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.
Tables and Chairs
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they won't pretend that they're too busy or that they're not alone
And if we can call them friends then we can call
Holler at them down these hallowed halls
Just don't let the human factor fail to be a factor
At all
Don't, don't you worry, about the atmosphere
Cause I know
That it's starting to get warm in here
And things are starting to get strange
And did you, did you see how all of our friends were there
And they're drinking roses from the can?
And how, how I wish I, I had talked to them,
And I wish they fit into the plan
And we were tired of being mild
We were so tired of being mild
And we were tired
I know we're going to meet some day
In the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
There'll be pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
Cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries
No currencies at all, we're gonna live on our wits
We're gonna throw away survival kits,
Trade butterfly-knives for adderal
And that's not all
Ooh-ooh, there will be snacks there will
There will be snacks, there will be snacks.
And we were tired of being mild,
We were so tired of being mild,
And we were (we were so) tired
So don't you,
Don't you worry
About the atmosphere.
The song "Tables and Chairs" by Andrew Bird is a commentary on society and our relationships. The lyrics suggest that if we consider people our friends, we should be able to call them and they will answer. Our friends should not pretend to be too busy or that they are not alone when we call them. We should be able to holler at them and talk to them down the halls. The human factor should not be ignored or underestimated.
The second verse of the song talks about the atmosphere and sudden pressure changes. It doesn't matter if things are starting to get strange or if it's getting warm. These are all indicators of change and we must accept them. The third verse reflects on how the singer wishes they had talked to their friends that were present and how they wished they had fit into the plan. The chorus repeats the idea that the singer and their friends were tired of being mild.
The final verse of the song is particularly interesting. It suggests that after the fall of society, there will be no more countries or currencies. People will have to rely on their wits to survive and trade butterfly-knives for adderal (a medication used to treat ADHD). However, the chorus reminds us not to worry about the atmosphere, as if to suggest that we will be able to adapt to any situation.
Overall, the song suggests that we must embrace change and rely on our friendships to make it through. We must not be afraid of a little chaos and we must be willing to adapt to any situation.
Line by Line Meaning
If we can call them friends then we can call them on their telephones
If we consider someone our friend then we can contact them by phone.
And they won't pretend that they're too busy or that they're not alone
Our friends won't pretend to be busy or not alone when we call them.
And if we can call them friends then we can call
If we can call someone our friend then we can always call them.
Holler at them down these hallowed halls
We should call our friends by shouting through the halls.
Just don't let the human factor fail to be a factor
We should not forget the human factor in our interactions with others.
At all
Under no circumstances.
Don't, don't you worry, about the atmosphere
Don't worry about the atmosphere or the external environment.
Or any sudden pressure change
Or any sudden change in pressure.
Cause I know
I'm aware.
That it's starting to get warm in here
It's getting hot in here.
And things are starting to get strange
Things are getting weird.
And did you, did you see how all of our friends were there
Did you notice that all of our friends were present?
And they're drinking roses from the can?
They're drinking rose water from a can.
And how, how I wish I, I had talked to them,
I wish I had talked to them.
And I wish they fit into the plan
I wish they fit into our plans.
And we were tired of being mild
We were tired of being passive or unassertive.
We were so tired of being mild
We were really fed up with being passive or unassertive.
I know we're going to meet some day
I'm sure we'll meet someday.
In the crumbled financial institutions of this land
In the ruined financial institutions of this land.
There will be tables and chairs
There will be furniture.
There'll be pony rides and dancing bears
There will be entertainment, such as pony rides and dancing bears.
There'll even be a band
There will also be musical entertainment.
Cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries
Listen, after the collapse there will be no more countries.
No currencies at all, we're gonna live on our wits
There will be no more currencies, and we'll have to rely on our survival instincts.
We're gonna throw away survival kits,
We won't need survival kits anymore.
Trade butterfly-knives for adderal
We'll swap our butterfly knives for Adderall.
And that's not all
And that's not the end of it.
Ooh-ooh, there will be snacks there will
There will be snacks.
There will be snacks, there will be snacks.
There will definitely be snacks.
So don't you,
So don't worry.
Don't you worry
There's no need to worry.
About the atmosphere.
About the atmosphere or the external environment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrew Wegman Bird
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mirror
If we can call them friends then we can call them on their telephones
And they won't pretend that they're too busy or that they're not alone
And if we can call them friends then we can call
Holler at them down these hallowed halls
Just don't let the human factor fail to be a factor
At all
Don't, don't you worry, about the atmosphere
Or any sudden pressure change
Cause I know
That it's starting to get warm in here;
And things are starting to get strange
And did you, did you see how all of our friends were there
And they're drinking roses from the can?
And how, how I wish I, I had talked to them
And I wish they fit into the plan
And we were tired of being mild
We were so tired of being mild
And we were tired...
I know we're going to meet some day
In the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
There'll be pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
Cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries;
No currencies at all
We're gonna live on our wits
We're gonna throw away survival kits
Trade butterfly-knives for Adderall
And that's not all!
Ooh-ooh, there will be snacks there will
There will be snacks, there will be snacks
And we were tired of being mild
We were so tired of being mild
And we were (we were so) tired...
So don't you
Don't you worry
About the atmosphere
Mr.Aptronym
I think my favorite part is his insistence that there will be snacks. makes my day every time. There WILL be snacks.
Oxbowpond
Honestly, I feel like this song gets more relevant by the day
Andrea
now more than ever
Caleb Koivisto
Very XD
Maya S.
if andrew bird's awesomeness would be bottled and transformed into electricity, he could power a whole town
Jim Foley
I've been looking for this song for a couple of years, remembering this only as the "there will be snacks" song. Finally my son tracked this down. Downright charming, funny, delightful. This is folksy singer-songwriter stuff plus a touch of Monty Python and Xanax.
Mirror
If we can call them friends then we can call them on their telephones
And they won't pretend that they're too busy or that they're not alone
And if we can call them friends then we can call
Holler at them down these hallowed halls
Just don't let the human factor fail to be a factor
At all
Don't, don't you worry, about the atmosphere
Or any sudden pressure change
Cause I know
That it's starting to get warm in here;
And things are starting to get strange
And did you, did you see how all of our friends were there
And they're drinking roses from the can?
And how, how I wish I, I had talked to them
And I wish they fit into the plan
And we were tired of being mild
We were so tired of being mild
And we were tired...
I know we're going to meet some day
In the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
There'll be pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
Cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries;
No currencies at all
We're gonna live on our wits
We're gonna throw away survival kits
Trade butterfly-knives for Adderall
And that's not all!
Ooh-ooh, there will be snacks there will
There will be snacks, there will be snacks
And we were tired of being mild
We were so tired of being mild
And we were (we were so) tired...
So don't you
Don't you worry
About the atmosphere
sonac36
This is by far my favorite andrew bird song, and is it just me or would this go great in a movie soundtrack?
Girish Nambiar
if there ever was a song about hope, this is it.
Sandra Duran
I absolutely love this song <333