Jones had begun writing songs and recording home demos as part of an experimental theatre group in Sheffield. A collection of these demos (I Was Born a Man) was released in the summer of 1995, under the name Baby Bird. Following a warm critical reception for this record, he recruited a band made up of Huw Chadbourne (keyboards), Robert Gregory (drums), John Pedder (bass) and Luke Scott (guitar), in order to tour and promote his work.
During 1995, two further albums of demo recordings were released under the name Baby Bird (Bad Shave and Fatherhood) and two in 1996 (The Happiest Man Alive and Dying Happy).
By the end of the year, a decent public following had been built up, as well as quite considerable excitment within the press and music industry. Babybird were signed to Echo Records (a division of the Chrysalis Group), and the first "proper" single, a full-band recording of "Goodnight", which had appeared in demo form on Fatherhood, was eventually released in the summer of 1996, becoming a minor chart hit in the UK.
"You're Gorgeous"
The second single, You're Gorgeous, reached number 3 in the UK in October 1996, and was also one of the biggest selling singles of the year, going on to chart around the world. This remains the song for which Stephen Jones and Babybird are best known.
However, it presented a much more commercial face to the public in comparison to Jones' previous work. The early demo albums won Jones great credibility with those who heard them, but had not reached a wide audience (each one being a one-off pressing). Arguably, the commercial sound and success of "You're Gorgeous", which received massive exposure by comparison, made it hard for many to take Jones seriously as an indie artist. Essentially, what he was best at was no longer what he was best known for.
After "You're Gorgeous"
The album Ugly Beautiful was released to a warm reception, but was not the unmitigated critical triumph that some had anticipated from Babybird's first studio-recorded album. The album produced two more hit singles, Candy Girl and Cornershop.
Babybird returned, minus keyboardist Huw Chadbourne, in 1998 with There's Something Going On, preceded by a single, Bad Old Man. The album was a modest success and was followed by further minor hits, If You'll Be Mine and Back Together.
In 2000, a line-up of Babybird comprising Stephen Jones, Luke Scott and Matt Hay created a third album. Bugged, which was well-received critically (it might be suggested that it is an album of the right quality, but four years later than expected). However, sales were poor and the two singles from it, The F-Word (later the theme tune to a UK TV cookery show of the same name) and Out of Sight barely dented the charts. Babybird were dropped by their record label soon after. A third single from the album Fireflies was released on Animal Noise records, but sold few copies. The band subsequently split.
Stephen Jones went on to write fiction, release solo work and score a film, Blessed, in 2004.
In October 2005, a posting on the official Babybird website announced that the band had reformed as a three-piece featuring Stephen, Luke Scott and Robert Gregory, and would be releasing new material in 2006.
The last CD, called "Between My Ears There's Nothing But Music", was released in autumn 2006 and didn't seem to have encountered a big success.
Stephen Jones has also released Solo material, not to be confused with the american artist of the same name.
In September 2009, Stephen Jones launched an online Babybird community, on which he regularly posts.
A brief tour of the UK was undertaken in November 2009 with the lineup of Stephen Jones, Luke Scott and Robert Gregory. This tour was to promote the new album, Ex-Maniac, due for release in February 2010. Johnny Depp, a long time fan, appears on the album Ex-Maniac, as guitarist in the first single off the album, Unloveable.
All I Want Is Love
Babybird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little breeze that makes a sound
I want to climb up
You want to climb down
You want to run
I want to freeze
See my heart, it’s on the outside
Boom boom, you smell the blood
Where’d you hide the loveAll i ever really wanted
All i want is love
There i go, once again
Turned it round like a big truck (?)
Filled your head like a cb
All scrambled and fucked-up
Got stung on my little tease
It’s the little things that make the big disease
So now you say, you say to me
Where’d you hide the love?
Chorus
The lyrics to Babybird's song "All I Want Is Love" paint a picture of a complex and tumultuous relationship. The metaphor of the heart being like a swarm of bees is particularly striking. Bees can be both sweet and dangerous, they can create honey or they can sting, and the buzzing sound they make can be soothing or anxiety-inducing, just like love. The contrast between the singer's desire to freeze and the other person's desire to run suggests that they are not on the same page emotionally. However, the singer is still searching for love, even if it means climbing up or turning things around like a big truck. The final line, "Where'd you hide the love?" is a poignant question, reflecting the frustration of someone who wants love but cannot find it.
The second verse continues the theme of a confusing and dysfunctional relationship. The use of a CB (citizen's band) radio as a metaphor for communication is interesting, as it dates the song to a specific era (the late 1970s and early 1980s, when CB radios were popular). The singer's attempts to connect with the other person through teasing have failed, and they are left with a sense of disappointment and frustration. The line "it's the little things that make the big disease" is particularly powerful and suggests that small misunderstandings or miscommunications can snowball into bigger problems.
Overall, "All I Want Is Love" is a poignant and relatable song that captures the longing and confusion of human relationships. It acknowledges that love can be both sweet and dangerous, and that the search for it can be frustrating and painful.
Line by Line Meaning
Your heart is like a swarm of bees
Your emotions are buzzing and in constant motion like a swarm of bees.
A little breeze that makes a sound
Even the slightest change can affect the way you feel.
I want to climb up
I want to be closer to you emotionally.
You want to climb down
You want to distance yourself emotionally.
You want to run
You want to avoid getting hurt.
I want to freeze
I want to take everything in and savor the moment.
See my heart, it’s on the outside
My emotions are worn openly on my sleeve.
Boom boom, you smell the blood
You can sense my intense feelings towards you.
Show me now, pretty please
Please open up to me and let me in.
Where’d you hide the love
Why are you holding back and not showing affection?
All I ever really wanted
All I truly desire is love.
All I want is love
Romantic love is the only thing that matters to me.
There I go, once again
I tend to be repetitive in my emotions towards you.
Turned it round like a big truck (?)
My emotions are shifting drastically and causing chaos.
Filled your head like a cb
My intense emotions are overwhelming and hard to ignore.
All scrambled and fucked-up
My feelings are messy and confusing.
Got stung on my little tease
My attempts to show affection have backfired and caused pain.
It’s the little things that make the big disease
Small actions can have a large impact on one's emotions.
So now you say, you say to me
You are finally opening up and communicating with me.
Where’d you hide the love?
Why are you not showing affection and holding back emotionally?
Chorus
Repeated statement of the desire for love and emotional connection.
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rick Irregular
Lovely Song by an utter genius
matt004474
Great song
Glaz Cummings
Genius
matt004474
Had to listen to this song, and luckily it,s on here. Pity babybirds earlier stuff has so few views, whereas the Jonny depp associated music has lots of views.