Cherry Ghost is a British rock band. They formed in Manchester, UK in 2005 … Read Full Bio ↴Cherry Ghost is a British rock band. They formed in Manchester, UK in 2005 and enjoy considerable airplay on BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music. Their debut album, Thirst For Romance, entered the UK album charts at #7. Their new album, 3 years in the making entitled "Beneath This Burning Shoreline" was released in mid 2010. Lyrically the new album weaves narratives of revenge and loss, the spectre of hope and the triumph of spirit.

In 2008 the band won a prestigious Ivor Novello award for ‘People Help The People’, a recognition of Simon Aldred’s evocative songwriting.

The band have supported Amy Winehouse, Doves, crowded house, and Smog

Mountain Bird
Cherry Ghost Lyrics

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Angel eyes, strike a match
And set this city alight
All of my life I have been pondering
The good done doing right

Won't you be my mountain bird?
Forget all you've seen and heard here
Change your name and cut your hair

Spread your wings across my window
Don't go chasing that green back dollar

There was a time, when I'd sing my songs
With a mouthful of rain
Now I'm a cut price criminal
First goes your heart, there goes the shame

Won't you be my mountain bird?
Forget all you've seen and heard here
Change your name, change your name and cut your hair
Spread your wings across my window
Don't go chasing that green back dollar

Button up boy, toughen up boy, learn to destroy
But when all my tears have run dry
Oh who am I to tell my grief to

Fight, like a dog, with a big ass bone
You'll still be a dog
Kid with a dumbbell ego, shootin' at the neighbors
For a borrowed God

Won't you be my mountain bird?
Forget all you've seen and heard here
Change your name, change your name and cut your hair
Spread your wings across my window
Don't go chasing that green back dollar

The green back dollar
Who am I to tell my grief to?

Overall Meaning

The song "Mountain Bird" by Cherry Ghost is a soulful and introspective track that explores themes of identity, temptation and the struggle to do what is right. The opening lines "Angel eyes, strike a match and set this city alight" is symbolic of the singer's desire for a new beginning, a fiery blaze that will engulf everything that he has known so far. The line "All of my life I have been pondering the good done doing right" reflects his internal turmoil about the choices he has made in his past and his search for redemption.

The singer then urges the other person to be his "Mountain Bird", a metaphor for escape, something pure and free from societal pressures. He urges the other person to change their name and cut their hair, symbols of starting anew and shedding their old selves. However, he also warns them to not go chasing the "green back dollar", which refers to material gains and success. Later on, the singer refers to himself as a "cut-price criminal" who has lost his heart and is now filled with shame.

The song ends with the lines "Who am I to tell my grief to?" which is a poignant reflection of the singer's internal struggle. The song is an honest portrayal of the difficulties people face while trying to find their place in the world and the choices they have to make when it comes to doing what's right.

Line by Line Meaning

Angel eyes, strike a match
Start something with your beautiful eyes

And set this city alight
Burn down this boring city

All of my life I have been pondering
I have been thinking all my life

The good done doing right
The right way to do good

Won't you be my mountain bird?
Can you be my companion in this wild adventure?

Forget all you've seen and heard here
Leave everything behind and start anew

Change your name and cut your hair
Transform yourself, change your identity

Spread your wings across my window
Fly with me and explore the unknown

Don't go chasing that green back dollar
Don't get caught up in the pursuit of money and wealth

There was a time, when I'd sing my songs
I used to sing in the rain

With a mouthful of rain
With raindrops falling into my mouth