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.
Spanish for Monsters
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All alone now, guess I'm satisfied
Lil' bit older now, guess I'm satisfied
What a dream life would seem
If only they'd let you keep your etch-a-sketch
If only they'd let you keep your etch-a-sketch
The lyrics of the song ''Spanish for Monsters'' by Andrew Bird highlight the theme of isolation and contentment. The opening lines ''All alone now, guess I'm satisfied'' suggest that the singer is alone but is not unhappy with his circumstances. As the song continues, the lyrics ''Lil' bit older now, guess I'm satisfied'' conveys the idea that the character has grown older but still hasn't found contentment in anything beyond solitude.
The other lyrics ''What a dream life would seem, If only they'd let you keep your etch-a-sketch'' shows that the character has a yearning for a simple life, like the one he used to have when he was a child. It represents the idea that the singer is struggling to find his place in the world and wants to go back to a time when things weren't as complicated. The lyrics suggest that society puts too much pressure on individuals to conform to unrealistic expectations and this restricts them from living their dreams.
Overall, the song portrays an emotional and introspective journey of an individual who is grappling with his inner thoughts and feelings of alienation. Andrew Bird uses his poignant lyrics and soulful voice to evoke powerful emotions in his listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
All alone now, guess I'm satisfied
I am by myself now but I have come to terms with it and feel content.
Lil' bit older now, guess I'm satisfied
As I have aged a bit, I have realized that I am content with my life.
What a dream life would seem
If only they'd let you keep your etch-a-sketch
Life would be perfect if we were allowed to control and erase our mistakes just like on an etch-a-sketch.
Contributed by Sebastian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.