Mockin' Bird Hill
Les Paul Lyrics


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When the sun in the mornin' peeps over the hill
And kisses the roses 'round my window sill
Then my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill
Of those birds in the treetops on mockin' bird hill

Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee, it gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning to the mockin' bird's trill
Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee, there's peace and goodwill
You're welcome as the flowers on the mockin' bird hill

Ah-la-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

When it's late in the evenin' I climb up the hill
And survey all my kingdom while everything's still
Only me and the sky and an old whippoorwill
Singing songs in the twilight on mockin' bird hill

Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee, it gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning to the mockin' bird's trill
Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee, there's peace and goodwill
You're welcome as the flowers on the mockin' bird hill

la-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da




La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Les Paul & Mary Ford's song, "Mockin' Bird Hill," describe the joy and peace one feels when waking up to the sound of birds singing and the beauty of nature. The song starts with the sun rising over the hill and kissing the roses, and the trill of the birds in the treetops filling the heart with gladness. The lyrics are symbolic of the simple pleasures of life that one can find in nature and the appreciation of the beauty of the environment.


The chorus of the song is filled with enthusiasm and joy as the trill of the mockin' bird fills the morning air. The lyrics go on to describe the peace and goodwill that this experience brings, likening the listener to the flowers on the mockin' bird hill. The second verse continues the description of the beauty of nature, as the singer climbs up the hill in the evening to survey the land while everything is quiet. The old whippoorwill singing in the twilight adds to the peaceful ambiance of the surroundings.


Overall, the lyrics of "Mockin' Bird Hill" celebrate the small moments of joy and tranquility that can be found in nature, and the appreciation of those moments.


Line by Line Meaning

When the sun in the mornin' peeps over the hill
As the sun rises in the morning, and peeps over the hill, I awaken from my slumber.


And kisses the roses 'round my window sill
The sun's rays softly kiss the roses blooming on my windowsill.


Then my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill
As I listen to the birds' sweet melodies, my heart overflows with joy.


Of those birds in the treetops on mockin' bird hill
As the birds sing from their perches in the treetops, I am filled with wonder and serenity.


Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee, it gives me a thrill
The tune of the birds gives me immense pleasure and joy, making me feel like singing along.


To wake up in the morning to the mockin' bird's trill
I love waking up to the sound of nature's music, especially the exquisite trill of the mockingbirds.


There's peace and goodwill
In this peaceful and serene environment of nature, there is only an abundance of love and goodwill.


You're welcome as the flowers on the mockin' bird hill
Everyone is welcome to join and appreciate the beauty of nature, just like the flowers blooming on the mockingbird hill.


When it's late in the evenin' I climb up the hill
In the evening, when the sun is retreating, I climb up the hill to better appreciate the view.


And survey all my kingdom while everything's still
From the hilltop, I survey the vastness of the land beneath me, taking in the peaceful quietness of the night.


Only me and the sky and an old whippoorwill
In the stillness of the night, there is only me surrounded by the vast sky, the only sound coming from a nearby whippoorwill.


Singing songs in the twilight on mockin' bird hill
As the sun sets in the horizon, and the night sky begins to set in, the songs of the mockingbirds can still be heard filling the twilight air.




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Vaughn Horton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jaddison1112

My parents had this song by Les Paul and Mary Ford on a 78 RPM. When we were kids in the late 1950s and later as well we would listen to this on an old phonograph record player. It makes me think of happy memories with my parents, and miss them too.

@lospaisasoriginal5454

You're damn right they are right there with you still...
Don't ever let go of them.

@edsauer2931

This lovely song displays the genius of two great artists! Love it greatly.

@brucew44guns

Kind of a plain and simple song----but done by masterful geniuses who added what few could ever do. Great talent here, I don't see much like this anymore.

@Streamliner2024

Great posting! Not only is the audio razor sharp and clean, the pictures are exceptional - 'pan and scan' editing effects are great! I just remember playing this on a single song '78' on our 1953 Philco radio/phonograph when I was 5 or 6 and watching that purple Capitol label go round and round like mad. It was always over too soon. Back then 2 1/2 minutes was the norm for song lengths.

I understand Les and Mary did most all of their recording at home - in the kitchen, the bedroom - you name it. Les liked the different acoustics each room would give. He also recorded with a professional Ampex reel to reel recorder (351?) and a Neumann U-47 tube mike - the best mike ever made - hands down. (One in perfect shape goes for over $12,000 now on Ebay, if you can even find one!) That electronic combination is why the masters are so clean with plenty of dynamic range. The pressing, phonograph needles and cartridges were the weak links in reproduction.

Les got Ampex to build him the first 8 track 'multi-track' recorder by stacking 8 Ampex amps in a rack - about 6 feet high and building him special 8 track record, playback and erase heads. The way he got all those chord progressions and glissandos executed so fast was because he recorded them at 7 1/2 inches per second and played them back at 15 ips. Many guitarists marveled at how he could play so fast. Well, Les was fast, but the speed change made him "supersonic." Pretty cool effects - a process that was copied by other artists for a long while.

@glenmurphy7020

They were great together. I loved listening to them when I was a kid and still love listening to them today. Songs had meaning as well as talent.

@ronmarler5746

Mary Ford is the most underrated singer of all time. Mary played the guitar just well as Les. If it was Not for Mary Les would be a complete unknown now. Mary Ford is one of the greatest singers of all time.

@thestoryplease

This song is soooo 50's but together they pull it off as not kitch or corn but a sweet, melodic masterpiece. Always picks me up and I can imagine this wonderful place in a peaceful countryside with apples and pears and the Sweetie putting her apple pie in the window to cool. Tasty!

@LollyBarrel

My grandpa would drive around with this music and I still have the CD.

@MrReaperofDead

Does your grampa use youtube? 😯

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