Rock And Bird
Cowboy Junkies Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She captured both Rock and Bird tied
One to the leg of the other kept them as prisoners
Until they knew who was master

Then she threw them to the sky Bird
With unbarred wings disappeared Rock
With weighted heart returned
And rock became her anchor
And bird became her dream

Now she stands on the forest floor
Among the pines and towering firs
Rock still firm beneath her feet

Bird perched high above her singing songs of love's betrayal




'I offered you my endless skies you countered with hoods and chains
This song I sing will be the last to be inspired by your memory'

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cowboy Junkies’ song Rock and Bird are full of symbolism and allegory. The song tells the story of a woman who captured a rock and a bird, tied them together, and kept them as prisoners until she knew who was the master. After discovering which of them was the master, she threw them to the sky. The bird flew away with unbarred wings, while the rock returned with a weighted heart and became her anchor. The bird became her dream, and now she stands on the forest floor with the rock still firm beneath her feet.


The lyrics are open for interpretation, but one way to understand them is as a metaphor for the struggle between freedom and captivity in relationships. The woman represents the dominant partner who seeks to test the loyalty of her lover by tying him with restrictions. The rock and the bird symbolize the lover’s conflicting desires for stability and freedom. The bird represents the lover’s restless spirit, and the rock represents his need for grounding and support. In the end, the lover chooses the rock, settling for a stable but unfulfilling relationship while the bird flies away to seek new opportunities.


The song conveys a melancholic tone, reflecting on love's betrayal and the loss of freedom. The narrative is poetic and rich in imagery, and the musical arrangement reinforces the mood with its slow tempo and ethereal soundscape. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and the tensions between stability and freedom.


Line by Line Meaning

She captured both Rock and Bird tied
She caught both a rock and a bird and tied them up.


One to the leg of the other kept them as prisoners
She kept one tied to the leg of the other, making them prisoners.


Until they knew who was master
She kept them that way until they knew who was in charge.


Then she threw them to the sky Bird
Then she threw the bird to the sky.


With unbarred wings disappeared Rock
The bird took off with unobstructed wings, while the rock stayed put.


With weighted heart returned
The rock took on a heavier meaning and stayed where it was.


And rock became her anchor
The rock became her anchor, something that grounded her.


And bird became her dream
The bird became her dream, something that symbolized freedom.


Now she stands on the forest floor
She is now standing on the forest floor.


Among the pines and towering firs
She is among the tall pine and fir trees.


Rock still firm beneath her feet
The rock she caught is still firm beneath her feet.


Bird perched high above her singing songs of love's betrayal
The bird she caught is now perched high above her and singing about love's betrayal.


'I offered you my endless skies you countered with hoods and chains
The bird is singing that it offered the woman endless skies, but the woman countered with captivity.


This song I sing will be the last to be inspired by your memory'
The bird is singing that this song will be the last inspired by the woman's memory.




Lyrics © PAZ JUNK MUSIC INC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Michael Edward Timmins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

dococc

Great rendition of one of my favorite Cowboy Junkies songs. Love the piano.

dococc

Marvelous underrated band. Loved them in the 90's and still have them on my play list today. Margo is unbelievable sultry and sexy and sad at the same time.

Francesco Moretta

Such a sad song but marvellous! A fallen Angel named Margo and a great band! Pure joy!

P. F.

This song must be over 30 years old and still haunts.

Mike Elek

In this version, Bruce Hornsby is on the piano, and you can hear his distinctive sound. He probably chose not to be in the video so he didn't steal the spotlight. The guy sitting at the keyboard is wearing a "Bruce Hornsby & the Range" baseball cap.

Jonathan S.

I'm pretty sure the guy wearing the baseball cap is the comedian Steven Wright.

Shilo Haapala

Great Song!

carlos dias

Love

Gilberto Fernandes

❤❤

Witch

💃🏽💃🏽💜💃🏽

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