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Bird on a Wire
Kukuruza Lyrics
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Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Like a worm on a hook,
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
If I, if I have been unkind,
I hope that you can just let it go by.
I hope you know it was never to you.
Like a baby, stillborn,
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much."
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
Oh like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
In "Bird On A Wire," Kukuruza sings of the struggles of trying to be free but feeling trapped and torn. Kukuruza uses metaphorical language, such as "a bird on the wire" or "a drunk in a midnight choir," to convey how it feels to be trapped and unable to escape. Kukuruza sings of being like a worm on a hook, caught and unable to break free, much like a knight from an old-fashioned book. Despite feeling trapped, Kukuruza has saved all their ribbons for the person they care for and will make it all up to them, despite having torn everyone who reached out to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a bird on the wire,
Similar to a bird sitting on a wire, in my life I have faced instability and uncertainty.
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
Similar to a drunk singing in a choir at midnight, I have struggled to find my place and purpose in life.
I have tried in my way to be free.
Despite everything, I have always tried to live a life of my own choice with freedom to do what I want the way I want.
Like a worm on a hook,
Like a worm struggling on a hook, I have struggled to avoid being caught or trapped in life.
Like a knight from some old-fashioned book
Like a knight from a traditional book, I have always tried to save the best parts of myself for someone special, in this case you.
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
I have held onto everything I could for you, knowing that one day, it'll be your turn to give back.
If I, if I have been unkind,
If I have mistreated you in any way,
I hope that you can just let it go by.
I hope you can forgive me, and we can move on from my mistakes.
If I, if I have been untrue
If I have been dishonest with you in any way,
I hope you know it was never to you.
I want you to understand that I never meant to hurt you with my actions.
Like a baby, stillborn,
Like a baby who never made it to life, some of the things I have worked for never came into fruition.
Like a beast with his horn
Like a mighty beast with its horns, I have fought and struggled with anyone who tried to hold me back.
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
Unfortunately, in the process of fighting, I pushed away the very people who could have helped me along the way.
But I swear by this song
But, I can honestly say that this song is my promise to you.
And by all that I have done wrong
I am willing to own up to all the mistakes I have made.
I will make it all up to thee.
I will do everything in my power to make amends and make up for the things I have done wrong.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch,
Once, I saw a beggar resting on his cane,
He said to me, 'You must not ask for so much.'
And he warned me that I would never be happy if I kept asking for more than I needed.
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door,
On another occasion, I saw a beautiful woman standing in her dark doorway,
She cried to me, 'Hey, why not ask for more?'
And she urged me to aim higher, to never settle for less than what I truly deserve.
Oh like a bird on the wire,
In conclusion, my life feels like being a little bird sitting on a wire, balancing between the urge to ask for more and the need to be content with what I have.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind