In late 1968, Chappell and Lovich went to London, England to attend art school. It was there that Lovich first tied her hair into the plaits that later became a visual trademark, though at first she did it to keep her hair out of the clay when studying sculpture. Expressing a variety of artistic interests, she sought to find the best outlets for her work.
Over the following decade, Lovich attended several art schools, busked around the London Underground and appeared in cabaret clubs as an "Oriental" dancer. She also travelled to Spain, where she visited Salvador Dalí in his home. She played acoustic rock music around London, sang in the mass choir of a show called Quintessence at the Royal Albert Hall, played a soldier in Arthur Brown's show, worked as a "go-go" dancer with the Radio One Roadshow, toured Italy with a West Indian soul band, and played saxophone for Bob Flag's Balloon and Banana Band and for an all-girl cabaret trio, The Sensations. She recorded screams for horror films, adapted lyrics for French disco star Cerrone (including the sci-fi dance smash "Supernature," later recorded by Lovich in her own version) and worked with various fringe theatre groups. She was also one of thousands of people in the audience at the 1972 Lanchester Arts Festival when Chuck Berry recorded the risqué "My Ding-a-Ling" for Chess Records. As the audience was encouraged to sing-a-long technically this could be described as her first appearance on record. The record was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and the U.S.A.
In 1975, Lene joined The Diversions, a funk group that put out five singles and an album on Polydor Records without success. In 1978, disc jockey and author Charlie Gillett presented her to Stiff Records boss, Dave Robinson, who quickly signed her to a contract. Her first single for Stiff was "I Think We're Alone Now", a cover of a song originally performed by Tommy James & The Shondells.
Invited to join the Be Stiff Route 78 Tour on 1978, Lovich quickly recorded her first album for Stiff, Stateless, which spawned the remixed hit singles "Lucky Number" and "Say When." Lovich's musical style combined ethnic influences with then current punk rock and new wave.
Maintaining her long term writing partnership with Les Chappell, Lovich recorded the albums Flex and No-Man's-Land for Stiff over the next few years, as well as an EP titled New Toy, the title cut penned by touring band member Thomas Dolby. She also recorded vocals for the track 'Picnic Boy' by The Residents. Following her departure from Stiff, Lovich released "Don't Kill The Animals," a single with Nina Hagen, with whom she had previously appeared in Cha Cha, a film that also starred Herman Brood; together, the three created the film's soundtrack.
In 1989, after an absence of several years, she recorded the album, March which was only moderately successful and was not released until nearly a year after the album's single "Wonderland" had been issued and become an American dance hit. Lovich continues to perform in much the same style she did back in the 1970s and 1980s, with Les Chappell still at her side. In 2005 she appeared on Hawkwind's Take Me to Your Leader CD, as well as appearing occasionally on stage with them.
Lovich's first album since March, entitled Shadows and Dust received a limited release on Mike Thorne's Stereo Society label on September 13, 2005.
Bird Song
Lene Lovich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even though, I had, faith in you
I believe, the liars words
Oh the same, little bird
So with the bird, one day, you flew away
I woke up, to late, you had gone
Fading on....with this song
Oh Oh Oh Oh
[Chorus]
Still I watch the sky
Still I wonder why
Still I hope that I
Can carry on
If I can't be strong
If you hear my song
You'll know that it was wrong, to say good bye..
Such a cold bird, so hard, captured your heart
Does it matter, I am, falling apart
Breaking fast, as the flesh
Oh Oh Oh Oh
Of the dead little bird
[Chorus: x2]
Still I watch the sky
Still I wonder why
Still I hope that I
Can carry on
If I can't be strong
If you hear my song
You'll know that it was wrong, to say good bye
The song "Bird Song" by Lene Lovich is primarily about betrayal and heartbreak. In the first verse, she talks about how "a little bird told me, you were untrue". This suggests that someone had told her about their partner's infidelity. Lovich had faith in this person, but the lies got to her and she eventually started believing them.
