Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Bird Song
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You would not be there
If I call your name at midnight
Oh, you would not be there
You said my name so sweetly
Oh, the one time that you called
Oh, you said my name so sweetly
Oh, the birds are calling
And I do not believe for me
Oh, the birds are calling
And I do not believe for me
Yes, I do not believe for me
I thought I saw you walking
With your trenchcoat in the rain
Yes, I thought I saw you driving
Down those streets past me again
Yes, I drank the table under
And I drank your bitter wine
Yes, I drank the table under
And I drank your bitter wine
Oh, the bells are ringing
And I do not believe for me
Oh, the bells are ringing
And I do not believe for me
Yes, I do not believe for me
I walk on every Monday
With your memories so clear
Yes, I walk on vagrant runways
I think of how you're near
The lyrics to Marissa Nadler's "Bird Song" explore the theme of heartbreak and unrequited love, delving into the emotions of longing and desire that come with it. The first stanza talks about calling out to the person she loves at midnight, and the realization that they will not be there. This is a metaphor for the pain that comes with heartbreak, of reaching out for something that is no longer there.
The second stanza talks about a moment when the person did call her name sweetly, and the impact of that gesture on her. She took her clothes off, an expression of vulnerability and openness to the person she loves. However, this moment of tenderness was fleeting, and she is left alone once again.
The third stanza uses the metaphor of birds calling, representing the natural world and how it continues to move forward despite her pain. She does not believe that these birds are calling for her or that there is any solace to be found in nature.
The fourth stanza talks about her attempts to find her love, seeing them in her mind's eye walking in the rain or driving past her. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol and bitter wine, consumed by the heartache. The bells ringing represent the passage of time, but she cannot find any comfort in them, as they do not ring for her.
The final stanza talks about the memory of her love being ever-present, as she walks every Monday with their memories clear in her mind. She thinks of them on vagrant runways, lost in her longing.
Overall, the lyrics to "Bird Song" are a poetic and moving exploration of the pain of unrequited love, using nature and metaphor to convey the depth of emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
If I call your name at midnight
If I were to call out your name in the middle of the night
You would not be there
You would not be present to respond
If I call your name at midnight
If I were to call out your name in the middle of the night
Oh, you would not be there
You would not be available
You said my name so sweetly
You spoke my name with tenderness
Oh, the one time that you called
The only occasion you reached out to me
Oh, you said my name so sweetly
You spoke my name with fondness
That I took my clothes all off
I became so emotionally vulnerable
Oh, the birds are calling
The birds outside are making noise
And I do not believe for me
But I don't feel like it's for me
Oh, the birds are calling
The birds outside are making noise
And I do not believe for me
But I don't feel like it's for me
Yes, I do not believe for me
I don't think it's meant for me
I thought I saw you walking
I believed I saw you walking around
With your trenchcoat in the rain
Wearing your trenchcoat in the rain
Yes, I thought I saw you driving
I thought I saw you driving by me
Down those streets past me again
Down the same streets I saw you on before
Yes, I drank the table under
I drank excessively
And I drank your bitter wine
And I drank your unpleasant-tasting wine
Yes, I drank the table under
I drank excessively
And I drank your bitter wine
And I drank your unpleasant-tasting wine
Oh, the bells are ringing
The bells outside are ringing
And I do not believe for me
But I don't feel like it's for me
Oh, the bells are ringing
The bells outside are ringing
And I do not believe for me
But I don't feel like it's for me
Yes, I do not believe for me
I don't think it's meant for me
I walk on every Monday
Every Monday, I go for a walk
With your memories so clear
Remembering you so vividly
Yes, I walk on vagrant runways
I walk aimlessly, without a specific destination
I think of how you're near
And I contemplate how you're still close to me, even when you're not physically present
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: MARISSA NADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind