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.
Strange Birds
Birdy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unlike most you don't miss a thing,
You see the truth
I walk the halls invisibly,
I climb the walls, no one sees me,
No one but you.
You've always loved the strange birds
I want to be heard
My wounded wing's still beating,
You've always loved the stranger inside
Me, ugly pretty
Oh oh, no no no, oh
Oh little ghost, you see the pain
But together we can make something beautiful
So take my hand and perfectly,
We fill the gaps, you and me make three,
I was meant for you, and you for me
You've always loved the strange birds
Now I want to fly into your world
I want to be heard
My wounded wing's still beating,
You've always loved the stranger inside
Me, ugly pretty.
Oh oh, no no no, oh
You've always loved the strange birds
Now I want to fly into your world
I want to be heard
My wounded wing's still beating,
You've always loved the stranger inside
Me, ugly pretty
The lyrics of "Strange Birds" by Birdy speak of finding comfort and acceptance in the unlikeliest of places. The singer seems to be lost and invisible to the world, but the little ghost is listening and seeing the truth. The ghost is a symbol of someone who is often overlooked or dismissed in society, but who has the wisdom and sensitivity to connect with the singer's pain and vulnerability.
The chorus speaks of the singer's desire to be heard and understood, to fly into the little ghost's world and be loved for who they are, even if they are strange birds. The wounded wing represents the scars and struggles of life, but despite them, the beat goes on, and there is hope for healing and growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Little ghost, you're listening,
The singer is addressing someone who pays close attention to detail unlike most people.
Unlike most you don't miss a thing,
The person being addressed is observant and able to notice what others might overlook.
You see the truth
The person being addressed is able to recognize the reality of situations and is not deceived by appearances.
I walk the halls invisibly,
The artist feels invisible and unnoticed by others when moving through spaces.
I climb the walls, no one sees me,
The artist feels like they are stuck without being able to move forward or get noticed by others.
No one but you.
The person being addressed is the only one who has shown the singer any attention or affection.
You've always loved the strange birds
The person being addressed has a preference for the unique and unconventional.
Now I want to fly into your world
The artist desires to be a part of the person's world who has shown them love and acceptance.
I want to be heard
The artist wants to express themselves and make an impact in the world.
My wounded wing's still beating,
The artist has overcome adversities and continues to persevere even though they are injured.
You've always loved the stranger inside
The person being addressed has always accepted and loved the singer's inner self even though they may be atypical or unconventional.
Me, ugly pretty
The artist may have qualities that are not considered typical beauty standards but still has value and worth as a person.
Oh oh, no no no, oh
This line is simply a repeated phrase and has no clear meaning other than adding emphasis or emotion to the song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jasmine Van Den Bogaerde, Sia Furler, Ariel Rechtshaid
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind