"While living on campus at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George I spent most of my time either playing soccer or writing songs on acoustic guitar in my room," recalls Ross. "Friends of mine in a band called Stabilo, from Vancouver, eventually convinced me to move back and pursue my songwriting skills. They encouraged me to record some tracks and even joined me in the studio for the sessions. As for the band's name....I grew up with a pet cockatoo. My mom was patriotically Welsh and adored birds. The rest is history".
In the spring of 2005 Morgan packed up and moved to Toronto where he attended York University's french campus. By the fall of that year he had auditioned and picked what would become Birds of Wales: Mike Caputo from Windsor on guitar, Dan Taylor from Toronto on bass and British newcomer to Canada Ben Standage on drums. Successful stints at Lee's Palace, the Drake and various other Toronto clubs caught the eye of Ralph James, President of The Agency Group, who soon after signed them to his roster. A return trip to Vancouver saw similar audience interest with a packed house at Richard's on Richards.
In the summer of 2006 the band took their maiden voyage as Birds Of Wales to London, England. That would be the first of several successful tours in the UK. The Agency Group UK signed the band and Invisible Hands Records / Universal released an early EP in 2007. Return visits across the pond saw the band venture into Ireland, Holland and Spain plus play on a tour opening for Xavier Rudd on his European dates.
Consistent attention from British audiences soon paid off. The BBC and regional radio started spinning the band's songs, resulting in one of their singles, "My Lady in July", breaking into the national charts published by Music Week Magazine. Supportive press followed, including photos of the band's charismatic frontman, Morgan Cameron Ross, gracing the pages of England's largest teen magazine "TV HITS".
Their imported British EP started to filter back into Canada and constant touring continued. Birds Of Wales gained significant airplay and performed on XM satellite radio[The Verge]. MuchMoreMusic took notice, voting Morgan Cameron Ross as one of the top three hottest guys on their end of year, top 10 show. MuchMusic also showed support having him guest star as a professional songwriter on their homegrown production of the show "Disband". You could hear several Birds of Wales songs if you flipped over to the CBC and tuned into their show "Heartland".
In early December of 2009 the band signed with Toronto indie label Sparks Music/ EMI. Their new full length CD "Belgravia Hotel" will be released on April 13, 2010.The first single/video from the project is a song entitled 'Uninteresting' which was penned by Morgan while staying at the Belgravia Hotel in London!
The album was produced and recorded in Vancouver at Mushroom Sound by Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter, Kelly Rowlands) and mixed by Jeff Dawson, Mike Fraser (Aerosmith, Franz Ferdinand) and Mike Gilles (Metallica, Bryan Adams). Birds of Wales are managed by Christi Thompson of Thompson Artist Management whose clients include Xavier Rudd and Mishka.
T-Shirt
Birds of Wales Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My t-shirt's fitting small;
Won't fit over my head.
Maybe I'm just getting bigger?
Cause that's what I've been hoping for.
I used to have problems in my life,
But now I hope that they're gone.
Maybe I'm just getting older,
Maybe I am getting Smarter as well.
Maybe I'm just getting older,
Maybe I am getting Smarter as well.
Verse 2:
Well save something for yourself.
Hold it in for no one else.
Lock it up, throw away the key;
Say the word just for me.
Pull the bone and make a wish,
That goes something like this…
Chorus:
Maybe I'm just getting older,
Maybe I am getting Smarter as well.
Maybe I'm just getting older,
Maybe, but it's hard to tell.
The lyrics of the song T-Shirt by Birds of Wales reflect the theme of self-reflection and coming of age. The first verse talks about the singer's T-shirt fitting small, and how he wonders if he is getting bigger. This introspection goes beyond physical growth as the singer wonders if he is becoming a more mature and smarter person. The line "I used to have problems in my life, but now I hope that they're gone" suggests that he has overcome challenges and has now gained clarity and perspective about life.
The chorus of the song reiterates the theme of personal growth, aging, and gaining wisdom. The singer questions whether the changes he is experiencing are a result of getting older or becoming smarter. The second verse encourages the idea of guarding one's secrets and desires and sharing them only with those who matter. The line "Pull the bone and make a wish, that goes something like this" implies that the singer is referring to a wishbone, which is symbolic of hope, luck, and wishing for happiness.
In summary, the lyrics of T-Shirt by Birds of Wales are a coming-of-age reflection on personal growth, change, and maturity.
Line by Line Meaning
My t-shirt's fitting small;
The singer's t-shirt is too tight and doesn't fit over their head.
Won't fit over my head.
The t-shirt's size is too small to fit the singer's head through it.
Maybe I'm just getting bigger?
The singer wonders if they are growing and getting larger.
Cause that's what I've been hoping for.
The artist wants to grow bigger.
I used to have problems in my life,
The artist had issues or troubles before.
But now I hope that they're gone.
The singer hopes that their past problems have disappeared.
Well save something for yourself.
The singer advises to keep something private and personal.
Hold it in for no one else.
The artist suggests not sharing this private information.
Lock it up, throw away the key;
The artist uses a metaphor to emphasize how private the information is.
Say the word just for me.
The artist wants the person to only tell them this private information.
Pull the bone and make a wish,
The singer uses a metaphor to describe making a wish and keeping it to oneself.
That goes something like this…
The artist is introducing an idea of making a wish in secret.
Maybe, but it's hard to tell.
The singer is uncertain about whether they are getting older or smarter.
Maybe I'm just getting older,
The singer wonders if they are aging.
Maybe I am getting Smarter as well.
The singer suggests that aging may also come with getting wiser.
Contributed by Addison J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.