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.
Dive
Babybird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world's bleeding on my TV screen
I don't need to leave my armchair
Let it come to me
Slip it over like an electric blindfold
Now I see sunshine and a swimming pool
I don't care if it's empty
I'm diving in
RIDE RIDE ON IT
DRIVE DRIVE THRU IT
DIVE DIVE IN IT...IT'S SHALLOW
DRINK DRINK IT
LOVE LOVE IT
SUCK SUCK IT...AND SWALLOW
I hit my head on the floor
Split my skull like a hammer
I don't care that I feel bad
I'm still tuning in
There's nothing hidden in the meaning
No little surprise
It's all in the smile
Not behind my eyes
RIDE RIDE ON IT
DRIVE DRIVE THRU IT
DIVE DIVE IN IT...IT'S SHALLOW
DRINK DRINK IT
LOVE LOVE IT
SUCK SUCK IT...AND SWALLOW
CRUSH HEADS ON IT
BLOW HOLES THRU IT
HIDE HIDE IN IT...IT'S HOLLOW
GET THROWN OFF IT
GET BACK ON IT
DON'T TURN BACK...DON'T FOLLOW
The song "Dive" by Babybird uses vivid imagery and darkly sarcastic lyrics to criticize our passive consumption of the world's troubles. The opening lines describe the beauty of the radiation, a metaphor for the constant stream of negative news and disaster that bombards us through our TVs. The singer rejects the idea of leaving his comfortable position on the armchair and instead invites the gloom and doom to come to him, suggesting a lack of empathy or concern for the victims of the world's problems. The electric blindfold that he slips over his eyes represents willful ignorance, the decision to shut out the reality of the situation and instead focus on a sunny and idyllic world that he has concocted in his mind.
The chorus of the song is a biting critique of our society's attitude towards pleasure and distraction. The repetitions of "RIDE RIDE ON IT, DRIVE DRIVE THRU IT, DIVE DIVE IN IT...IT'S SHALLOW, DRINK DRINK IT, LOVE LOVE IT, SUCK SUCK IT...AND SWALLOW" condemn our willingness to engage in hedonistic behavior and indulge in pleasurable distractions, even when they are ultimately hollow and unfulfilling. The second verse suggests that the insatiable desire for pleasure may lead to self-harm, as the singer seems unbothered by a severe injury and remains glued to the screen. The final lines of the song emphasize the importance of never turning back and following the crowd, a call to action for listeners to break from the cycle of consumption and actively work towards change.
Overall, "Dive" is a deeply critical song that questions the morality of our modern society's obsession with pleasure and detachment. Its darkly sarcastic lyrics and cynical humor are typical of Babybird's work, and the song remains a powerful commentary on the state of the world today.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a beautiful radiation
The world is radiating with beauty
The world's bleeding on my TV screen
The world is hurting and suffering while being broadcasted on TV
I don't need to leave my armchair
I can witness the world's pain from the comfort of my home
Let it come to me
I am passive and waiting for it to come to me
Slip it over like an electric blindfold
I am avoiding reality by covering it up like an electric blindfold
Now I see sunshine and a swimming pool
I see a beautiful illusion instead of facing the truth
I don't care if it's empty
I am content with the illusion even if it's not fulfilling
I'm diving in
I am fully committing to the illusion even if it's not real
RIDE RIDE ON IT
DRIVE DRIVE THRU IT
DIVE DIVE IN IT...IT'S SHALLOW
DRINK DRINK IT
LOVE LOVE IT
SUCK SUCK IT...AND SWALLOW
Take advantage of the illusion and consume it without concern for the consequences
I hit my head on the floor
Split my skull like a hammer
Even though I realize the illusion is false, it hurts to break away from it
I don't care that I feel bad
I am willing to endure negative feelings to stay in the illusion
I'm still tuning in
I am still choosing to watch the illusion on TV
There's nothing hidden in the meaning
No little surprise
It's all in the smile
Not behind my eyes
The illusion has no hidden depth or deeper meaning, it's all superficial and presented with a smile
CRUSH HEADS ON IT
BLOW HOLES THRU IT
HIDE HIDE IN IT...IT'S HOLLOW
GET THROWN OFF IT
GET BACK ON IT
DON'T TURN BACK...DON'T FOLLOW
The illusion is fragile, and I am willing to continue to consume it even if it results in pain or disappointment. I won't give up on it.
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.