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.
People Help The People
Birdy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess he kissed the girls and made them cry
Those hard-faced queens of misadventure
God knows what is hiding in those weak and sunken eyes
Fiery throngs of muted angels
Giving love but getting nothing back, oh
People help the people
People help the people
Nothing will drag you down
Oh, and if I had a brain, oh, and if I had a brain
I'd be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
That turned all those good hearts away
God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence
Behind the tears, inside the lies
A thousand slowly dying sunsets
God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
Guess the loneliness came knocking
No one needs to be alone or sinking
People help the people
And if you're homesick, give me your hand and I'll hold it
People help the people
Nothing will drag you down
Oh, and if I had a brain, oh, and if I had a brain
I'd be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
That turned, all those good hearts away
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, ooh
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, ooh
People help the people
And if you're homesick, give me your hand and I'll hold it
People help the people
Nothing will drag you down
Oh, and if I had a brain, oh, and if I had a brain
I'd be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
That turned all those good hearts away
Birdy’s “People Help the People” is a song about empathy and community. The song begins with an observation about people’s hidden inner feelings as a result of mistakes they’ve made, which often leads to a lonelier life. Despite that, the lyrics express the point of view that people could help each other to overcome their hardships by being kind and showing empathy towards each other. The chorus “People help the people / And if you're homesick, give me your hand and I'll hold it / People help the people / Nothing will drag you down” is a direct appeal to this message of the song.
As the song moves forward, it becomes clear that the song expresses frustration against the cold-hearted people who turn away from goodness, in order to be rich and powerful. The line “I'd be cold as a stone and rich as the fool / That turned all those good hearts away” suggests that empathy is not an attribute one can acquire through wealth or social status alone. It gives insight into the cry for compassion which is missing from society.
“People Help The People” is an uplifting song with powerful lyrics. It’s a call for people to help each other and be more united, despite differences. It’s a reminder that amidst all the darkness the world can present, there is always room for compassion and kindness.
Line by Line Meaning
God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
There is a lot of hidden pain and vulnerability in those who seem to be confident and strong
Guess he kissed the girls and made them cry
Referring to someone who caused hurt and pain to others
Those hard-faced queens of misadventure
Referring to women who are living life recklessly and carelessly, with no regard for the consequences
God knows what is hiding in those weak and sunken eyes
Again, emphasizing the hidden pain and sorrow in those who appear to be strong
Fiery throngs of muted angels
Describing people who are full of passion and love but are not being appreciated or reciprocated
Giving love but getting nothing back, oh
Referring to those who unconditionally give love and care but don't receive it in return
People help the people
The main message of the song is that we need to help and support each other
And if you're homesick, give me your hand and I'll hold it
Offering unconditional support to those who are feeling lonely or homesick
Nothing will drag you down
Promising that as long as we have each other's support, nothing can bring us down
Oh, and if I had a brain, oh, and if I had a brain
Emphasizing the importance of being smart, insightful, and empathetic
I'd be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
Acknowledging that being cold and selfish might bring material wealth but will only make us a fool in the end
That turned all those good hearts away
Recognizing that our actions have consequences and that pushing away those who offer love and support is a mistake
God knows what is hiding in this world of little consequence
There is a lot of pain and suffering in the world that is often overlooked or dismissed
Behind the tears, inside the lies
People often hide their true feelings and emotions, and there is often more to a situation than what we see on the surface
A thousand slowly dying sunsets
A metaphor for the passing of time and the inevitability of death
Guess the loneliness came knocking
Acknowledging that loneliness can affect anyone, no matter how strong they appear to be
No one needs to be alone or sinking
Reiterating the importance of asking for and receiving help and support
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, ooh
A playful and uplifting refrain, driving home the importance of helping each other
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Simon Aldred
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Galilee Stables
The way this song ends for the last minute is just too soulful. It animates those deepest yearnings of the heart. Love it so much <3
screwface1011
I have been hooked on this track since I first played it and it's does nothing but get better. This is a rare classic remix that actually improves on the original.
Dennis Mehren
This is for people who understand music! This is art
Jonathan
11 years later and I still can't get this out of my head. What a beautiful, haunting song.
Angela Elena
Loved this song for yearssssss!! Never gets old.
TheIvanCholakov
oh my god this made my night.i got stoned out of my mind and then put my headphones on and played this on repeat and had myself a great time walking around town in random directions.this one is a "must do again"
Filipe H.
Now this is an outstanding remix! So different from the common "commercial", love it
shtelchi
It's like Birdy and James Blake mixed in one! Love it!
M P
This Shiz is still my jam, along with Kastle an other artists, I only hope you're still being a producer for other artists with the lack of personal output we see. Love everything you've put out and want more my dude.
Corbinho Fielies
Almost caused a traffic accident (on my long board, cruising on my way to class) while listening to this song. Still get nostalgic after almost 10 years.