1) The Choir were a ro… Read Full Bio ↴There have been two bands known as The Choir:
1) The Choir were a rock band in the mid-1960s from Cleveland Ohio, best known for the oft-covered song "It's Cold Outside". With the addition of singer Eric Carmen, they became The Raspberries in 1970. The band consisted of Dann Klawon on rhythm guitar, Dave Smalley on vocals & rhythm guitar, Wally Bryson on vocals, lead guitar, & bass, and Jim Bonfanti on vocals & drums.
2) The Choir (originally The Youth Choir) is an atmospheric alternative Christian rock band, led by Derri Daugherty on guitar and vocals, Steve Hindalong on drums -- who also writes most of the band's lyrics -- and Dan Michaels on lyricon, electric flute and saxophone. Originally formed in Southern California in the early 1980s, the band members moved to the Nashville, Tennessee area in the 1990s. Past members include guitarist Marc Byrd and bass guitarists Michael Sauerbrey, Robin Spurs, Bill Batstone, and the late Tim Chandler.
Each band member also has a depth of musical history outside of The Choir. Hindalong produced four successful City On A Hill albums, writing the well-known song "God of Wonders" with Marc Byrd. Daugherty has been a member of the Christian-alterna-pop-supergroup The Lost Dogs since it started in 1991, and Hindalong joined the group in 2006. Chandler was the bass player for years for Daniel Amos and that band's alter egos The Swirling Eddies, and passed away in 2018. Byrd was a member of Common Children, recorded with his wife Christine Glass as Glassbyrd, and is currently half of the post-rock duo Hammock. Michaels has been a Senior Vice President of Fair Trade Services (formerly INO Records) since 2000.
Speckled Bird
The Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You take a shovel to my head
Hey, I appreciate that sound
A true tone resonating
So, now, I'm less alive than dead
And maybe I won't hang around tonight
'Cause I'm already dying
It seems like I'm flying toward the sun
Yes, I'm already dying
I'm already flying
In my dreams I'm flying toward the sun
I'm flying through the Heavens
A tabernacle to the sun
You know I'd take you if I could
No I can't save your sorry soul
I only want to be the one
To kiss your spirit from face to foot
And I'm already dying
I'm already flying
It seems like I'm flying toward the sun
Yes, I'm already dying
In my dreams I'm flying
In my dreams I'm flying toward the sun
You put the fire out
You take a shovel to my head
Hey, I appreciate that sound
A true tone resonating
So, now, I'm less alive than dead
Speckled birds of prey coming down
And I'm already dying...
The lyrics to The Choir's song "Speckled Bird" capture a sense of resignation and detachment from life. The opening lines describe someone blowing out a candle and taking a shovel to the singer's head. Despite this violent image, the singer appreciates the sound created by the motion, which resonates like a true tone. The implication may be that the violent act is a relief from a life that has become too much to bear.
The chorus of "Speckled Bird" reinforces the sense of detachment and resignation. The singer claims to be already dying and flying, seemingly toward the sun. There is a dreamlike quality to the imagery, which suggests that the singer may be experiencing an inner journey rather than a physical one. The repetition of the line "I'm already dying" underscores the finality of the singer's sense of estrangement from life.
The final stanza of the song adds a layer of complexity to the singer's relationship with the person who has taken a shovel to their head. The singer wishes they could save the other person's soul, but acknowledges that they cannot. Instead, the singer's desire is to be able to kiss the other person's spirit from face to foot. This suggests a deep love or connection between the singer and the person who has harmed them, despite the violence of the first stanza. The final line of the song, "Speckled birds of prey coming down," is ambiguous, and could suggest either a sense of impending death or simply a reference to the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
You blow the candle out
You snuff out the light of hope or possibility
You take a shovel to my head
You cause intense emotional pain to me that is almost physical
Hey, I appreciate that sound
I acknowledge and understand the pain you're causing me
A true tone resonating
The pain you cause is sincere and real
So, now, I'm less alive than dead
The pain you cause me is so great that I feel dead inside
And maybe I won't hang around tonight
I may give up and not try to survive any longer
'Cause I'm already dying
I'm so emotionally broken that I'm already heading towards death
I'm already flying
I'm already detached from life and reality
It seems like I'm flying toward the sun
I'm heading towards my own destruction
Yes, I'm already dying
I'm already beyond repair and heading towards death
In my dreams I'm flying toward the sun
Even in my subconscious, I'm headed for self-destruction
I'm flying through the Heavens
My emotional detachment and trauma makes me feel like I'm out of this world
A tabernacle to the sun
I become a sanctuary for my pain and suffering
You know I'd take you if I could
I would try to save you from experiencing the same pain as me if I could
No I can't save your sorry soul
Unfortunately, I'm too trapped in my own pain to help anyone else
I only want to be the one
All I can do is show you love and affection that might help you feel better
To kiss your spirit from face to foot
To try and show you love and caring from every angle of your being
Speckled birds of prey coming down
The looming danger of emotional pain is ever-present and about to strike
And I'm already dying...
I'm already experiencing so much pain that I might as well be dying
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.