After she won the Under 18s category of the UK talent contest Open Mic UK at the age of 12, Bogaerde was soon offered a publishing contract by Good Soldier Songs Ltd, run by Christian Tattersfield, chairman of Warner Music UK. In 2011, at the age of 14, she released a haunting cover version of the Bon Iver "Skinny Love", which reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart. The track was later featured in an episode of The Vampire Diaries.
Her self-titled debut album, "Birdy", was released on 4th November, 2011 and featured "Skinny Love" , "1901" and "People Help The People", other notable tracks from the album include James Taylor's" Fire and Rain" and “Terrible Love” The album reached #1 in Australia, Belgium and The Netherlands, it also peaked at #13 in the UK.
In 2011, "Skinny Love" sold 259,000 copies in the UK becoming the third biggest selling rock single of that year. As of August 2016, the song had sold almost 800,000 copies in the UK.
In 2012, Birdy released an 8 track EP " Live in London “ which featured several tracks from her debut album plus a version of the Ed Sheeran song "The A Team “and "Just a Game from “The Hunger Games”
In July 2013 Birdy announced via YouTube, that her 2nd album would be released later in the year. She also previewed two new songs "Wings "and "No Angel" which would both be featured on her second studio album "Fire Within"
Her second studio album, "Fire Within" was released 23rd September, 2013. It featured 11 original songs, either written or co written by Birdy including Strange Birds, co-written with Sia.
The first single from the album was “Wings” released as a digital download then officially released in the UK on 8th September 2013. The song reached #8 on the UK charts, becoming Birdy’s first UK top 10. It was also featured in an episode of The Vampire Diaries. Subsequent singles were “No Angel”, Light Me Up” and “Words as Weapons”
In 2014, Birdy submitted three songs to the soundtrack of the film “The Fault In Our Stars” which stars “Shailene Woodley” and “Ansel Elgort”. “Not About Angels” was the second released single from the soundtrack album. Other Birdy contributions were “ Tee Shirt" and “ Best Shot"
On 25th March 2016, Birdy's third album "Beautiful Lies" was released, it featured the singles, "Keeping Your Head Up" ,"Wild Horses" and "Words" Once again her songwriting abilities were evident as she wrote or co wrote all of the 14 tracks.
Also in 2016 she was featured on the "Sigma" single " Find Me which was only a minor success in the UK.
Her song Ghost In The Wind" also appeared on the soundtrack of the film The Edge Of Seventeen
After an extensive tour of USA and Asia, she took a break from music, only to return with a new single called “ Open Your Heart" in 2020. The song was featured on the 4 track EP called “Piano Sketches”
Birdy’s fourth studio album “Young Heart” was then released on 30th April 2021, the first single “ Surrender” was issued earlier in 2021, a day after she had announced that her new album was coming. Birdy described the album as a heartbreak album heavily inspired by Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”
2023 saw the release of Birdy's fifth studio album “Portraits” It was released on 18th August 2023. “Raincatchers” was issued as the first single, which had been released earlier in 2023. Subsequent singles from the album have since followed, “Heartbreaker”, “Your Arms” and “Paradise Calling”
Birdy's music is described as folk, pop, indie folk. She cites her early music influences as Classical Music and Pop music that her parents would play. along with her own influences, which are so evident in her music(Bon Iver, George Michael and Keane)
Album Discography:
Birdy (2011)
Fire Within (2013)
Beautiful Lies (2016)
Young Heart (2021)
Portraits (2023)
Sites: Discogs, Wikipedia and YouTube.
1901
Birdy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Past and present they don't matter
Now the future's sorted out
Watch her moving in elliptical patterns
Think it's not what you say
What you say is way too complicated
For a minute though I couldn't tell how to fall out
You're going hey hey hey hey hey hey
Lie down you know it's easy
Like we did it over summer long
And I'll be anything you ask and more
You're going hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
It's not a miracle we needed
No I wouldn't let you think so
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Girlfriend, oh your girlfriend is drifting away
Past and present 1855-1901
Watch them built up a material tower
Think it's not gonna stay anyway
I think it's overrated
For a minute though I couldn't tell how to fall out
It's twenty seconds till the last call
You're going hey hey hey hey hey hey
Lie down you know it's easy
Like we did it over summer long
And I'll be anything you ask and more
You're going hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
It's not a miracle we needed
No I wouldn't let you think so
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
The lyrics of Birdy's song 1901 contemplate the passage of time and the impermanence of human creations. The first verse sets the stage for this reflection, as the singer counts "all different ideas drifting away." Past and present become irrelevant as the future is "sorted out," and the focus turns to a woman moving "in elliptical patterns." The singer notes that communication is "complicated" and struggles to "fall out" of the moment.
The second verse introduces the idea of a relationship ending, as the singer observes a girlfriend "drifting away" through the years of 1855-1901. A "material tower" is built up, but the singer believes it won't last. The chorus repeats the phrase "hey hey hey," which takes on a sense of urgency as the "last call" approaches. The singer encourages the other person to "lie down" and relax, to remember the ease of previous summers. The singer offers to be "anything you ask and more," but cautions that their connection is not a miracle.
Line by Line Meaning
Counting all different ideas drifting away
Reflecting on various thoughts that are slipping away
Past and present they don't matter
The present and past are insignificant to the narrative
Now the future's sorted out
The future is resolved in a positive way
Watch her moving in elliptical patterns
Observing her movements in a circular motion
Think it's not what you say
The substance of words is not always effective
What you say is way too complicated
Your language is unnecessarily intricate
For a minute though I couldn't tell how to fall out
Briefly struggled with an exit strategy
It's twenty seconds till the last call
Time is running out for this opportunity
You're going hey hey hey hey hey hey
You are ignoring the urgency of the situation
Lie down you know it's easy
Relax and let the situation unfold
Like we did it over summer long
Recall a past experience of carefree relaxation
And I'll be anything you ask and more
I am willing to comply and exceed your expectations
It's not a miracle we needed
This outcome isn't an improbable event
No I wouldn't let you think so
Don't be deceived by the appearance of magic
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
An insistence on repeatedly creasing something
Girlfriend, oh your girlfriend is drifting away
Your friend is gradually dissociating from you
Past and present 1855-1901
A deduction from the timeline provided
Watch them built up a material tower
Witness the construction of an edifice of materials
Think it's not gonna stay anyway
It's unlikely that the object or situation will persist
I think it's overrated
My opinions are that it's excessively celebrated
For a minute though I couldn't tell how to fall out
I initially struggled to extricate myself from this scenario
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Repeatedly folding something as a precaution or part of a process
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Repeatedly folding something as a precaution or part of a process
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Repeatedly folding something as a precaution or part of a process
Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it
Repeatedly folding something as a precaution or part of a process
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Mazzalai, Frederic Moulin, Laurent Mazzalai, Thomas Croquet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind