They formed in 1979 after Vangelis had been rumoured to replace Rick Wakeman in Yes a few years before. Anderson had contributed to Vangelis' albums "Heaven and Hell", "See You Later" and "Opera Sauvage".
They released a total of four albums with Anderson writing the lyrics and Vangelis composing the music: "Short Stories" in 1980, "The Friends of Mr. Cairo" in 1981, "Private Collection" in 1983, and "Page of Life" in 1991, which got re-released in 1998 with some additional tracks of which Vangelis reportedly did not approve. There are also two compilations, called "The Best of Jon & Vangelis" (1984) and "Chronicles" (1994)
Birdsong
Jon & Vangelis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can I see, in and around your hand
Looking to the top, as he feeds beside you
Humming bird, close to your hand.
It was for a reason I did not see before, it was;
Someone did give me eyes
That is nature sounding within
In the face of it
In the face of it there's nothing left to rhyme
And the more you try you'll understand
They'll be flying into your hand tomorrow.
The lyrics of Jon & Vangelis's Birdsong are vivid and uplifting, painting a picture of someone who has found love and serenity while taking a walk through a garden. The singer sees a hummingbird feeding from a flower and being close to their hand, bringing them closer to nature and the joy of living. However, it's not just the beauty of nature that the singer encounters - they also feel the presence of something more profound, something that they did not see before. This thing, which is described as "nature sounding within," fills them with awe and wonder.
As the song progresses, the lyrics seem to suggest that this sense of wonder and connection with nature can be fleeting. The singer notes that "in the face of it there's nothing left to rhyme" - that is, sometimes the beauty of the world is so overwhelming that words cannot do it justice. However, even if we can't fully express the magic of nature, we can still take comfort in the fact that it will always be there, ready to greet us with open arms. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer reminding us that the birds will continue to come to us tomorrow, bringing with them a sense of joy and wonder that we can all appreciate.
Line by Line Meaning
Took a little love, walked through a garden
Love guides us through beautiful moments just like strolling through a garden
Who can I see, in and around your hand
I see someone special in your life, someone who is always there for you
Looking to the top, as he feeds beside you
As you look up, you'll find unexpected companionship in the form of a hummingbird who feeds while perched beside you
Humming bird, close to your hand.
The hummingbird represents nature getting close to you and reassuring you
It was for a reason I did not see before, it was;
There's always a reason for everything that happens, even if we don't understand it at the time
Someone did give me eyes
Someone or something gave me a new perspective to see things differently now
That is nature sounding within
It's nature's way of communicating with us beyond words
In the face of it
Despite facing challenges and difficulties
In the face of it there's nothing left to rhyme
In such situations, there may not be any easy solutions or answers to find
And the more you try you'll understand
But if you keep trying and persevering, you'll eventually gain clarity and understanding
They'll be flying into your hand tomorrow.
Things will get better and eventually come to you effortlessly, just like the hummingbird landing on your hand
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EVANGELOS PAPATHANASSIOU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jex plink
Such a beautiful song and such beautiful birds, thank you for posting :-)
ark1492
This song is actually a part 2 to the track called Each & Every Day,…listen to the full version to capitalize on the power of Jon’s Heaven sent voice….Jon & Vangelis are the best one two punch in all of music & there albums are disgustingly underrated in the music industry. Bird Song & another track of his called Inside Of This Outside Of That are two tracks of his that can make anyone tear up, Jon’s voice is one of the most powerful vocal instruments in Rock, Pop, Soul, Dance, Fusion & World music genre’s. Goosebump City😮👍
Lemontree23
I love it! Greatly done!
The Joshua Jordan Experience
Hummingbirds are extraordinary in my opinion, and Jon writes wonderful lyrics. What's not to love about this video?
Cheryl Turner
Such a beautiful song. Touches my heart deeply!
Lorenza Colman
Bellisimo video! Very beautiful video! Great shots, blessed voice of Jon and uncomparable music by Vangelis!
BILLY REIL
jon is relentless workaholic thank you for what to come and whats been done you are truly blessed thank you for so many years of great music and love your vision is endless
adkpeakboy
Amazing song from the Anderson / Vangelis album "Short Stories". Though this is now 27 years old, each time I play it - either vinyl or cd, it's refreshing and new again. Now it's on YouTube! Thanks for posting this treasure.
371gm
How the hell can people dislike this, its beautiful. People get a life
Sueli Silva
Beautiful! 💚