story
But it loses its thread
And all of my witnesses
Keep turning up, keep turning up dead
I paint you a picture
Of Pulaski at night
Come back to Chicago
City of, city of light
Come back to Chicago
I paint you a picture
But it never looks right
Cause I fill in the shadows
And block out the, I block out the light
I send you a postcard
It says, "Pulaski at night"
Greetings from Chicago
City of, city of light
Come back to Chicago
City of, city of light
Come back to Chicago
@yamiyobi
I get a strange nostalgic feeling from this song, eventough ive never heard this song before..
@salvatorerules1894
Oh my goodness, me same
@prettybaby_7
omg same it just feels so comforting and familiar idk
@kistephen6365
Yes well except I have heard it before when I was younger . But nostalgia all the way
@marianaargueta444
wtf me too
@alfiekent7075
+ki “dragonbeam189” stephen how old are you this song is only 3 years old
@laurenbonham9928
This song makes me feel so warm yet so sad inside
@Samantha-dc6jk
Same
@Dananite
Makes me exited
@homelesspyro7989
Yep..