... Throughout the 1950s, Laine enjoyed a second career singing the title songs of Hollywood films and television shows, including: Gunfight At OK Corral, 3:10 To Yuma, Bullwhip, and Rawhide. His rendition of the title song for Mel Brooks' 1974 movie Blazing Saddles won an Oscar nomination for Best Song, and his recording of "Rawhide" for the television series of the same name has become a classic of the genre.
Hummingbird
Frankie Laine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too restless to settle, too wild to tame
Too restless to settle, too wild to tame
Hummingbird, hummingbird should be your name
Hummingbird, hummingbird winging along
No tender young blossom can hold you for long
No tender young blossom can hold you for long
You'd hug me and kiss me like others I've known
You'd promise to love me and call me your own
Then all of my dreams would be shattered apart
By the hum hum of your hummingbird heart
Hummingbird, hummingbird, feathered so fine
If I clipped your wings it would not make you mind
If I clipped your wings it would not make you mind
Hummingbird, hummingbird, feathered so fine
Hummingbird, hummingbird, fly right on by
Some folks like to gamble, but darling not I
Some folks like to gamble, but darling not I
Hummingbird, hummingbird, fly right on by
I'd rather be lonely, I'd rather be blue
Yes, I'd rather spend my whole life without you
Then feather a nest to be shattered apart
By the hum, hum of your hummingbird heart
By the hum, hum of your hummingbird heart.
The lyrics to Frankie Laine's "Hummingbird" use the imagery of a hummingbird to describe a lover who is too restless and wild to settle down. The opening lines, "Hummingbird, hummingbird should be your name / Too restless to settle, too wild to tame," set the tone for the rest of the song. The hummingbird is a symbol of beauty and freedom, but also of transience and fickleness.
Throughout the song, the singer compares the hummingbird to other romantic partners they have had, alluding to the idea that this lover is just like the others who have left them heartbroken. The lines, "You'd hug me and kiss me like others I've known / You'd promise to love me and call me your own / Then all of my dreams would be shattered apart / By the hum hum of your hummingbird heart," capture this sentiment perfectly.
The chorus of the song serves as a warning to the singer's future self. They would rather be alone than risk falling for someone like the hummingbird again. The final lines, "By the hum, hum of your hummingbird heart," emphasize the idea that this lover's heartbeat is as fleeting and unpredictable as the hummingbird's flight.
Overall, the lyrics to "Hummingbird" use the imagery of the hummingbird to evoke feelings of beauty, freedom, and transience, while also warning against the risks of falling for someone who is too restless and wild to settle down.
Line by Line Meaning
Hummingbird, hummingbird should be your name
You are too restless and wild to be given any other name
Too restless to settle, too wild to tame
Your nature is too unpredictable and free to be controlled or domesticated
Hummingbird, hummingbird winging along
You move through life with swift, agile movements like a hummingbird in flight
No tender young blossom can hold you for long
You cannot be contained or tied to any one person or thing for too long
You'd hug me and kiss me like others I've known
You may show love and affection to many, but it does not mean you are committed or faithful
You'd promise to love me and call me your own
You may make promises of commitment and devotion, but your true nature will always pull you away
Then all of my dreams would be shattered apart
My hopes and desires for a lasting relationship would crumble
By the hum hum of your hummingbird heart
Because your heart beats with a restless and fickle nature
Hummingbird, hummingbird, feathered so fine
You are attractive and captivating, like a hummingbird's iridescent feathers
If I clipped your wings it would not make you mind
Even if I tried to restrict or control you, it would not succeed in changing your nature
Hummingbird, hummingbird, fly right on by
You will continue to move and live freely, like a hummingbird flying past
Some folks like to gamble, but darling not I
I do not want to take the risk of trying to love and hold onto someone like you
I'd rather be lonely, I'd rather be blue
It is better for me to be alone and sad than to be hurt and let down by your unsteady nature
Then feather a nest to be shattered apart
I would rather avoid building a home or future with you, knowing it will eventually end in heartbreak
By the hum, hum of your hummingbird heart
Because of the unsteady beat of your heart and nature
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lilia Balan
One of my favorite songs of Frankie Laine
renato giacomo quattrocchio
So sweetly, so lovely, one ode at a cute bird. Tanks Frankie to be existed.
linda moore
wow, i not heard this in many many years. one of dad's old 78s.
trevor downer
I hope that you enjoyed it Linda and that it brought back happy memories.
kevcal
I still have this in my garage on 78,one of my mum's records,, quite a few from the 50s I think.. Ruby Murray et al.
lancelot1953
Hi Frankie, thank you for the memories of a time of peace and innocence in my youth (and the way many of us remember America back then). That song means a lot to me, Ciao, L (a Veteran)
trevor downer
lancelot1953. I'm right there with you L. When music was music. Long gone but never forgotten. T.
Yanna Myrat
I am from Greece but used to listen to this song in my childhood. Tears... and yes it was a time of peace and innocence for the whole globe...
Thomas Kallmyr
VERY NICE SONG
trevor downer
yes Yana, sounds of yester year bring back strong memories from the past, unfortunately some are sad but we also get a little time to spend again with the good ones.