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.

Saints Preservus
Andrew Bird Lyrics

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I once was found
But now I'm lost
I could be anywhere
Where the strip malls are beige
And the asphalt is hot
Bring me your poor
And your trembling masses
Bring them here

To shelter in your soft-structured parking lot

I'm a stranger
In a land that's anything but strange
Bury me standing
Bury me deep
Beneath the pylons

I'm groping in the dark
My arms stretched out before me
Saints, preserve us
Beneath your cracks and fissures
Among the fossiled fishes
Our souls, our souls to keep

I'm a stranger
In a land that's anything but strange
Bury me standing
Oh, bury me deep
Beneath the pylons

I'm groping in the dark
My arms stretched out before me
Saints, preserve us
Beneath your cracks and fissures

Among the fossiled fishes
Our souls, our souls to keep

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Andrew Bird's song "Saints Preservus" convey a sense of displacement and longing for connection in an alienating world. The opening lines, "I once was found, but now I'm lost," capture a feeling of being disconnected from one's sense of identity and place. The mention of strip malls and hot asphalt suggests a generic and homogenous environment, lacking in depth and authenticity.

The lyrics then shift to a plea for refuge and acceptance: "Bring me your poor and your trembling masses, bring them here, to shelter in your soft-structured parking lot." Here, Bird seems to be commenting on the dehumanizing nature of modern society, where people are reduced to numbers and bodies, seeking solace and safety in mundane, impersonal spaces.

The repetition of the phrase "I'm a stranger in a land that's anything but strange" emphasizes the irony of feeling like an outsider in a world that appears familiar but lacks true connection. The imagery of being buried beneath the pylons suggests a desire for a deeper understanding of one's surroundings, a longing to be integrated into the fabric of society.

The final stanza maintains the theme of searching and groping in the dark, with outstretched arms. The plea to the saints to preserve the singer beneath cracks and fissures, among fossilized fishes, speaks to a yearning for a meaningful existence amidst the complexities and layers of life. It highlights the fragility of the human soul and the need for protection and preservation in an indifferent world.

Overall, "Saints Preservus" conveys a profound sense of longing, alienation, and the search for belonging in a society that often prioritizes surface-level connections.

Line by Line Meaning

I once was found
I used to have a sense of direction and purpose

But now I'm lost
But now I feel aimless and without guidance

I could be anywhere
I have no specific location or destination

Where the strip malls are beige
In places where commercialism dominates and lacks uniqueness

And the asphalt is hot
And the pavement radiates heat

Bring me your poor
Welcome those who are disadvantaged

And your trembling masses
And those who are afraid and unsure

Bring them here
Bring them to this place

To shelter in your soft-structured parking lot
To find comfort and safety in a vast parking area

I'm a stranger
I feel like an outsider

In a land that's anything but strange
In a familiar and predictable environment