Jackdaw
David Gray Lyrics


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I'm like a jackdaw
Cawing at your back door
Scratching at your windowpane
Hey throw your window wide
And taste the April night with me again
Girl we been veering
Backwards disappearing
Down into the murky deep
Baby come on
We'll be a long time gone
That's time enough for sleep
And hey now don't run and hide
Your little heart away
If it's gone
We'll sure never find it
Pining for lost innocence
Our hammers beating hard
Against that old facade
Some other air to breathe
That we might break these molds
And free our restless souls
Start to believe
That we can rise above
Our pettiness and love
Like we ain't loved before
Free on this earth
As the surf that rolls
And crashes on the shore
And hey now don't run and hide
Your little heart away
If it's gone
We'll sure never find it
Pining for lost innocence
Tantalizingly I saw
Our shadows moving through the door
Traces from a different time
When I was yours and you were truly mine
All mine
And I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
And I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you
And baby don't run and hide
Your little heart away
If it's gone
We'll sure never find it
Pining for lost innocence




Pining for lost innocence
Pining for lost innocence

Overall Meaning

The song "Jackdaw" by David Gray is a beautiful ballad about lost love, yearning, and the desire to break free of old patterns and start anew. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery, painting a picture of a restless couple who are looking for something more in life. The jackdaw in the title refers to a type of crow, which is known for its intelligence, adaptability, and mischievousness. Throughout the song, the singer caws at the back door, scratches at the windowpane, and encourages the listener to throw open the window and taste the April night with him again.


The verses of the song are filled with metaphors and allusions to the ocean, the darkness, and the need to break free. The singer and his lover have been "veering backwards disappearing down into the murky deep," and are desperate to break the mold and "free our restless souls." They long to rise above their pettiness and love each other like they've never loved before, free on this earth as the surf that rolls and crashes on the shore. These lines suggest a desire to shed their past selves and start anew, as the ocean constantly renews itself and washes old things away.


Overall, "Jackdaw" is a moving song that speaks to the human longing for renewal, freedom, and connection. The lyrics are poetic and full of meaning, and the melody is haunting and beautiful.


Interesting facts about the song:


Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm like a jackdaw
I am like a bird that looks for shiny things and this is like me looking for love.


Cawing at your back door
I am calling to you to come and let me in; to let me into your world.


Scratching at your windowpane
I am trying to get your attention, to make you notice me.


Hey throw your window wide
I am asking you to open your heart to me, to let me see inside of you.


And taste the April night with me again
Let's enjoy the simple joys of life together, like we used to do in the past.


Girl we been veering
We have been going in the wrong direction, as if we are lost and don't know how to find our way back.


Backwards disappearing
We are losing ourselves and our relationship in the past, instead of moving forward.


Down into the murky deep
We are sinking into a place of confusion, doubt, and darkness, where it is hard to see the light.


Baby come on
I am pleading with you to join me and take a chance on love.


We'll be a long time gone
Life is short, but if we don't take this opportunity to be together, we will regret it for a long time to come.


That's time enough for sleep
We can rest when we're dead, but for now, let's live life to the fullest and not waste a moment of it.


And hey now don't run and hide
I am telling you not to be afraid of love and to face your fears.


Your little heart away
Don't close off your heart and keep it hidden, because you might miss out on something wonderful.


If it's gone
If we lose this chance at love,


We'll sure never find it
we might never find it again, and we will always regret it.


Pining for lost innocence
We will always long for the innocence and purity of love that we might never find again.


Our hammers beating hard
We are working hard to break down the barriers that stand between us and love.


Against that old facade
We are trying to overcome the personas that we have built up over time, to reveal our true selves to each other.


Some other air to breathe
We need to find a new way of living, to breathe in a new life that is full of love and happiness.


That we might break these molds
We need to break free from the patterns that we have fallen into and create a new way of living and loving.


And free our restless souls
We need to let go of our fears and doubts and trust in love to guide us where we need to go.


Start to believe
It's time for us to have faith in ourselves and in love again.


That we can rise above
We can overcome whatever obstacles stand in our way if we believe in each other and in ourselves.


Our pettiness and love
We need to let go of the small things that cause arguments and focus on the bigger picture, which is our love for each other.


Like we ain't loved before
Let's love each other like it's the first time, with all the excitement, passion, and wonder that love brings.


Free on this earth
Let's live life to the fullest and not be held back by our fears or doubts.


As the surf that rolls
Let's ride the waves of love together, like the surf that rolls in and out with the tides of the sea.


And crashes on the shore
Let's embrace the ups and downs of love, like the waves that crash onto the shore and recede again.


Tantalizingly I saw
I caught a glimpse of our past love, which is tempting me to want it back.


Our shadows moving through the door
I see our past selves moving through the door, as if they are trying to remind us of a time when love was easy and pure.


Traces from a different time
These are hints of our past together, of what we used to be and what we have become.


When I was yours and you were truly mine
In the past, we belonged to each other completely, with no doubts or fears or heartache.


All mine
I miss the feeling of being completely loved and belonged to by you.


And I still want you yeah
I still love you and want to be with you, even after all this time.


And baby don't run and hide
I am telling you not to be afraid of me or of love, and to take a chance on us.


Pining for lost innocence
We are still longing for that innocence and purity of love that we had in the past.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID GRAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Lampson Nguyen

I'm like a jackdaw
Cawing at your back door
Scratching at your windowpane
Hey throw your window wide
And taste the April night with me again
Girl we been veering
Backwards disappearing
Down into the murky deep
Baby come on
We'll be a long time gone
That's time enough for sleep
And hey now don't run and hide
Your little heart away
If it's gone
We'll sure never find it
Pining for lost innocence
Our hammers beating hard
Against that old facade
Some other air to breathe
That we might break these molds
And free our restless souls
Start to believe
That we can rise above
Our pettiness and love
Like we ain't loved before
Free on this earth
As the surf that rolls
And crashes on the shore
And hey now don't run and hide
Your little heart away
If it's gone
We'll sure never find it
Pining for lost innocence
Tantalizingly I saw
Our shadows moving through the door
Traces from a different time
When I was yours and you were truly mine
All mine
And I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
And I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you yeah
I still want you
And baby don't run and hide
Your little heart away
If it's gone
We'll sure never find it
Pining for lost innocence
Pining for lost innocence
Pining for lost innocence

Leigh Sharpe

Thank you for posting 👍👍👍

MrMorrey22

Little gem of a song. Kind of like how it's so underrated and little known.

Stan Schock

Couldn't agree more - first time I heard this song, I was stunned it wasn't well known

Ryan Mette

@Stan Schock too bad he doesn't play this one at his shows. He's written so many good songs, though!

Nicole Pensiero

Love this song❤

Dave Jones

One of my all time favourites ❤

Victor S. Ibáñez

For alternative 'Jackdaw' track, click here: https://youtu.be/HJS8mLK8FzY

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