He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and studied at the School of Music there. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry for a Shadow," in a session for Polydor. These turned out to be the Beatles' first commercial recordings. When Beatles manager Brian Epstein asked Kaempfert about further promoting The Beatles, Kaempfert informed Epstein that the company was only interested in The Beatles as Tony Sheridan's backup group. (It also turned out British Decca executive Dick Rowe turned them down in favor of local beat combo Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.) He then released The Beatles from their contract with Polydor.
Snowbird
Bert Kaempfert Lyrics
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The unborn grass lies waiting
For its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers
That will bloom again in spring
When I was young my heart was young then tooAnything that it would tell me
That's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life's
The thing thing that I can't win
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you
The breeze along the river seems to say
That he'll only break me heart again
Should I decide to stay
So little snowbird take me with you
When you go
To that land of gentle breezes
Where the peaceful waters flow
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you
The lyrics of Bert Kaempfert's Snowbird reflect the change of seasons, with the onset of winter and the promise that spring will eventually come again. The opening lines paint a picture of a snowy landscape, with the grass hidden beneath the blanket of snow, and waiting for the warmth of spring to awaken it once more.
The Snowbird, singing the same song as always, speaks to the listener of the flowers that will bloom again in the coming season. The lyrics then take a turn towards a personal reflection, as the singer reminisces about their youth and how they used to follow their heart without question. But now, they feel the emptiness of unfulfillable desires.
The song then turns its focus to the Snowbird, urging it to spread its wings and take the snow with it as it flies away. The singer acknowledges that the one they love will never be true and that they would fly away with the Snowbird if they could. The closing lyrics of the song speak of the decision at hand: to either stay and risk heartbreak or leave with the Snowbird to a land of gentle breezes and peaceful waters.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing and unrequited love, set against the backdrop of the seasonal cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
Beneath this snowy mantle cold and clean
The ground is covered with a white snow blanket, creating a crystal-clear atmosphere
The unborn grass lies waiting
As winter holds the ground, the green blades of grass wait patiently to come out
For its coat to turn to green
They hope for the snow to melt and their own rich green cloak to be exposed
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
A small bird that stays in the winter happily sings about life events that will happen in future
And speaks to me of flowers
The bird's melodic chirp tells the listener about the upcoming flowers
That will bloom again in spring
The snow will eventually melt and give way to spring flowers once again
When I was young my heart was young then too
During the person's youth, their heart was naive and impulsive
Anything that it would tell me
The person followed their heart's desires and instincts
That's the thing that I would do
They always hold their heart above logical thinking in decision making
But now I feel such emptiness within
Now, the person's heart is hurt, and they feel lost and empty
For the thing that I want most in life's
What they want the most in life, they can't have
The thing thing that I can't win
They can't have their desired outcome, no matter how hard they try
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
The person asks the snowbird to fly away into the sky
And take the snow back with you
The person wants the bird to carry snow away with him
Where it came from on that day
The person wants the snowbird to take it back where it originated
The one I love forever is untrue
The person's love is untrue, and they have been betrayed
And if I could you know that I would
The person expresses their deep desire to join the bird
Fly away with you
The person wants to escape their current reality with the snowbird
The breeze along the river seems to say
The air current near the river indicates a warning
That he'll only break me heart again
The person's heart will be broken once again
Should I decide to stay
If the person chooses not to leave, their heartbreak will continue
So little snowbird take me with you
The person urges the snowbird to carry them away
When you go
The person wants to leave with the snowbird when it returns home
To that land of gentle breezes
A place where the wind is calm and peaceful
Where the peaceful waters flow
A location where tranquil and serene watercourses
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gene Mac Lellan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind