Sydney Devine (born Cleland, Lanarkshire 1940 - 13th F… Read Full Bio ↴Sydney devine
Sydney Devine (born Cleland, Lanarkshire 1940 - 13th February 2021) was a Scot and' it's very own rhinestone cowboy, a singer whose career began with a television appearance in 1953 at the age of thirteen, developed during eight years touring with the White Heather Group. When visiting Hawaii with Andy Stewart's band, he heard the Hawaiian singer Don Ho perform Tiny Bubbles; this became Devine's signature tune and he went on to sell fifteen million albums. His record sales were revived in December 2005 when a frothy drink making machine was advertised on television using Don Ho's version of Tiny Bubbles. YUP
He is sometimes referred to as 'Steak and Kidney',
Bird of Paradise
Sydney Devine Lyrics
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Spied a beggar man with rags upon his feet
Took a penny from my pocket
In his tin I did drop it
I heard him say as I made my retreat
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose
May an elephant caress you with its toes
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose
My laundry man is really on his toes
Found a hundred dollar bill among my clothes
When he called me I came running
And I thought that he was funnin'
But I heard him saying as I turned to go
My the bird of paradise fly up your nose
May and elephant caress you with its toes
May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose
I was way behind one day to catch a train
The taxi driver said ""we'll make it just the same""
A speed cop made it with us
And as he wrote out the ticket
I stood politely waiting for my change
May the bird of paradise fly up you nose
May an elephant caress you with its toes
May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose
The lyrics of Sydney Devine’s song “Bird of Paradise” describe a humorous and sarcastic way of sharing bad luck with others. It starts with the singer witnessing a beggar on the street and proceeds to offer him a penny before leaving. However, the beggar responds with a rather dark wish for the singer which is reminiscent of a curse. This “curse” consists of three equally absurd occurrences that the singer might experience someday. These include a bird of paradise flying up his nose, an elephant caressing him with its toes, and his wife being plagued with runners in her hose.
The song continues with two more examples of similar situations that the singer experiences. First, he finds a hundred-dollar bill in his laundry and is thankful for his attentive laundry man. However, the laundry man follows suit with the “curse” when the singer is leaving, repeating the same phrase. Secondly, the singer is running late for a train and the taxi driver promises him that they would still make it. Unfortunately, they get pulled over by a speeding cop who issues them both a ticket. This time, the singer politely waits for his change and to his surprise, the cashier responds with the same bizarre curse.
Overall, the song depicts an amusing way of expressing bad luck and hardships that people face daily. Despite the sarcastic tone, it highlights how we are all susceptible to unfortunate circumstances at any time.
Line by Line Meaning
One fine day as I was walking down the street
One pleasant day while taking a stroll through the city
Spied a beggar man with rags upon his feet
Saw a destitute person with tattered footwear
Took a penny from my pocket
Extracted a small coin from my trousers
In his tin I did drop it
Deposited the coin into the beggar's collection container
I heard him say as I made my retreat
Overheard him expressing his gratitude as I left the scene
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose
Wishing misfortune upon someone in a humorous manner
May an elephant caress you with its toes
Hoping for harm to come in a comical fashion
May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose
Jokingly hoping for trouble to afflict someone's spouse
My laundry man is really on his toes
My washing assistant is quite efficient
Found a hundred dollar bill among my clothes
Discovered a substantial sum of money in my garments
When he called me I came running
Upon being summoned, I quickly arrived
And I thought that he was funnin'
Initially believed he was joking around
But I heard him saying as I turned to go
Overheard him uttering
I was way behind one day to catch a train
One morning, I was running late for a locomotive departure
The taxi driver said ''we'll make it just the same''
The cab operator reassured me that we would arrive on time
A speed cop made it with us
A police officer caught up to us and arrived at our destination alongside
And as he wrote out the ticket
While he was composing the citation
I stood politely waiting for my change
I remained courteous and waited for my due return
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Merritt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind