I'm A Hummingbird
Eels; Mark Oliver Everett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fell from it and hit the dirt without a sound
I dreamt at night of growing wings so I could fly
A caterpillar to a moth before I die
I plodded through, ordinarily earthbound
I knew my feet could never leave the ground
I went about my way, unsteady and afraid
All the seconds
And the minutes
And the hours
And the days
And the weeks
And the months
And the years of my life
It was all worth it
To be here now
I'm a hummingbird
Floatin' tree to tree
I'm a hummingbird
Beautiful and free
The old oak tree was dead, I had to cut it down
The sapling roots were new and sprouting through the ground
New worlds were taking shape, unseen and unknown
A branch to rest upon
A place to call my own
Something had changed, and I'm not sure how or why
I wasn't dreaming, I was awake, I was alive
Gave up the ghost, he had nothing left to say
But it was him who brought me to this day
All the seconds
And the minutes
And the hours
And the days
And the weeks
And the months
And the years of my life
It was all worth it
To be here now
I'm a hummingbird
Floatin' tree to tree
I'm a hummingbird
Beautiful and free
The lyrics to "I'm A Hummingbird" by Eels seem to tell the story of someone who thought they were earthbound, only to discover that they were capable of flying. The imagery in the song is very evocative, with the old oak tree representing the old ways of thinking and being, and the sprouting sapling roots representing new growth and possibilities. The singer has gone through a long journey of self-discovery, culminating in the revelation that they are now a hummingbird, able to fly from tree to tree, and no longer held back by the limitations they once thought they had.
The song is about transformation and the power of change. The singer has gone through a long, difficult journey to get to where they are now, but it was all worth it in the end. It's a reminder that even when things seem difficult or impossible, there is always the potential for growth and transformation.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that they refer to Mark Oliver Everett's own life. Everett has had a tumultuous life, including the death of his parents, struggles with depression, and the breakup of his band. The song seems to be about his journey from a place of darkness and despair to a place of light and hope.
Overall, "I'm A Hummingbird" is a powerful and uplifting song about the human capacity for growth and change, and the potential for transformation even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The old oak tree had roots so far down in the ground
The oak tree's roots were deeply embedded in the earth
I fell from it and hit the dirt without a sound
I fell from the tree silently and hit the ground
I dreamt at night of growing wings so I could fly
I had a dream of having wings to fly with
A caterpillar to a moth before I die
I hoped to transform like a caterpillar into a moth before I died
I plodded through, ordinarily earthbound
I moved heavily and slowly, stuck to the ground
I knew my feet could never leave the ground
I was aware that I could never leave the earth with my feet
I went about my way, unsteady and afraid
I walked without confidence, fearful and uncertain
How could I know I was headed for this day?
I had no idea that I was moving towards this day
All the seconds
Every moment passed
And the minutes
Every minute passed
And the hours
Every hour passed
And the days
Every day passed
And the weeks
Every week passed
And the months
Every month passed
And the years of my life
Every year of my life passed
It was all worth it
All the time that passed was worth it
To be here now
To be present in this moment
I'm a hummingbird
I am now like a hummingbird
Floatin' tree to tree
I am floating from tree to tree
Beautiful and free
I am now beautiful and free
The old oak tree was dead, I had to cut it down
I had to cut down the dead oak tree
The sapling roots were new and sprouting through the ground
New roots from a sapling were sprouting from the earth
New worlds were taking shape, unseen and unknown
New worlds were forming, that were never seen or known before
A branch to rest upon
A branch to rest on
A place to call my own
A place to call my own
Something had changed, and I'm not sure how or why
Something was different, but I didn't know why or how
I wasn't dreaming, I was awake, I was alive
I wasn't dreaming, I was fully awake and alive
Gave up the ghost, he had nothing left to say
He died and had nothing else to say
But it was him who brought me to this day
But he was the one who led me to this day
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK O. EVERETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind