Veirs was raised in Colorado, studied geology and Mandarin Chinese at Carleton College, worked as a translator for a geological expedition in China, and now lives in Portland, Oregon. Veirs has said that she didn't seriously listen to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in her environment. She listened to folk / country / classical / pop, around the house & on the radio, during her youth.
Attending Carleton College in rural Minnesota, Veirs latched onto feminist punk rock from the Pacific Northwest, eventually starting an all-female punk band called "Rair Kx!". Veirs studied geology and Mandarin Chinese. After college, she embraced older country and folk music. Her first foray into songwriting started with a geological expedition in China, where she served as translator. She was miserable and immersed herself into writing lyrics as a way of coping.
She put out her own self-titled album Laura Veirs, recorded live and featuring just her and guitar, in 1999. She has since made five highly acclaimed records with producer Tucker Martine. 2003 saw the release of Troubled by the Fire, a full-band effort that found the artist sharing the studio with such luminaries as Bill Frisell and violist Eyvind Kang. She signed to Nonesuch Records the following year with the atmospheric follow-up Carbon Glacier. Year of Meteors followed in August of 2005. She collaborated with The Decemberists on "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)", from their 2006 album The Crane Wife. Her sixth record, Saltbreakers, was released worldwide on Nonesuch Records in April 2007. Her seventh album July Flame was released in January 2010.
In November 2011, Veirs released the album Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs For Children. The album presents mostly traditional songs, and features an array of guest musicians, including Colin Meloy, Jim James, and Bela Fleck. The album won a Parents' Choice Award in 2012.
In September 2012 her first feature film soundtrack was released: Hello I Must Be Going.
Veirs tours frequently in Europe, the US and Australia both solo and with her backing band Saltbreakers, consisting of Karl Blau on bass, guitar, and backing vocals, keyboardist Steve Moore, and Tucker Martine on drums.
The Coo Coo Bird
Laura Veirs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't she warble as she flies
She don't never holler coo coo
Till the fourth of July
Oh the cuckoo, she's a fine bird
Don't I wish she was mine
She won't never drink water
Don't you kill her, little cuckoo
She won't do you no harm
She will eat up all the ground worms that destroy that farm
Oh the cuckoo, she's a wise bird
Goes down south and fall
She goes down to old???
Where the snow never falls
Oh the cuckoo, she's a wise bird
Built her nest in the pines
She goes high up in the timbers
Where the snakes never climb
Oh the cuckoo, she's a fine bird
Don't she warble as she flies
She don't never holler coo coo
Till the fourth of July
The Coo Coo Bird is a traditional American folk song that has been recorded and reinterpreted by countless artists. Laura Veirs's version of the song is a rhythmic and melodic rendition that emphasizes the beauty of the bird and its ability to survive in harsh conditions. The lyrics of the song are simple, but they convey a deep appreciation for nature and the environment. The first verse describes the cuckoo's singing as she flies, but notes that she only utters her characteristic "coo coo" call on the fourth of July. The second verse expresses the singer's desire to have the cuckoo bird, but notes that she only drinks wine and not water. The third verse recognizes the benefit of having the bird around as she eats up all the ground worms that destroy farms. The fourth verse describes how the cuckoo bird goes down south in fall to places where snow never falls. The fifth verse describes how the bird is wise and builds her nest in the pines where she goes up high in the timbers where snakes never climb. Finally, the last verse repeats the appreciation of the bird's singing and notes the timing of her "coo coo" calls on the fourth of July.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the cuckoo, she's a fine bird
The Cuckoo bird is an amazing and beautiful bird
Don't she warble as she flies
The bird sings a beautiful song while flying
She don't never holler coo coo
The bird does not make any sound until the fourth of July
Till the fourth of July
The bird starts making sounds only on the fourth of July
Don't I wish she was mine
I wish I had a Cuckoo bird as a pet
She won't never drink water
The bird never drinks water
She always drink wine
The bird drinks wine instead of water
Don't you kill her, little cuckoo
People should not kill the bird
She won't do you no harm
The bird is harmless
She will eat up all the ground worms that destroy that farm
The bird eats worms that damage farms
Oh the cuckoo, she's a wise bird
The Cuckoo bird is intelligent
Goes down south and fall
The bird goes south in the fall
She goes down to old???
Unknown or unclear location where the bird goes in the south
Where the snow never falls
The place where the bird goes does not have snowfall
Built her nest in the pines
The bird makes its nest in pine trees
She goes high up in the timbers
The bird flies to high altitudes in the forest
Where the snakes never climb
The bird flies to a height where snakes cannot climb
Contributed by Annabelle P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.