She fir… Read Full Bio ↴Maz O'Connor is a singer of traditional and original folk songs.
She first started singing at Folkworks summer schools as a teenager and then as guest singer with Last Orders, winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. After several summers of festivals with Last Orders and three years out to study for an English degree, Maz released her debut album, 'Upon a Stranger Shore', on Demon Barber Sounds in July 2012. The album was described as 'an enchanting debut' by Froots magazine and led to a tour supporting the sell-out show 'The Lock In' in Spring 2013.
In 2013 Maz and the English Folk Dance and Song Society were awarded one years funding by the BBC Performing Arts Fund, and Maz spent the year working with the EFDSS as a creative fellow. She was one of 19 U.K. based artists supported by the scheme for 2013.
Also in 2013 she performed with the RSC as the singer for the Stratford-Upon-Avon production of 'As You Like It' with music written by Laura Marling.
Bird Song
Maz O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I were a young man I'd choose two.
If one wouldn't have me then other one would,
And don't you think my notion good?
Oh don't you think my notion
Good?
Said the blackbird to the crow,
For ever since old Adam was born,
It's been our trade to pull up corn,
It's been our trade to pull
Up corn.
___ says the owl with its head so wide,
It's a lonesome day and a lonesome night.
I thought I heard some pretty girl say,
She'd caught all night and sleep all day,
She'd caught all night and sleep
All day.
No no no said the turtle dove,
That's not the way to win his love.
If you want to make him your heart's delight,
You've gotta keep him awake by day by night,
Gotta keep him awake by day
And by night.
Said the robin as he flew,
If I were a young man I'd choose two.
If one wouldn't have me then other one would,
And don't you think my notion good?
Oh don't you think my notion
Good?
In "Bird Song," Maz O'Connor uses the voices of different birds to express differing perspectives on relationships and love. In the first stanza, the robin advises that if he were a young man, he would choose two women, thus increasing his chance of finding love. He also notes that if one woman rejects him, the other would surely accept him. This idea illustrates a common theme in relationships, where people often feel the need to increase their chances when searching for love.
The blackbird raises a more cynical question on why humans discriminate and hate each other, specifically, why the white race is so often mistrusted by other races. They question the humans' fear and suggest that it's quite ironic since it's always been the bird's natural inclination to consume human crops. The owl then responds to such thoughts with melancholic thoughts on loneliness. It seems to have picked up on a woman speaking about her compulsion to be up all night and sleep during the day, illustrating the feeling of seclusion that can arise from not conforming to societal norms. Finally, the turtle dove insists on keeping one's interest alive and interested. The way to make "him" (presumably the object of the singer's affection) happy is to keep him engaged both day and night.
In summary, "Bird Song" is about different perspectives on love and the nature of relationships. The birds represent various human viewpoints. Some are practical, some cynical, some lonely, and some romantic. Overall, the song highlights the different ways people view love and the pursuit of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the robin as he flew,
The robin speaks up as he flies away.
If I were a young man I'd choose two.
If he were a young man, he would choose two women to love.
If one wouldn't have me then other one would,
If one woman did not love him, he would still have another to turn to.
And don't you think my notion good?
He asks if his idea to have multiple lovers is a good one.
Oh don't you think my notion
Good?
He repeats his question for emphasis.
Said the blackbird to the crow,
The blackbird speaks to the crow.
What makes the white-fellas hate us so?
He wonders why humans have animosity towards birds like them.
For ever since old Adam was born,
Since the creation of man, birds have been tasked with pulling corn.
It's been our trade to pull up corn,
Pulling corn has been their longstanding duty.
It's been our trade to pull
Up corn.
The blackbird repeats his previous line for effect.
"___ says the owl with its head so wide,
The owl speaks up.
It's a lonesome day and a lonesome night.
He is lonely throughout the day and night.
I thought I heard some pretty girl say,
He believes he heard a beautiful woman speak.
She'd caught all night and sleep all day,
The woman he heard intends to stay up all night and sleep all day.
She'd caught all night and sleep
All day.
The owl repeats his previous line for emphasis.
No no no said the turtle dove,
A turtle dove speaks up to disagree.
That's not the way to win his love.
Staying up all night and sleeping all day is not how to make someone fall in love with you.
If you want to make him your heart's delight,
In order to win someone's love and affection,
You've gotta keep him awake by day by night,
You must keep them awake throughout the day and night.
Gotta keep him awake by day
And by night.
The turtle dove repeats their previous line for emphasis.
Said the robin as he flew,
The robin speaks up once more as he flies away.
If I were a young man I'd choose two.
He repeats his earlier line about choosing multiple lovers.
If one wouldn't have me then other one would,
He repeats his earlier line about having a fallback lover.
And don't you think my notion good?
He once again asks if his idea is a good one.
Oh don't you think my notion
Good?
He repeats his question for a final time.
Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.