Came a Yellow Bird
Simon Joyner Lyrics
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Said bring me water and crusts of bread
Came a yellow bird outside my window
Said bring me water and crusts of break
For I'm injured and I'm haunted
By the storms in which I fled
I tried to fly to New Orleans
But I got lost in heavy rains
But I got lost in heavy rains
I got many holes in my two wings
From arrows that you aimed
It wasn't I wounded you I didn't any arrows I could shoot
It wasn't I wounded you, any arrows I could shoot
I'm just a lonely man, I never left this room
Besides that I, how on earth could I
Hurt anything so frail as thee
Besides that I, how on earth could I
Hurt anything so frail as thee
When we've never met before this moment
When you called for help from me
Now yellow bird step down into my room
And she chose her words carefully
Yellow bird stepped down into my room
She chose her words carefully
She said you were aiming for the sun
And I was just in-between
And every time you wish to die
An arrow was released
Every time you wish to die
An arrow was released
And the only thing between dark and light
Was my breast or yellow wings
Well this can't be true I shook with fear
Though I knew she didn't lie
This can't be true I shook with fear
Though I knew she couldn't lie
I never wanted to harm anybody else
It's just I who wish to die
And then the tears came rolling down
And the floor fell underneath
And then the tears came rolling down
And the floor fell underneath
And the yellow bird folded her wings together
And I dragged her down with me
The lyrics to Simon Joyner's song "Came a Yellow Bird" tell the story of a man who encounters a yellow bird outside his window. The bird asks for water and bread, revealing that it is injured and haunted by the storms through which it fled. The man asks how he could have wounded a frail creature like the bird, and the bird reveals that it was not the man who wounded it, but rather the man's wishes to die that sent arrows flying towards the bird. The song ends with the man and the bird both falling down, with the floor disappearing beneath them.
At its core, "Came a Yellow Bird" is a reflection on the interconnectedness of all life, and how our actions and wishes can reverberate throughout the world around us. The yellow bird can be seen as a symbol of innocence and vulnerability, while the man represents the more complicated nature of human existence. The song speaks to the idea that we are all linked, and that our choices have implications beyond just ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Came a yellow bird outside my window
A bird appeared outside the singer's window.
Said bring me water and crusts of bread
The bird requested food and water.
For I'm injured and I'm haunted, by the storms in which I fled
The bird was injured and haunted after a storm it flew through.
I tried to fly to New Orleans, but I got lost in heavy rains
The bird attempted to fly somewhere, but got lost in bad weather.
I got many holes in my two wings, from arrows that you aimed
The bird's wings were shot with arrows, causing injury.
It wasn't I wounded you, any arrows I could shoot
The bird did not harm the shooter in any way.
I'm just a lonely man, I never left this room
The singer is a lonely man who stays in his room.
Besides that I, how on earth could I, hurt anything so frail as thee
The singer would never hurt anything as frail as the bird.
When we've never met before this moment, when you called for help from me
The singer and bird never met before this moment, when the bird called for help.
Now yellow bird step down into my room, and she chose her words carefully
The bird came down to the singer's room and spoke carefully.
She said you were aiming for the sun, and I was just in-between
The bird was caught in the crossfire between the singer and his target.
And every time you wish to die, an arrow was released
Every time the singer wished to die, he would release an arrow, harming the bird in the process.
And the only thing between dark and light, was my breast or yellow wings
The bird sacrificed itself to protect the area between light and dark.
Well this can't be true I shook with fear, though I knew she didn't lie
The singer was scared, but knew the bird was telling the truth.
I never wanted to harm anybody else, it's just I who wish to die
The singer never wanted to harm others, but only himself.
And then the tears came rolling down, and the floor fell underneath
The singer cried and the floor crumbled beneath him.
And the yellow bird folded her wings together, and I dragged her down with me
The bird closed its wings and the singer fell with it - perhaps metaphorically, or perhaps the bird fell from the window ledge.
Contributed by Avery P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.