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.
Comforting Sounds
Birdy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In spite of these comforting sounds
You make
I don't feel alright
Because you make promises
That you break
Into your house
Why don't we share our solitude?
It's hard to make sense
Feels as if I'm sensing you
Through a lens
If someone else comes
I'll just sit here listening to the drums
Previously I never called it solitude
And probably you know
All the dirty shows I've put on
Blunted and exhausted like anyone
Honestly I tried to avoid it
Honestly
Back when we were kids
We would always know when to stop
And now all the good kids are
Messing up
Nobody has gained or
Accomplished anything
The song Comforting Sounds by Birdy is a melancholic and introspective piece that delves into themes of loneliness, disappointment, and disconnection. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to cope with the complexities of relationships with others, highlighted by the repetition of "I don't feel alright." The song talks about "comforting sounds" that are supposed to bring solace, but instead highlight the emptiness of one's existence. The song expresses a longing to connect with others, but also the difficulty and even futility of such connections.
The line "Nothing is pure anymore but solitude" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that solitude is the only uncomplicated state of being. The singer finds comfort in being alone, yet also craves human interactions that are genuine and meaningful. The frustration with promises that are broken is a recurring theme in the song, suggesting that the singer has been let down repeatedly. The line "And probably you know, all the dirty shows I've put on" implies a sense of dishonesty or falseness, perhaps in an attempt to fit in or please others.
The song ends with the lines "Back when we were kids, we would always know when to stop. And now all the good kids are messing up. Nobody has gained or accomplished anything." These lines suggest a loss of innocence and idealism, and a sense that things were simpler and clearer in the past. The reference to "good kids" implies a disillusionment with others, and a sense that no one has really achieved anything worthwhile. Overall, Comforting Sounds is a haunting and introspective song that delves into complex emotions of loneliness and disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't feel alright
I am experiencing a state of discomfort
In spite of these comforting sounds
Despite the audible and pacifying noises that surround me
You make
You, as another individual, are responsible for creating these sounds
I don't feel alright
My present condition of unease still persists
Because you make promises
Due to the pledges that you have made
That you break
Those promises have not been kept and have been disregarded
Into your house
Entering into the confines of your dwelling place
Why don't we share our solitude?
Why don't we partake in this state of being alone together?
Nothing is pure anymore but solitude
There seems to be nothing left that is uncorrupted apart from solitude
It's hard to make sense
I am having difficulty making rational sense of things
Feels as if I'm sensing you
It seems that I am experiencing you
Through a lens
In a distorted and manipulated manner
If someone else comes
In the event that another person arrives
I'll just sit here listening to the drums
I will remain stationary and listen to the percussive sounds that persist
Previously I never called it solitude
Earlier, I did not refer to this as a state of being alone
And probably you know
And likely you are aware
All the dirty shows I've put on
All of the sordid performances I have conducted previously
Blunted and exhausted like anyone
Dulled and drained, like any other individual would feel
Honestly I tried to avoid it
Truly, I attempted to evade this state
Honestly
To be honest
Back when we were kids
In our childhood
We would always know when to stop
We both were aware of when it was time to conclude an activity
And now all the good kids are
Presently, all the well-behaved kids are
Messing up
Behaving poorly or making mistakes
Nobody has gained or
Nobody has improved their situation or
Accomplished anything
Achieved any notable or significant feat
Lyrics © Fintage House Publishing
Written by: BO RUNE MADSEN, JOHAN HASLUND WOHLERT, JONAS BJERRE TERKELSBOEL, SILAS UTKE GRAAE JOERGENSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ufohstarseed
I don't feel alright
In spite of these comforting sounds
You make
I don't feel alright
Because you make promises
That you break
Into your house
Why don't we share our solitude?
Nothing is pure anymore but solitude
It's hard to make sense
Feels as if I'm sensing you
Through a lens
If someone else comes
I'll just sit here listening to the drums
Previously I never called it solitude
And probably you know
All the dirty shows I've put on
Blunted and exhausted like anyone
Honestly I tried to avoid it
Honestly
Back when we were kids
We would always know when to stop
And now all the good kids are
Messing up
Nobody has gained or
Accomplished anything
Laura Giusti
LYRICS
I don't feel alright
In spite of these comforting sounds
You make
I don't feel alright
Because you make promises
That you break
Into your house
Why don't we share our solitude?
Nothing is pure anymore but solitude
It's hard to make sense
Feels as if I'm sensing you
Through a lens
If someone else comes
I'll just sit here listening to the drums
Previously I never called it solitude
And probably you know
All the dirty shows I've put on
Blunted and exhausted like anyone
Honestly I tried to avoid it
Honestly
Back when we were kids
We would always know when to stop
And now all the good kids are
Messing up
Nobody has gained or
Accomplished anything
greatsea
What I love is that she had the musical taste to realize that this was worth covering.
Patrick Araujo
+greatsea agreed ^^
Benjamin Eyers
+greatsea That's about it though...
Sleepy Fleecy
I love both versions of this song, but in different ways. Birdys cover gives me an emotional feeling and it really touches my heart and reminds me of loved ones that passes away. Mews version makes me think about life and reminds me to always treasure it. I love them both so much. (And just because this version may not be as good as mews version to some of you it doesn't mean this one sucks) it's actually very beautiful
Fernanda Pereira
.
John Fillbrook
this is song that will always capture a emotion. birdy's version is respectful in its execution and completely birdy at the same time.
Paul Blackwell
+Lynn French I heard Birdys version before Mews and I have to say firstly its a beautiful cover ( now I know that!) , but mews is much more raw and stripped back. Birdy for me is an outstanding artist, her vocal tones are outstanding, whereas Mews are just as they are meant to be too. Its a song of two choices dependent on mood , both entrance me on listen on different occasions. guess Its just two different songs - both OUTSTANDING
Olivia Schneider
Same cx And I agree ;3
DHARMA ROCK
No me atrevía a oír esta versión de Birdy de una de las canciones mas hermosas de la historia moderna de la música por ese miedo a que la arruinarán, pero debo decir que no esta mal la versión.
KingKongsBigDingDong
Vocally she nails it but for me the arrangement of the mew song made it so much more a beautiful piece of music that it will remain in my top 5 forever.