Bird Balloons
Lady Lamb Lyrics
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I'm singing songs & I ain't slowing
It was a fragile thing & I goddamn dropped it
I picked the pieces up & put them in my pocket
& I ain't gonna try to win your heart this time
I've had space to think & I think that I've grown a little wiser
I'm looking for a new muse you have only made me tired
Call your bluff up on the telephone & jam-jar my blood
It was so cold you could see both sets of ribs
almost escaping your skin to fly south
south until the springtime
Your hips stood out like confidence
you were naked as a newborn in the snow
but you wanted it so
that's precisely how you wanted it
& now your love is writing words on the wall
with the meat of a nectarine that she picked earlier that morning in the orchard
& you are on the street, a chest of drawers free
while the skeleton parade marches past you carrying bird balloons
They fly backwards and forwards
The streets can be eerie, streets can be dreary
It's as if leprosy landed on the moon
& it cast a filthy glow in the world & in my room
so how about I play the harp & you play that piano
Pull the curtains shut & nest like little sparrows
My limbs, my love are lost on you
My limbs, my love belong to you
I remember that night in the woods on the hidden balance beam
made of a long wooden board with a barrel underneath
We laid on either end & we couldn't quite knack it after many attempts
& minutes of silence until we did
& our breath caught
& we looked up
& the stars they were so still, the stars they were so still
Both our hearts they were revealed
Our hearts they were revealed
& you were my friend. You were my friend
This is my loss of love my loss of limb
But now I'm a ghost and you all know it
I'm singing songs & I ain't stopping
My hair grew long so I fucking cut it
& when you looked away I stuck those trimmings in your locket, haha.
The first stanza of the song "Bird Balloons" by Lady Lamb starts with the artist admitting to being a ghost who is not slowing down in singing songs. She seems to have had something fragile that she dropped and is now picking up the pieces to keep in her pocket. The artist declares that she is not going to try to win anyone's heart this time, as she has had space to think and has grown wiser. She is in search of a new muse since the current one has made her tired. The artist calls out the bluff of her current muse through the phone and talks about a loss of limb and love.
The second stanza is about the artist's muse and how she is naked in the snow, having hips that stood out like confidence. She wanted it that way as she writes words on the wall with the meat of a nectarine that she picked earlier that morning in the orchard. In contrast, the artist is on the street, free like a chest of drawers while the skeleton parade marches past her carrying bird balloons. The balloons are flying backward and forwards creating an eerie and dreary atmosphere on the streets, as if inflicted with leprosy.
The final stanza talks about the time the artist and her muse lay on a balance beam in the woods, attempting to knack it for many minutes until they did. They looked up to the stillness of the stars as their hearts were revealed. The artist admits that her limbs and love are lost on her muse. She then ends the stanza by confirming that she is now a ghost and has long hair that she cut. When her muse looked away, she stuck the trimmings in her locket.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a ghost & you all know it
I am no longer present in your life and you are aware of it
I'm singing songs & I ain't slowing
I am still making music and not slowing down
It was a fragile thing & I goddamn dropped it
There was something delicate between us and I accidentally ruined it
I picked the pieces up & put them in my pocket
I tried to salvage what was left and kept it with me
& I ain't gonna try to win your heart this time
I am not going to try to win your affection again
I've had space to think & I think that I've grown a little wiser
I've had time to reflect, and I believe I've become a bit wiser
I'm looking for a new muse you have only made me tired
I am searching for new inspiration and you are no longer inspiring me
Call your bluff up on the telephone & jam-jar my blood
I dare you to call me and upset me
This is my loss of limb, my loss of love
This is my experience of losing something valuable to me
It was so cold you could see both sets of ribs
It was extremely cold, and you were almost transparent
almost escaping your skin to fly south
You were so thin that your bones seemed ready to fly south like birds do for the winter
south until the springtime
You would return when the weather was warmer and life was easier
Your hips stood out like confidence
Your figure was attractive, and your confidence was evident
you were naked as a newborn in the snow
You were vulnerable and exposed
but you wanted it so
You chose to be in this frosty environment
that's precisely how you wanted it
This is what you desired
& now your love is writing words on the wall
Your significant other is leaving messages on the wall
with the meat of a nectarine that she picked earlier that morning in the orchard
She used the pulp of a nectarine to write her message
& you are on the street, a chest of drawers free
You are wandering the streets alone, with nothing holding you back
while the skeleton parade marches past you carrying bird balloons
As you walk, a parade of skeletons carrying bird-shaped balloons passes you by
They fly backwards and forwards
The balloons fly in all directions
The streets can be eerie, streets can be dreary
The streets can be unsettling and dismal
It's as if leprosy landed on the moon
It feels as if something strange or unsettling has occurred
& it cast a filthy glow in the world & in my room
This event had a tainted effect on the entire world and my own personal space
so how about I play the harp & you play that piano
Let's make music together again
Pull the curtains shut & nest like little sparrows
Let's find comfort, like little birds in a nest, by closing out the world
My limbs, my love are lost on you
You don't appreciate my love or the sacrifices I have made for you
My limbs, my love belong to you
I have given you my all, but you do not value it
I remember that night in the woods on the hidden balance beam
I recall a night we spent together in the forest, trying to balance on a makeshift beam
made of a long wooden board with a barrel underneath
The beam was constructed with a board and an underlying barrel for support
We laid on either end & we couldn't quite knack it after many attempts
We positioned ourselves at opposite ends and attempted to balance, but failed
& minutes of silence until we did
We remained quiet, focusing until we eventually succeeded
& our breath caught & we looked up & the stars they were so still, the stars they were so still
We were both in awe of the stillness and beauty of the stars above us
Both our hearts they were revealed
Our true emotions were exposed in that moment
& you were my friend. You were my friend
You were not just a romantic interest, but also a cherished friend
This is my loss of love my loss of limb
I am experiencing the pain of losing both a romantic partner and a friend
But now I'm a ghost and you all know it
I am no longer a part of your reality and you are all aware of it
I'm singing songs & I ain't stopping
Despite no longer being present in your life, I am still making music
My hair grew long so I fucking cut it
I let my hair grow out, but then independently decided to cut it
& when you looked away I stuck those trimmings in your locket, haha.
When you weren't looking, I put snippets of my hair in your locket as an inside joke
Contributed by Henry P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.