The group was formed in 2007 by husband and wife Andrea and Pete Connolly who released 2 critically acclaimed EPs. Grayson Currin praised “Woodgrain Heart” as “complementary voices wrapping together in rustic contentment and comfort, like a happy pair making music because that’s how love makes them feel.” Josh joined the group on cello during the recording of the band’s first full length record “Starmaker” in 2009, expanding the narrative to describe tales of coming of age while still remaining intensely personal. Upon its release, “Starmaker” was picked by the Independent Weekly as the “Album of the Month.”
BIRDS and ARROWS released it’s second full length record “We’re Gonna Run” in May of 2011 and was considered “the best moment of the band’s career, a promise that they’ve got real range.” - Grayson Currin of Independent Weekly
Frank Stasio NPR/WUNC State of Things said this: “The honeymoon sweetness of their earlier work has been replaced with a maturity anddepth appropriate for musicians whose lives and work are gaining seriousness and acclaim.”
With multiple east coast and mid-west tours under their belts, the band is now working on completing their third album “Coyotes” which embraces the original folk spirit of Birds and Arrows combined with confident and experienced songwriting. These new songs embody Birds and Arrows best effort as a band to date.
Firefly
Birds and Arrows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when land lines are back in style
Answering machines
Rewind the tape to see if you called me
Call me
I'll wait inside all day long just to see
Just to see
If you'll call me
A firefly in a jar
suffocating a star
when I was young
in my prime
my car was a mess I was a wreck over you
Over you
You never saw me the way that I wanted you to
Wanted you
You never saw me the way that I wanted you to
In "Firefly", Birds and Arrows expresses a longing for a simpler time, when communication was less instantaneous and more personal. The first verse seems to express a nostalgia for an older era, when land lines and answering machines were commonplace. The lyrics suggest a desire for the slower pace of those times - waiting by the phone all day just to hear a loved one's voice. The second verse is more of a lament - the singer feels suffocated, like a firefly trapped in a jar, and remembers a time when they were consumed by unrequited love. They were a mess, both figuratively and literally - their car was a wreck, and they were constantly in a state of emotional turmoil over someone who never reciprocated their feelings.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of wistfulness for a simpler, more innocent time, while also acknowledging the pain of unrequited love. The repeated refrain of "you never saw me the way that I wanted you to" adds to the sense of longing and frustration. Ultimately, Birds and Arrows seems to be suggesting that sometimes, even if we can't go back in time, we can still hold on to the memories and emotions that define us.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't wait for the day
Looking forward to a future time that is not yet here
when land lines are back in style
Hopeful for a return of a technology that has become outdated
Answering machines
A device used to record incoming messages when the receiver is unavailable
Rewind the tape to see if you called me
Checking the answering machine tape for missed calls
Call me
Request to be contacted via telephone
I'll wait inside all day long just to see
Willingness to stay indoors for an extended period of time for the chance of receiving a phone call
Just to see
Expressing desire or anticipation for something to happen
If you'll call me
A wishful thought that the person being addressed will make contact
maybe you'll call me
An unsure and hesitant hope that someone will reach out
A firefly in a jar
A luminescent insect trapped in a glass container
suffocating a star
Metaphorically describing the firefly as snuffing out the brightness of the star
when I was young
Reference to a time in the past when the artist was younger
in my prime
When the singer was at their best or most successful
my car was a mess I was a wreck over you
The singer was emotionally unstable and preoccupied with their feelings for another person
Over you
The source of the singer's emotional instability and focus
You never saw me the way that I wanted you to
Rejection or disappointment in the other person's lack of romantic interest
Wanted you
The artist desired a reciprocal romantic connection
You never saw me the way that I wanted you to
The singer was unfulfilled in their desire for a mutual romantic interest from the other person
Contributed by John F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ddewjr
Thank you! This is heartwarming.
Chris Stamey's Moving Images Collection
lovely and beautifully done
maria albani
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
valienta
Firefly grouptherapy? Nice!
Hal Weaver
How many takes did that take? ;)
I don't even know.
:)
sergio araujo
Congratulations