The group features Frazey Ford (guitar, vocals), Samantha Parton (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals) and Trish Klein (electric guitar, banjo, harmony vocals). Jolie Holland is a former member and also a frequent guest.
The story of the groups begins in early-to-mid ’90s in the Kootenay Mountains outside of British Columbia, where caravans of tree planters toiled each year to replenish the rich Canadian forests that suffer abuse by the lumber industry. Ford and Parton lived the vagabond lifestyle and made a rudimentary living as tree planters during the summer months and doing other odd jobs or traveling during the winters. When they met at a tree planters’ camp, they discovered a mutual love of music, but ultimately went their separate ways.
A few years later, Klein and Ford hooked up when both were attending music school in Nelson, British Columbia. For a time, the three of them headed in different directions: Ford went to Montreal and then Guatemala, Klein to Vancouver, and Parton traveled south through America with her dog Sherpa by her side, eventually settling in New Orleans. Chance brought the trio back together in Vancouver in the winter of 1999. By this time, each had been experimenting with many different styles of music – Ford was in a trip hop band in Montreal, Klein and Ford later formed the soul/folk band Saltwater June in Vancouver, and Parton had been touring the back roads of America with spoken word punk poet Chris Chandler as well as her country-duo side project, The Illegitimate Daughters of Johnny Cash.
Their luminous debut, ‘Blue Horse was named one of 2002′s Top 50 albums by Britain’s Q Magazine. The albums "Chinatown" followed in 2003 and "Hello Love" in 2006.
In 2008 the band took a break from touring and recording. Ford released her debut solo album, "Obadiah", in 2010. The band is scheduled to play the 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival.
The Coo Coo Bird
The Be Good Tanyas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She warbles as she flies
She never hollers coo coo till the fourth day of July
Gonna build me log cabin
On a mountain so high
So I can see Willie as he goes on by
And I've played cards in Maine
Oh, I'll bet you five dollars I'll beat you next game
Jack of diamonds, jack of diamonds
Oh, I know you of old
You robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey
Oh, I know you of old
You robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold
Sometimes I feel much younger
Sometimes I feel so old
Sometimes the warm sun shines
Sometimes it's dreadful cold
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
How I wish she was mine
She never drinks water she only drinks wine
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
She never hollers coo coo till the fourth day of July
The Be Good Tanyas’ “The Coo Coo Bird” is a traditional American folk song that has been interpreted in many different ways throughout history. The song is about a person who is building a cabin on a high mountain so that he can see “Willie” as he goes by. The lyrics suggest the singer is a person who moves around a lot, from Texas to Maine, and who is sometimes confident and sometimes unsure about life. The song mentions the “Jack of Diamonds,” a reference to a card game, and “Rye Whiskey,” a popular drink.
The song’s main theme is the beauty and allure of the cuckoo bird, which represents freedom and the ability to roam wherever one wants. The singer admires the bird’s singing and wishes it was his own, indicating a desire for the freedom the bird represents. The last line of the song mentions that the bird never hollers coo coo until the fourth day of July, suggesting perhaps that it only sings on special occasions or when something important is happening.
Overall, “The Coo Coo Bird” is a song about the freedom to live life on one’s own terms, to roam where one wants, and to admire the beauty of nature. The song’s lyrics are simple, yet convey a powerful message about human desire for freedom and self-expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
The Cuckoo is indeed a beautiful bird.
She warbles as she flies
The bird sings as it soars through the air.
She never hollers coo coo till the fourth day of July
The bird only makes a hollering sound on the Fourth of July.
Gonna build me log cabin
I am planning to construct a cabin made of logs.
On a mountain so high
This cabin will be on an elevated mountain top.
So I can see Willie as he goes on by
From this cabin, I can spot Willie as he passes.
Well, I've played cards in Texas
I have experience in playing cards in Texas.
And I've played cards in Maine
I also have experience in playing cards in Maine.
Oh, I'll bet you five dollars I'll beat you next game
I am confident enough to bet that I will win the next game and put down five dollars on it.
Jack of diamonds, jack of diamonds
This line refers to the Jack of Diamonds card.
Oh, I know you of old
I am familiar with this Jack of Diamonds card already.
You robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold
This Jack of Diamonds card has previously caused me to lose money and valuables.
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey
This line refers to the drink rye whiskey.
Oh, I know you of old
I am familiar with rye whiskey.
You robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold
Rye whiskey has previously caused me to lose money and valuables.
Sometimes I feel much younger
There are moments when I feel youthful.
Sometimes I feel so old
There are also moments when I feel old and weary.
Sometimes the warm sun shines
There are days when the sun is warm and comforting.
Sometimes it's dreadful cold
On the other hand, there are days when the cold is unbearable.
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
This line reiterates the earlier statement that the cuckoo is indeed beautiful.
How I wish she was mine
I desire to own and have the beautiful cuckoo bird.
She never drinks water she only drinks wine
A quirk of this beautiful bird is that it only drinks wine, never water.
She never hollers coo coo till the fourth day of July
This is another reminder that the beautiful cuckoo only hollers on the Fourth of July.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: THOMAS CLARENCE ASHLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind