Birds
Neil Young & Graham Nash Lyrics
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And he rides the wind back to his home
Although his wings have turned to stone
And we used to be so calm
Now I think about you all day long
(That's the moment that he cracked)
'Cause you've been with another man (long ago in the museum with his friends)
The jailbird takes a rap
And then finds himself spread-eagled on the track
But the training that he learned would get him nowhere fast
And I know we should be free
But freedom's just a prison to me (rain pounding on his back)
(He recalls the moment that he cracked)
'Cause I lied to keep it kind (long ago in the museum with his friends)
When I left you far behind (like those memories, the rain)
(Just keeps poundin' down, down, down)
And though these wings have turned to stone
I can fly, fly, fly away
Watch me fly above the city
Like a shadow on the sky
Fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly, fly
The song "Birds" by Neil Young talks about freedom and love, but also includes the theme of loss and being trapped. The song features several metaphorical birds, but its title is a reference to a line from Shakespeare's Macbeth: "The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements." Bird in the play refers to an omen of death, and in the song, it could be interpreted as the death of the singer's love.
The first verse describes a bird that flies alone back to its home, but its wings have turned to stone. This verse could represent a person who has become trapped in their ways or has lost their freedom. The second verse talks about a jailbird who learns skills that are useless outside of prison. This verse could represent someone who has become institutionalized or trapped in their past actions.
The chorus of the song is about the singer lying to keep things kind and leaving their lover behind. They remember the moment they cracked, which could be interpreted as the moment their relationship ended. The final verse describes how the singer's wings have turned to stone but they can still fly away.
Overall, the song presents a poignant and emotional take on the themes of freedom and love, and how they can often be lost or trapped in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Danger bird, he flies alone
The bird that nobody dares to be like it, flies in isolation
And he rides the wind back to his home
He spreads his wings to catch the wind and head back to his nest
Although his wings have turned to stone
Despite its wings becoming incredibly still and unable to move
And we used to be so calm
We were in harmony with each other before
Now I think about you all day long
Now you're always on my mind
(That's the moment that he cracked)
The moment where he loses control
'Cause you've been with another man (long ago in the museum with his friends)
Because I found out that you were with someone else
There you are and here I am
Separated and far away from each other
The jailbird takes a rap
The prisoner takes blame for something that he didn't do
And then finds himself spread-eagled on the track
He's found helpless, surrounded by danger or difficulty
But the training that he learned would get him nowhere fast
The advice or experience he received has no use or won't help him at this point
And I know we should be free
We have the right to be free
But freedom's just a prison to me (rain pounding on his back)
Freedom doesn't feel like freedom to me, especially with bad things happening to me
(He recalls the moment that he cracked)
The moment where he loses control, coming back to his mind
'Cause I lied to keep it kind (long ago in the museum with his friends)
Because I lied to keep you out of harm's way
When I left you far behind (like those memories, the rain)
When I separated from you (like how memories gradually fade)
(Just keeps poundin' down, down, down)
Just keeps raining heavily
And though these wings have turned to stone
Despite becoming slow and unable to move
I can fly, fly, fly away
I can still get away from here, fast
Watch me fly above the city
See me sailing high above the buildings and people
Like a shadow on the sky
Just like a silhouette on the horizon
Fly, fly, fly
Get away, faster and faster
Fly, fly, fly
Get away, faster and faster
Fly, fly, fly
Get away, faster and faster
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rhino
The deluxe version of CSNY's seminal album Deja Vu, featuring hours of outtakes, alternate versions, and demos, is available to pre-order now at https://Rhino.lnk.to/DejaVu50ID.
@margroningen
Just placed a pre-order. Can't wait to have it :)
@stillastillsfan
Will this deluxe version be available on Tidal?
@petermackaaij3814
Too bad this is the only outtake with Neil
@neilyoung3667
@Don J Thanks for loving my music aspirations. How long have you been a fan?
@neilyoung3667
@M. Groningen Thanks for loving my music aspirations. How long have you been a fan?
@judysanders4365
The song is heartbreaking and beautiful. These voices blend wonderfully. Lovely harmony by Graham. Incomparable sentiment of Young's voice.
@rjb7569
Neil and Graham should do a record together. Their voices sound pretty damn fine together as a duo.
@BigfootAnthropologist
I've listened to this song hundreds of times before. Until now, reading the lyrics along with listening to the song, I only now appreciate how poetically brilliant it is. They gave the Nobel prize to Dylan recently. Why not Neil Young?
@simoncrago3871
Such a lyrically beautiful song, depth of meaning .Melody pure.👍🎸🎼