Charles L. Byrd (September 16, 1925 - November 30, 1999), better known as C… Read Full Bio ↴Charles L. Byrd (September 16, 1925 - November 30, 1999), better known as Charlie Byrd, was a famous jazz guitarist, born in Suffolk, Virginia. He was the only jazz guitarist of that era whose primary instrument was the classical guitar which gave him his uniquely identifiable sound.

Byrd primarily looked up to Django Reinhardt. He moved to Washington, D.C., to study classical guitar with the renowned Sophocles Papas. He later moved to Italy where he studied with Andrés Segovia. In the early 1960's he was on a State Department tour in South America where he was introduced to a new music, the bossa nova, which was the musical passion of Brazil beginning in the late 50's. Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz had been in Brazil about six months earlier than Byrd, also on a State Department tour, where he, too, was exposed to the bossa nova. A short time later Getz called Byrd in D.C. and suggested the idea that they collaborate on a bossa nova album. That album was the introduction of bossa nova to North America.

He is perhaps most well known as a collaborator with Stan Getz on the Jazz Samba album, which featured many themes of bossa nova, and of course, samba.

Norwegian Wood
Charlie Byrd Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I once had a girl
Or should I say she once had me
She showed me her room
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?

She asked me to stay
And she told me to sit anywhere
So I looked around

And I noticed there wasn't a chair

I sat on a rug biding my time
Drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said
"It's time for bed"

She told me she worked
In the morning and started to laugh
I told her I didn't
And crawled off to sleep in the bath

And when I awoke I was alone
This bird had flown

So I lit a fire
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Norwegian Wood by Charlie Byrd is a beautiful yet bittersweet story about a man who reminisces his past relationship with a woman. The song starts off by saying "I once had a girl, or should I say she once had me," which hints at a power dynamic where the girl was in charge. The singer then proceeds to describe how the woman showed him her room and how it was "good Norwegian wood." It's interesting to note that Norwegian wood refers to the timber used in Norway's traditional architecture, known for its durability and strength.

The singer then talks about how the woman asked him to stay and sit anywhere. However, when he looked around, he noticed there wasn't a chair, which could be interpreted as a metaphorical statement about the lack of stability or foundation in their relationship. They end up sitting on a rug, sipping wine and talking until it was time for bed. The woman tells him that she has to work in the morning, and the man crawls off to sleep in the bathtub.

The next morning, the singer wakes up to find that the woman has left, and he's alone. However, he lights a fire, and the song ends on the note of "isn't it good Norwegian wood," which can be taken as a pensive reflection of his memories of the woman and their time together. Overall, the song is a complex portrayal of a relationship that could not stand the test of time.

Line by Line Meaning

I once had a girl
I used to be with a girl

Or should I say she once had me
Or it could be said that she had control over me

She showed me her room
She took me to her room

Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
Isn't her room made of good Norwegian wood?

She asked me to stay
She asked me to spend the night

And she told me to sit anywhere
And offered me a place to sit

So I looked around
I looked around the room

And I noticed there wasn't a chair
And I realized there was no chair

I sat on a rug biding my time
I sat down on a rug to wait

Drinking her wine
Drinking wine that she gave me

We talked until two and then she said
We talked until 2 in the morning and then she said