Originally part of short-lived Chicago group I Rowboat, Johnson and two of his fellow Rowboat members, guitarist Dan Strack and drummer Brian Belval, created Fruit Bats as a side-project. When I Rowboat split up, Fruit Bats became Johnson's main focus. Spurred on by Califone/Perishable Records honchos Tim Rutili and Ben Massarella, the group recorded their first album, Echolocation, released in 2001.
After tours with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Modest Mouse and The Shins, Fruit Bats signed with Sub Pop in late summer 2002, recording their second album, 2003's Mouthfuls, which included new bandmate Gillian Lisee.
After relocating to Seattle, the group released their third album, Spelled in Bones, in 2005. Afterward, Eric D. Johnson played with The Shins and Vetiver. In 2008, the Fruit Bats began working together again, with revised membership of Johnson, Christopher Sherman, Ron Lewis, Graeme Gibson, and Sam Wagster. In 2009, they released The Ruminant Band and in 2011 came Tripper.
In November 2013, Eric D. Johnson announced he would be dissolving Fruit Bats. That month they played what was to be their farewell show at a sold out Aladdin Theatre in Portland, OR. The following year Johnson released an album under the name EDJ.
Reforming in 2015, Fruit Bats released their sixth official full-length LP, Absolute Loser, in 2016 via newly formed Los Angeles-based label Easy Sound.
Fruit Bats signed to North Carolina-based independent label Merge Records in 2018. Also in 2018, Johnson formed the folk group Bonny Light Horseman with Josh Kaufman and Anais Mitchell.
In 2019 Fruit Bats’ Merge debut "Gold Past Life" was released.
Fruit Bats’ 2020 album The Pet Parade was produced by Johnson's Bonny Light Horseman bandmate Josh Kaufman.
In 2021, Fruit Bats released a full-album cover of Smashing Pumpkins' 1993 record Siamese Dream.
The Fruit Bats’ double-disc, 20-year career retrospective "Sometimes A Cloud Is Just a Cloud: Slow Growers, Sleeper Hits and Lost Songs" was released in 2022.
Baby Bluebird
Fruit Bats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking at her own shoulder
Slow motion, slipping away
She's writing songs about leaving something
Sad ones about believing in one thing
and watching it fade away
And if you'd given me most of you
I'd have handed over all of me
My baby
Baby bluebird
Say it's never over
Chipping away at the boulder
Spinning those wheels
Writing songs about coming under
I've fallen in love with the idea of someone
Who is it gonna be
But still when I saw you
My heart it split clear in two
So pretty in the rearview
My baby
Baby bluebird
And if you'd given me most of you
I'd have handed over all of me
But it's in the rearview
My baby
Baby bluebird
My my my my baby
Baby bluebird
My, my my my baby
Baby bluebird
The song "Baby Bluebird" by Fruit Bats is a heartfelt and poignant exploration of the pain and disappointment of lost love. The lyrics describe a person who is struggling to come to terms with the end of a relationship, writing songs about their sadness and disappointment while desperately holding on to the hope that it's not really over. The metaphor of the bluebird is a powerful one, representing both the bright, joyful light of love and the melancholy sense of loss and longing that comes when it flies away.
The first verse depicts the singer's desolation as they look at their own shoulder, feeling lower than ever before. The slow motion of their life as it slips away is contrasted with the urgency and intensity of their emotions, as they write songs about leaving something behind and the sadness of watching things fade away. The second verse is more hopeful, describing the singer's determination to keep going, to keep chipping away at the boulder and spinning those wheels. They've fallen in love with the idea of someone, but they're not sure who it's going to be. Despite this uncertainty, they can't forget the person who has just left them, and their heart splits clear in two at the memory of them.
Line by Line Meaning
Said you never felt lower
You revealed your feelings of sadness and despair
Looking at her own shoulder
Observing your own struggles with introspection
Slow motion, slipping away
The sensation that everything is happening in a blur and nothing can be done to stop it
She's writing songs about leaving something
Expressing through music the sense of wanting to move on from a situation or place
Sad ones about believing in one thing
Creating music that speaks to the state of feeling defeated despite holding onto faith in something
and watching it fade away
The experience of watching something special fall apart before your eyes
And if you'd given me most of you
Circumstances where one would have given everything to make the relationship work
I'd have handed over all of me
In that scenario, the songwriter would have given everything they had to offer
But it's in the rearview
However, that time has passed and can't be undone
My baby, baby bluebird
Referring to an important person or situation as a cherished bird
Say it's never over
Expressing hope that a situation can still be salvaged
Chipping away at the boulder
Working hard to break through a difficult obstacle
Spinning those wheels
Feeling stuck in a repetitive cycle and unsure how to break free from it
Writing songs about coming under
Capturing the struggle of feeling defeated and victimized without control over the outcome
I've fallen in love with the idea of someone
The experience of idealizing a person and falling in love with the image of who they could be
Who is it gonna be
Questioning who the right person is for the songwriter
But still when I saw you
Exploring the emotional complexity of feeling magnetically drawn to someone despite past hurt
My heart it split clear in two
The heart-wrenching sensation of feeling torn between two powerful emotions
So pretty in the rearview
Reflecting fondly on someone in the past who still holds a special place in the songwriter's heart
My, my, my, my baby
Endearing term for someone special
Baby bluebird
Continuing the motif of the precious bird to describe the irreplaceable nature of the relationship or person
Writer(s): Eric Johnson
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wanderboy561
[Verse 1]
They said you never felt lower
Looking at her over your shoulder
Slow motion, slipping away
She's writing songs about leaving something
Sad ones about believing in one thing
And watch it fade away
[Chorus]
But if you'd given me most of you
I'd have handed over all of me
But it's in the rearview
My baby, baby bluebird
[Verse 2]
They say it's never over
Chipping away at the boulder
Spinning the wheels
And writing songs about coming undone
Or falling in love with the idea of someone who isn't really real
But still when I saw you
My heart, it split clean in two
So pretty in the rearview
My baby, baby bluebird
[Chorus]
And if you'd given me most of you
I'd have handed over all of me
But it's in the rearview
My baby, baby bluebird
@wanderboy561
[Verse 1]
They said you never felt lower
Looking at her over your shoulder
Slow motion, slipping away
She's writing songs about leaving something
Sad ones about believing in one thing
And watch it fade away
[Chorus]
But if you'd given me most of you
I'd have handed over all of me
But it's in the rearview
My baby, baby bluebird
[Verse 2]
They say it's never over
Chipping away at the boulder
Spinning the wheels
And writing songs about coming undone
Or falling in love with the idea of someone who isn't really real
But still when I saw you
My heart, it split clean in two
So pretty in the rearview
My baby, baby bluebird
[Chorus]
And if you'd given me most of you
I'd have handed over all of me
But it's in the rearview
My baby, baby bluebird
@srprogression.0982
Criminally underrated. This is so heavy and profound
@lekzindendup7746
This song is really something else. ❤️
@cgs5582
What a beautiful song.
@andytrullinger295
That's it! I'm buying this record now. Beautiful, magic music.
@henrythemusician
How does this only have 2k views? This is incredible
@haley2121
Ngl I accidentally came across this song while looking for baby blue bird hatching videos...haha so glad I clicked on this. Beautiful, beautiful song💙✨
@dak4701
Reminds me of Bob Dylan. Excellent track.
@carromacumba
Brilliant ✨💎✨
@matthewpalumbo2782
The nearest Chinese restaurant will be forced by me to serve this album at the Buffett.