The band's initial line up was as below, although there would be line up changes for the band by the time they came to work on their 3rd album, the first two members listed were a constant throughout the life time of the band.
* Steve Gould (vocals/saxophone/bass)
* Dave Kaffinetti (keyboards)
* Graham Field (organ)
* Mark Ashton (drums)
The band split up in the mid 1970s.
House In The City
Rare Bird Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been hard on me for a while
Place is all clear
I checked it out this morning
Its time to go the truck's outside
Riding away my hand starts turning
Good times blowing out the bad
Confusion only makes you mad
Saying goodbye to a house in the city
The carpets clean I made quite sure
Everything's done now I'm leaving 'fore this day's end
Slow down the pace and take in more
Riding away my hand starts turning
Good times blowing out the bad
Breaking the ties and dreams for old things
Confusion only makes you mad
Leaving a house, House in the City, oh oh
Rare Bird's song "House in the City" is a poignant song that talks about leaving behind a familiar and beloved abode. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song and convey a sense of melancholy as the singer says farewell to their home in the city. The music lends itself well to the lyrical theme, as the slow and deliberate pace of the song echoes the sadness and nostalgia the singer feels as they leave their house behind.
The chorus of the song further emphasizes the sense of sadness that permeates the song. The lines "Saying goodbye to a house in the city / The carpets clean I made quite sure / Everything's done now I'm leaving 'fore this day's end / Slow down the pace and take in more" show that while the singer is ready to move on, they cannot help but feel a sense of loss at leaving behind a place that has been their refuge for so long. The juxtaposition of the clean carpets with the sorrowful tone of the singer highlights the difficulty of leaving a home that has so many memories attached to it.
The song's verses speak of the conflicting emotions that often arise when we leave a home that is dear to us. The line "Breaking the ties and dreams for old things / Confusion only makes you mad" speaks volumes about the pain of moving on from a place that has so much history. The singer is aware that they must leave behind their old dreams and memories in order to move forward but they are also aware that doing so will be difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
Saying goodbye to a house in the city
Acknowledging the departure from home in the urban area
Been hard on me for a while
The act of leaving made a lasting negative impact on the singer
Place is all clear
Confirming that everything has been taken care of in the house
I checked it out this morning
Speaker made sure that the house was all in order before leaving
Its time to go the truck's outside
Acknowledging that it's time to leave as the truck is ready
Riding away my hand starts turning
Signaling that the singer is starting to let go and move on
Good times blowing out the bad
Focusing on the positive moments and leaving the negatives behind
Breaking the ties and dreams for old things
Breaking emotional attachments to the past and old possessions
Confusion only makes you mad
Awareness not to let confusion add to the negative emotions
The carpets clean I made quite sure
Confirming that even the smallest details have been taken care of before leaving the house
Everything's done now I'm leaving 'fore this day's end
Confirming that everything has been taken care of before departing
Slow down the pace and take in more
Recognizing the need to slow down and appreciate the present moment
Leaving a house, House in the City, oh oh
Reiterating the departure from the city house
Contributed by Hunter V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.