Their debut EP Taking Abalonia was released in 2007. It was re-released with seven new songs on June 3, 2008, in Canada as a full-length LP under the name Howe Sounds / Taking Abalonia.
On July 1, 2009, Said the Whale released the EP The Magician to drum up anticipation for the release of their second full-length album Islands Disappear on October 13, 2009.
In the spring of 2011, Said the Whale toured the U.S. for the first time. During this time they were the subject of the CBC documentary "Winning America" directed by Brent Hodge and Thomas Buchan. The movie documented the band's trip and performances along the West Coast of North America on their way to and from Austin, Texas' SXSW Music Festival and culminated when Said the Whale won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards. The documentary aired on July 23, 2011, in British Columbia, and on April 7, 2012, across Canada.
They released their EP New Brighton on November 8, 2011, in preparation for their third full-length album, Little Mountain, released internationally on March 6, 2012.
In early 2012, the band was awarded a spot on the Canadian music magazine Rockstar Weekly's list of the "Top 12 RockStars to Watch in 2012". The list also included Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, and Rush. The band performed at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2012 and 2013.
Said the Whale released their fourth studio album, titled hawaiii, on September 17, 2013.
On January 4, 2017, they announced their fifth album, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide. At the same time, they announced the departure of Spencer Schoening, and that they would move forward as a trio. The album was released March 31, 2017. The first single was "Step Into The Darkness."
On March 5, 2017, they posted an Instagram video with an email address which fans could contact in order to listen to the whole album for free before its release. Fans could stream the whole album on a personalized, private SoundCloud account from the 10th until the 15th of March without leaking or sharing the link. From the 15th until the 26th of March, the fans could invite their friends to listen to the album in a "listening party" in order to promote it but still not sharing the link to the album, keeping it strictly limited to those who were sent the link.
In September 2018, Said the Whale signed to Canadian indie label Arts & Crafts, and announced a new record to be released in early 2019. The band released a new single "UnAmerican" on October 12, 2018. They released their sixth studio album, Cascadia, on February 8, 2019.
Throughout 2021, Said the Whale released a number of singles and music videos from their upcoming album, including "Honey Lungs," "Everything She Touches is Gold to Me," "Show Me Everything," and "99 to the Moon." In May, Bancroft announced he was launching a new record label called EVERYTHING FOREVER. Said the Whale's seventh studio album, Dandelion, was released on October 22, 2021, via that label.
Little Bird
Said The Whale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I’d forgotten how to sing
She had a broken wing, and on the night she came to me,
She sang for me cinders from a spark
Little bird had a broken heart
She sang all night
In the morning I awoke to find
I’d grown a smolder in my heart
When it was cold and dark
Little bird came into my life when I’d lost sight of the spring,
She was the little spark
So I stoked the fire
And I held her warm by it
And we sang all night
Little bird came into my life when I’d forgotten how to sing
I had a broken wing and all the while she sang to men
A broken heart will learn the words to say
We’ll fly again someday
So I stoked the fire
And I held her warm by it
And we sang all night
Just like a window in my heart
And I sang all night
The opening lyrics of "Little Bird" by Said The Whale have a beautiful and emotional meaning behind them. It is about a little bird who comes into the singer's life when they had forgotten how to sing. The bird was an injured one and came to them with a broken wing, but what was surprising was that despite her injury, she sang cinders from a spark in the night. Little bird had a broken heart but still managed to bring a spark into the singer's life. Her presence may have been brief, but it was powerful as she reminded the singer of their reason to sing.
As the night progressed, they sang together all night long. The next morning when the singer awoke, they had a renewed sense of purpose and motivation. They felt that they had grown a smolder in their heart, warmed by the presence of the little bird. Little bird came into their life when they had lost sight of the spring and became the little spark that lit the fire inside of them. The singer stoked the fire and held her warm by it, as they sang all night.
Later in the song, the singer explains that the little bird taught them that even a broken heart can learn to sing again. They will eventually fly again, just like the bird will mend her broken wing. Little bird will always live in their heart like a little window, and the singer sings all night.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to the healing power of animals, who can lift us when we're low and remind us of the beauty of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Little bird came into my life
A small bird entered my life
When I’d forgotten how to sing
During a time when I was unable to express myself
She had a broken wing, and on the night she came to me,
The bird had a physical injury when it came to my life
She sang for me cinders from a spark
The bird conveyed a small spark of light to me through its song
Little bird had a broken heart
The bird was emotionally wounded
She sang all night
The bird sang all night long
In the morning I awoke to find
I woke up the next morning and realized
I’d grown a smolder in my heart
I developed a burning passion in my heart
When it was cold and dark
During a difficult and desolate time
Little bird came into my life when I’d lost sight of the spring,
The bird came at a time when I lost hope for the future
She was the little spark
She symbolized a small glimmer of hope
So I stoked the fire
I took action to keep the spark burning
And I held her warm by it
I protected the bird and kept it warm
And we sang all night
We sang together all night long
I had a broken wing and all the while she sang to men
I was also emotionally wounded and the bird's song was directed towards me
A broken heart will learn the words to say
A person who's been hurt will eventually find the right words to express themselves
We’ll fly again someday
We'll eventually heal and be able to move forward
Just like a window in my heart
Like a window into my emotional state
And I sang all night
I sang with the bird all night long
Contributed by Zachary L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@OnlyMSVideos
So perfect.
@ElizabethWoodworth
One of the sweetest songs of all time.
@TheLegitDrummerboi98
Such a great band! Can't wait to see their show in April!
@CplManBearPig
I've always loved your good choice in music <3
@ThinkAndShine
LOL I LOVE YOU: "I don't own this, but it owns my heart"
@gotiadoazeve
so deep!!!
@CameronAzulay145
I actually killed the replay button
@sophiegarnett621
Three dislikes? Nice try, Ed Sheeran fans, but Said the Whale wasn't copying you. And this Little Bird is better (in my opinion) <3