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.
Ten-You-Us
Andrew Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world that is
From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to porto-centric Lisboans
Greek Cypriots and and Hobis-hots
Who hang around in ports a lot
Here's where things start getting weird
While chinless men will scratch their beards
Brush up on the Uralic syntaxes
Love of hate acts as an axis
Love of hate acts as an axis
First it wanes and then it waxes
(So procreate and pay your taxes)
Ten you us ness less seven comes to three
Them you us plus eleven
Thank the heavens for their elasticity
And that's for those who live and die for astronomy
When Coprophagia was writ
Know when to stand know when to sit
Can't stand to stand can't stand to sit and who would want to know this
Click click click
Who wants to look upon this pray tell
Tenuousness less seven comes to three
Them you us plus eleven
Comes just shy of infinity
And that's for those who live and die for numerology
The lyrics of Andrew Bird's song "Ten-You-Us" explore a range of concepts, from linguistics and ancient civilizations to hate and love as an axis. The first verse starts off with the idea that the world is tenuous at best or fragile, and this statement sets the tone for what's to come. The singer refers to proto-Sanskrit Minoans, porto-centric Lisboans, and Greek Cypriots to emphasize the diversity and complexity of human culture. However, he also mentions "Hobis-hots, who hang around in ports a lot," which might suggest that there is a certain degree of absurdity in human behavior.
In the next verse, the lyrics get even more peculiar, as the singer talks about "chinless men" scratching their beards, sharpening their axes, and learning Uralic syntaxes. He then states that "love of hate acts as an axis," which appears to be a reference to the idea that some people's lives revolve around negativity and animosity. The chorus of the song contains the line "Ten you us ness less seven comes to three," which is likely to be a reference to numerology, a belief system that attributes mystical and divine properties to numbers.
Line by Line Meaning
Tenuous at best was all he had to say when pressed about the rest of it,
He had nothing of significant value to contribute when asked about the world.
The world that is
Referring to the complexities of the world.
From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to porto-centric Lisboans
Referencing a range of cultures and people.
Greek Cypriots and and Hobis-hots
Mentioning specific groups of people.
Who hang around in ports a lot
Commenting on the fact that those groups of people frequent ports.
While chinless men will scratch their beards
Imagery suggesting vague and aimless contemplation.
Tool their minds to sharpened axes
Preparing themselves to critique and analyze the world.
Brush up on the Uralic syntaxes
They are studying the less well-known details of the world.
Love of hate acts as an axis
The idea of polarization with love and hate on either end.
First it wanes and then it waxes
The degree of polarization fluctuates over time.
(So procreate and pay your taxes)
Possibly a statement on how the perpetuation of life is not related to worldly issues we waste time on.
Ten you us ness less seven comes to three
Some sort of mathematical riddle or meaningless statement.
Them you us plus eleven
More non-sense mathematical statements.
Thank the heavens for their elasticity
Exaggerated and sarcastic gratitude for inexplicable mathematical situations.
And that's for those who live and die for astronomy
Commenting on the seemingly whimsical nature of math and science.
When Coprophagia was writ
When the act of consuming feces was described in text.
Know when to stand know when to sit
Inappropriately inserting instructions of when to physically stand and sit, unrelated to anything else mentioned in the song.
Can't stand to stand can't stand to sit and who would want to know this
An exasperating and purposefully absurd statement.
Click click click
Onomatopoeic sounds emphasizing a lack of substance to the song.
Who wants to look upon this pray tell
Questioning the point of the song, or the value in exploring certain topics.
Tenuousness less seven comes to three
Reinforcing the nonsense, non-mathematical statements.
Them you us plus eleven
Further perpetuating incoherent numerical statements.
Comes just shy of infinity
An ironic statement, considering the previous nonsensical, unquantifiable numerals.
And that's for those who live and die for numerology
A final justification for the meaningless numerical additions throughout the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrew Wegman Bird
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ivan Mani
This is by far my favorite version of this song. So simple and effortless. One can really enjoy the eloquence of this song.
Northern Diaries Originals
Never heard this version before. So beautiful. I have another version of this song, but it is a bit fast. I like that too, but this! Amazing :) So peaceful
Carlos Delima
This song is a colourful and well crafted pun! love it
Brynn Ross
Just found this hidden gem, so beautiful! I think this track is Noble Beast's little secret