In the second verse, Lovich talks about how this person flew away with the bird. This is probably a metaphor for leaving her behind and moving on with someone else. Lovich is left alone and hurt, singing about the "hurting little bird". She wonders why this happened and hopes to carry on, even if she can't be strong.
The chorus is an expression of Lovich's continued love for this person. She still watches the sky, still wonders why, and still hopes that she can carry on. But she recognizes that it was wrong for them to say goodbye and that her heart is still broken.
Overall, "Bird Song" is a powerful and emotional song about betrayal, heartbreak, and the struggle to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
A little bird told me, you were untrue...
Someone told me you were not faithful.
Even though, I had, faith in you
Despite having trust in you.
I believe, the liars words
I believe what the person said about you being unfaithful.
Oh the same, little bird
That same person told me the truth.
So with the bird, one day, you flew away
You left me like the bird that flew away.
I woke up, to late, you had gone
I realized too late that you had left me.
Fading on....with this song
I am singing a sad song about it.
Of the hurting little bird
Like the little bird, I am also hurting.
[Chorus]
Refrain
Still I watch the sky
I keep hoping for something better.
Still I wonder why
I am still confused about why it happened.
Still I hope that I
I keep hoping for a better future for myself.
Can carry on
I can keep going despite the sadness of it all.
If I can't be strong
If I am unable to be strong.
If you hear my song
If you listen to my song.
You'll know that it was wrong, to say good bye..
You will realize that it was wrong to leave me.
Such a cold bird, so hard, captured your heart
You fell in love with someone who was cold and unloving.
Does it matter, I am, falling apart
It doesn't matter, but I am falling apart because of it.
Breaking fast, as the flesh
I am falling apart quickly.
Of the dead little bird
Like the little bird that left, I feel like a part of me has died.
[Chorus: x2]
Refrain repeated twice.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: CHAPPELL LOVICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hellenrose9556
Lyrics:
A little bird told me, you were untrue...
Even though, I had, faith in you
I believe, the liars words
Oh the same, little bird
So with the bird, one day, you flew away
I woke up, to late, you had gone
Fading on....with this song
Of the hurting little bird
Oh Oh Oh Oh
Still I watch the sky
Still I wonder why
Still I hope that I
Can carry on
If I can't be strong
If you hear my song
You'll know that it was wrong, to say good bye..
Such a cold bird, so hard, captured your heart
Does it matter, I am, falling apart
Breaking fast, as the flesh
Oh Oh Oh Oh
Of the dead little bird
Still I watch the sky
Still I wonder why
Still I hope that I
Can carry on
If I can't be strong
If you hear my song
You'll know that it was wrong, to say good bye
@jiveandswing
Goth before goth, totally groundbreaking and influentual.
Lene is just superb. Unbeatable in fact! xx
@wouldbecardsharp
Probably the first and last single to feature a Russian cossack-sounding zombie choir. Man, you just don't get weirdness in the mainstream anymore, and we're all the poorer for it. And it's a cracking single too - still sends a shiver up my spine after all these years.
@MrMermaid58
Lene was so under-rated and under-valued. This is a classic.
@halc.2899
No probably rated correctly.
@kyachdistent1301
@Hal C. No, definitely underrated and undervalued, like ALL the talent of the 80s (though I know she, like Toyah, Dollar and Grace Jones and a few others began in the late 70s). All the undeserving crap of the 80s is all the shit we always hear about and have to put with their crap forever being lauded. Pathetic.
@stuartmorley3836
Agreed
@Jake-jr2zh
She couldn’t sing , terrible.
@halyketarrant
Lene, Nina and Siouxsie. The Three Goddesses of Goth.
@erwinvierstraete4413
Indeed, three wonderful women in this punk and new wave scene
@harrytopalian1266
Her bird calls are in the Yma Sumac zone.