Baltimore Oriole
Carmen Mc Rae Lyrics
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Took one look at that mercury, forty below
No life for a lady
To be draggin' her feathers around in the snow
Leaving me blue, off she flew
To the Tangipaho-down Louisiana
Where a two-tiin' Jaybird
Met the divine Miss O
I'd like to ruffle his plumage
That Baltimore Oriole
Messed around with that big guy
Till he singed her wings
Forgivin' is easy-it's a woman like, now and then
Could happen to thing
Send her back home
Home ain't home without her warbling
How she can sing
Make a lonely man happy, Baltimore Oriole
Come down from that bough
Fly to your daddy now
The song "Baltimore Oriole" by Carmen Mc Rae paints a vivid picture of a woman who leaves her lover in the dead of winter to migrate to Louisiana with a two-timing Jaybird. The singer is left feeling melancholy and abandoned and seems to be bitter about his lover's departure. The Baltimore Oriole is used as a metaphor for the singer's object of desire, and he is resentful of the fact that she left him for someone else. However, even though he is angry, he ultimately wants her to come back to him because he cannot live without her.
The singer's use of imagery and metaphor is intriguing because it creates a detached, almost surreal atmosphere. The Baltimore Oriole represents something that the singer desires, but also something that he cannot control. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to "ruffle his plumage", implying that he wants to possess the oriole, but at the same time, he is acknowledging that he cannot force her to stay with him.
Overall, the song "Baltimore Oriole" reflects the complexity of love and desire, and the pain that comes with human relationships. It captures a moment of longing and heartbreak, and does so with thoughtful and insightful lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Baltimore Oriole
The song is about a woman who falls in love with a bird named Baltimore Oriole.
Took one look at that mercury, forty below
The woman realizes that the temperature is too cold for her to be outside.
No life for a lady
Being outside in such cold weather is not a good life for a woman.
To be draggin' her feathers around in the snow
It is not a good idea for a woman to endure the harshness of winter, especially when it comes to her feathers.
Leaving me blue, off she flew
The woman feels sad and heartbroken when she flies away.
To the Tangipaho-down Louisiana
The bird flies down to Louisiana.
Where a two-tiin' Jaybird
She meets a two-toned bird.
Met the divine Miss O
She meets a beautiful woman named Miss O.
I'd like to ruffle his plumage
The woman wants to mess with Baltimore Oriole's feathers.
That Baltimore Oriole
The woman is talking about Baltimore Oriole again.
Messed around with that big guy
The woman has cheated on Baltimore Oriole.
Till he singed her wings
The big guy has caused the woman harm.
Forgivin' is easy-it's a woman like, now and then
Forgiving her is easy because women make mistakes from time to time.
Could happen to thing
It can happen to anyone.
Send her back home
Baltimore Oriole asks for her to come back home.
Home ain't home without her warbling
Home is not the same without her beautiful singing.
How she can sing
Her singing is beautiful.
Make a lonely man happy, Baltimore Oriole
Her singing can make a lonely man happy.
Come down from that bough
Baltimore Oriole is asked to come down from the branch she's on.
Fly to your daddy now
Baltimore Oriole is being asked to come to her father.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jimmy3610
This is GREAT!!! Carmen sings flawlessly....Ben Webster on sax is added bonus.
James Healy
Pure genius. ..
SpiralBlue Andromeda
Simply awesome!
Thank you so very much my darling friend for sharing all this magic with us!
´¯`•.¸¸.¸¸۞♫۞ஜீ۞✽❀✽♥❤♥✽❀✽۞ஜீ۞♫۞¸¸.¸¸.•`¯´
aphrospice
60s jazz just hits different
will segen
miss you, carmen.
Jesse Hernandez
judy henske has a version that is good as well
Knumbugs
Why did she change the words? Like she changed jaybird to blackbird. And several other changes.
Knumbugs
@David Scronce Don't get me wrong, I agree with 'why not' and I don't object to changes like this. But before 'why not' the question is always 'why'. In this case, I can't think of a good reason. It's more of a rhetorical question really, no one would know.
David Scronce
Because Jazz, because why not. She was never far from the spirit of the song.