Little Jazz Bird
Blossom Dearie Lyrics

Into a cabaret
One day, a little songbird flew into a lively cabaret.

One fatal day
On that fateful day, the little songbird entered the cabaret.

A little songbird flew
The tiny bird flew in and discovered the cabaret.

Found it so very gay
The songbird found the atmosphere in the cabaret to be wonderfully vibrant and joyful.

He thought he'd stay
The songbird decided to stay in the cabaret to experience more of this delightful sensation.

Just to get a bird's eye view
He wanted to observe the jazz band from a unique perspective.

When he heard the jazz band playing
As soon as the bird heard the enchanting jazz music, he became elated.

He was happy as a lark
The songbird was delighted and content.

To each measure he kept swaying
He swayed his wings and head and moved to the rhythm of the music.

And he stayed 'til after dark
The little bird stayed until a late hour in the evening, captivated by the jazz music.

Then back to the land he knew
The songbird left the cabaret and returned to the world he was accustomed to.

Thrilled through and through
He was excited and filled with joy.

He sailed on in the air
He flew freely through the sky.

Called all the other birds
He gathered other birds to him.

And in these words
While they were there, he spoke to them in this way.

Started gurgling then and there
He began making a musical, gurgling sound right then and there.

I'm a little jazz bird
He identified himself as a jazz bird.

And I'm telling you to be one too
He suggested that the other birds should become jazz birds as well.

For a little jazz bird
Becoming a jazz bird is the best thing for a bird.

Is in heaven when it's singin' blue
A jazz bird is at its best when it is singing the blues and jazz music.

I say it with regret
The songbird is sad to say the next part of his message.

But you're out of date
To the other birds, he says their singing styles are outdated.

You ain't heard nothing yet
The other birds have not yet heard true jazz music.

Til you syncopate
They need to learn how to sing with syncopation, a defining characteristic of jazz music.

When the going is rough
When times get tough, and everything seems difficult.

You will find your troubles all have flown
If the other birds start singing jazz, they will feel their troubles and worries drift away.

If you warble your stuff
If they sing to the best of their ability.

Like the moanin' of a saxophone
If they sing with the same soulful sound a saxophone gives, their concerns will disappear.

Just try my recipe
He wants the other birds to learn his method.

And I'm sure you'll agree
He believes the others will agree with him after trying his method.

That a little jazz bird
He believes that a jazz bird, like him, is the best kind of bird to be.

Is the only kind of bird to be
He asserts that the jazz bird is the only type of bird worth being.