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.
First Man on the Sun
Babybird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When i knocked on your door
Had the buttons of your dress in my eye
3 o'clock in the morning
When my mind is dawning
I remember what i've done and i cry
You make me feel like a man
You're so pretty - i'm so dumb
I'm the first man on the sun
Stuck a fork in my leg
Trying to remember your name
Hid my trousers as they slowly bled
Caught my brain in my zip
Let my intelligence slip
As i failed to get you into my bed
Can't make you feel like a woman
Who can see that her time has come
You're so pretty - i'm so dumb
I'm the first man on the sun
It was the night before
When i knocked at your door
Put your fingers to my head and went bang
Put her hands down my trousers
And pulled out my tongue
She was lucky to get life
And not hanged
You make me feel like a man
Who can't see that his time has come
You're so lovable, i'm athug
I'm the first man on the sun
The lyrics to Babybird’s song “First Man on the Sun” describe a man who is infatuated with a woman who he believes is the most beautiful and intriguing person he has ever met. He feels like a powerful figure, the “first man on the sun,” when he is with her. However, his attempts to seduce her are clumsy and foolish, and he ends up hurting himself in the process. He is so consumed by his desire for her that he loses his intellect and ultimately fails to win her over.
The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and wordplay, which gives the song a surreal and dreamlike quality. The line “Stuck a fork in my leg / Trying to remember your name” is a striking example of this. The man’s desperation is so great that he is willing to inflict physical pain on himself, yet he cannot even recall the woman’s name. The line “Put your fingers to my head and went bang” is equally haunting, as it suggests a violent act, but the meaning remains unclear.
Overall, the song captures the desperation and confusion that can come with unrequited love. The man is so smitten with the woman that he is willing to do anything to win her over, but his attempts are ultimately in vain. The lyrics are both humorous and poignant, as they showcase the absurdity of infatuation while also highlighting the pain that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the night before
The events of the song took place on the night before.
When I knocked on your door
The singer went to the lover's house and knocked at the door.
Had the buttons of your dress in my eye
The singer was probably focusing on the lover's dress buttons while looking at her.
3 o'clock in the morning
It was three in the morning when the artist went to the lover's house.
When my mind is dawning
The artist probably woke up at that moment and realized what he had done.
I remember what I've done and I cry
The singer remembers what happened the night before and cries.
You make me feel like a man
The singer feels like a man when he is with the lover.
Who can't see that his time has come
The artist doesn't realize that his time has come and it is time to move on.
You're so pretty - I'm so dumb
The artist thinks the lover is pretty, but he is not smart enough to move on.
I'm the first man on the sun
The artist thinks he is the first man on the sun, which means he is delusional and probably on drugs.
Stuck a fork in my leg
The singer stuck a fork in his leg, probably as a result of being high or drunk.
Trying to remember your name
The artist can't remember the lover's name.
Hid my trousers as they slowly bled
The singer hid his trousers, which had blood on them.
Caught my brain in my zip
The singer's brain got caught in his zip, probably as a result of being high or drunk.
Let my intelligence slip
The singer's intelligence slipped, probably as a result of being high or drunk.
As I failed to get you into my bed
The artist wasn't able to sleep with the lover.
Can't make you feel like a woman
The artist can't make the lover feel like a woman.
Who can see that her time has come
The lover realizes that it is time for the relationship to end.
You're so pretty - I'm so dumb
The singer still thinks the lover is pretty but he is not smart enough to realize that the relationship is not working.
I'm the first man on the sun
The artist is still delusional and thinks he is the first man on the sun.
Put your fingers to my head and went bang
The artist asked the lover to shoot him in the head.
Put her hands down my trousers
The lover put her hands down the artist's trousers.
And pulled out my tongue
The lover pulled out the singer's tongue, probably as a result of him saying something ridiculous.
She was lucky to get life
The artist probably threatened to kill the lover, but she managed to escape with her life.
And not hanged
The singer didn't kill the lover, and she managed to survive.
You make me feel like a man
The singer still feels like a man when he is with the lover, despite everything that has happened.
Who can't see that his time has come
The singer still doesn't realize that his time has come, and he needs to move on.
You're so lovable, I'm a thug
The artist still finds the lover lovable, but he knows he is a thug and not the right person for her.
I'm the first man on the sun
The artist is still delusional and thinks he is the first man on the sun.
Contributed by Jayden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.