Daan Stuyven (guitar)
Geoffry Burton (guitar)
Otti Van Der Werf (bass guitar)
Isolde Lasoen (drums)
Jeroen Swinnen (synthesizer)
Jo Hermans (trumpet)
Birds
Daan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
Hey, take a look at these birds
They're so g**, make them go away
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
Say it boy, I load my gun
Point at bird, bird falls down
But why did he have to sing?
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
The lyrics of Daan's song Birds may seem straightforward at first, but they carry a deeper meaning. The singer of the song observes the birds singing and asks why they do so. The answer is that they sing because they don't know when they'll die. This realization leads the singer to feel a kind of superiority over the birds, as they are doomed to die, but he is not.
The second verse is more ominous, as the singer expresses his disdain for the birds and their singing. He sees them as an annoyance and wants them to go away. However, he repeats the refrain that they sing because they don't know when they'll die, almost as if he is trying to convince himself of his own superiority.
The final verse takes a dark turn as the singer loads his gun and shoots a bird. He asks why the bird had to sing, knowing that it was just a natural instinct. Once again, he repeats the refrain, acknowledging that the birds sing because they don't know when they'll die. The final line, "I've got a smile because I know they won't fly," is a chilling admission of the singer's power over the birds and his own sense of control.
Overall, Birds is a commentary on the human desire for control and the ways in which we assert our dominance over the natural world. It also highlights the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
What is that sound? Sounds like fun
tell me why, why do these birds sing?
Daan hears the birds singing and wonders why they do so.
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
The birds sing because they are unaware of their approaching death, and Daan is happy that he doesn't have to worry about their flight.
Hey, take a look at these birds
They're so g**, make them go away
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
Daan finds the birds disturbing and wishes to shoo them away. He reiterates that they sing because they don't fear death, and he is content in their inability to fly away.
Say it boy, I load my gun
Point at bird, bird falls down
But why did he have to sing?
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
Daan shoots down one of the birds and questions why it had to sing. He repeats that the birds sing because they do not anticipate death, and he is pleased that they are unable to escape from him.
They sing because they don't know when they'll die
I've got a smile because I know they won't fly
Daan concludes the song by reiterating that the birds sing because they are ignorant of their impending death, and he is content that they are unable to fly away from him.
Contributed by Logan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.