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.
Till You Die
Babybird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two is me
Three’s a baby
Four’s the family
Buy the cake
Buy the ring
Get the knife
Cos it all adds up you’ve got one stab at love
Cos I’m gonna love you till you die
Cos I’m gonna love you till you die
Five is love
Six is plastic
Sven’s money
Eight’s fantastic
Buy the car
Buy the House
Get the Wheels
Flick the mouse
Cos it all adds up you’ve got one stab at love
Slap your kids
Hit your wife
Cos you hate your life
Screw the f-word in your fist
Cross the numbers off your list
You’ll never be much wiser than a failed womaniser
For once in your life be a man and expire
Chorus
The lyrics of Babybird's song Till You Die talk about the inevitability of death and the transience of everything else in life that we find important, such as love, family, money or possessions. The opening lines of the song are an equation that adds up to the number four, which represents the family unit. However, the lyrics also suggest that all of these things are ultimately insignificant compared to the certainty of death. The repetition of the line "Cos it all adds up you’ve got one stab at love" reinforces the idea that there's only one chance to make the most of life and love before it's too late.
The chorus of the song, "Cos I’m gonna love you till you die" speaks to the intensity and commitment that love requires, as well as the sense of urgency to make the most of that love before death comes. However, the later lines of the song suggest a darker side to this love, one that includes violence and self-destruction. The lines "Slap your kids, hit your wife, cos you hate your life" imply that the singer is trapped in a cycle of aggression, frustration, and despair.
Overall, Babybird's Till You Die is a powerful meditation on the nature of mortality and the fleeting, fragile nature of all the things that we hold dear in life. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency to make the most of the time we have, but also a warning about the dangers of fixating on things that ultimately won't matter in the face of death.
Line by Line Meaning
One is you
The first important thing in my life is you
Two is me
The second important thing in my life is me
Three’s a baby
The third important thing in my life is our child
Four’s the family
The fourth important thing in my life is our family
Buy the cake
Let's celebrate our love by buying a cake
Buy the ring
Let's symbolize our love by buying a ring
Get the knife
We need to cut the cake with a knife
Stick it in
Let's make a clean cut and enjoy the cake together
Cos it all adds up you’ve got one stab at love
We have a limited time to experience true love, so let's make the most of it
Cos I’m gonna love you till you die
I will love you unconditionally until we both pass away
Five is love
Love is the fifth important thing in my life
Six is plastic
Material goods are superficial and less important than love and family
Sven’s money
Money and possessions cannot buy happiness, despite what others may believe
Eight’s fantastic
The eighth most important thing in my life is something fantastic, yet unknown
Buy the car
We should buy a car, but it should not be more important than our love and family
Buy the House
We should buy a house to raise our family, but it should not define our happiness
Get the Wheels
We need transportation, but it should not consume us
Flick the mouse
We can enjoy technology, but it should not consume us
Cos it all adds up you’ve got one stab at love
Our moments together should be cherished since we only have a limited time to experience true love
Slap your kids
Abuse and violence should never be a part of love and family
Hit your wife
Abuse and violence should never be a part of love and family
Cos you hate your life
Hate and negativity should not define our lives, especially since we have each other
Screw the f-word in your fist
Lashing out with profanity and anger only leads to more pain
Cross the numbers off your list
Focusing on material possessions and accomplishments is not as meaningful as love and family
You’ll never be much wiser than a failed womaniser
Using others for personal gain will never lead to true happiness or wisdom
For once in your life be a man and expire
Instead of fueling hate and negativity, we should live our lives with love, appreciation, and grace
Cos I’m gonna love you till you die
I will love you unconditionally until we both pass away
Contributed by Emma J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.