Babybird is a British indie band, formed in 1995. The band is fronted by St… Read Full Bio ↴Babybird is a British indie band, formed in 1995. The band is fronted by Stephen Jones, who has also released records as a solo artist, using his own name and the name Baby Bird.

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.

Cornershop
Babybird Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What is this beautiful thing we've found
It's so shiny, bright & round
So I went into town
And bought a little patch of ground
And I put a shop on top
And bought myself some stock
Oh, my little cornershop
Oh, my little cornershop

Oh I'm so happy I could scream
In my little store on the green
Where everything is fine
Where everything is fine
So fine
I found some corrugated steel
And banged it to the window with my heel
And now nobody's going to get in
After half past ten in the evening
In the evening...
Oh my 2nd little
Oh my 3rd little
Oh my 4th little...cornershop
Oh my 5th little
Oh my 6th little
Oh my 7th little..cornershop
Oh I'm so happy I could scream

In my 8th little store on the green
Where everything is fine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Cornershop" by Babybird tell a story of a person who finds something beautiful and valuable and decides to start their own business. The person buys a piece of land and builds a small shop on it, stocking it with merchandise. The singer is elated with their newfound success, repeating the words "Oh, my little cornershop" multiple times in admiration. The singer even goes as far as to install corrugated steel on the windows to protect their business from potential break-ins.

The lyrics suggest that the singer has achieved their dreams through hard work and determination. The repetition of the phrase "oh I'm so happy I could scream" emphasizes the singer's overwhelming happiness and satisfaction. The mention of multiple cornershops also suggests that the singer has found success in multiple locations, further emphasizing their entrepreneurial spirit.

The song can also be interpreted as a commentary on the value of small businesses and self-sufficiency. The singer's dedication to their shop and the effort they put in to protect it showcase the importance of small businesses in a community. The repetition of the phrase "where everything is fine" further emphasizes the singer's contentment with their own success.

Line by Line Meaning

What is this beautiful thing we've found
The singer is questioning the marvelous thing he has found.

It's so shiny, bright & round
He's describing the thing as being bright and round.

So I went into town
He went to town.

And bought a little patch of ground
He purchased a small portion of land.

And I put a shop on top
He constructed a store on that land.

And bought myself some stock
He acquired some goods for his shop.

Oh, my little cornershop
He's referring to his new store that he's built.

Oh I'm so happy I could scream
He's incredibly happy to have constructed this store.

Where everything is fine
This store symbolizes a perfect world where everything is fine.

I found some corrugated steel
He found some steel material.

And banged it to the window with my heel
He used his heel to fit the steel to the window.