The Fireman is the moniker given to electronic music experiments created by… Read Full Bio ↴The Fireman is the moniker given to electronic music experiments created by Paul McCartney and Youth. In 1993, they released their first album, Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest, and followed that with Rushes in 1998. In 2000, Youth also took part in McCartney's similarly-styled Liverpool Sound Collage album. Their most recent album, Electric Arguments, was released as a digital download, vinyl, and a deluxe edition in 2008.

The official Fireman website is www.thefiremanmusic.com.

Two Magpies
The Fireman Lyrics

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I saw two magpies
A girl and a boy
One for sorrow
Two for joy
With no salutes
I move away
And long to face, face ,face
Face down fear

I saw two magpies
There was a girl and a boy
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Content to cry
No more to lie
I move away
And lie in truth

Look two magpies
A girl and a boy
One for sorrow
And two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
I saw two magpies
Two for joy

Content to cry
No more to lie
In truth with you
To face down fear
Content to cry
No more to lie

No more to lie
And face down fear

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the Fireman's song Two Magpies speak to the symbolism of the magpie bird in folklore. It is said that seeing one magpie is a sign of sorrow, while seeing two represents joy. The repetition of this phrase throughout the song emphasizes the contrasting themes of sorrow and joy, as well as the duality of life. The singer of the song observes two magpies, one male and one female, and reflects on their significance. They long to face their fears and move past sorrow, and find solace in the truth.

The opening line of the song, "I saw two magpies," sets the stage for the rest of the lyrics. The singer introduces the idea of duality and the emotional significance of seeing two magpies. The phrase "one for sorrow, two for joy" is repeated several times throughout the song, underscoring the symbolic importance of the birds. As the song progresses, the singer reflects on their own life and experiences with grief and joy. They long to move past fear and sorrow and find truth and contentment in their life.

Line by Line Meaning

I saw two magpies
The singer saw two magpies

A girl and a boy
The two magpies were a female and male bird

One for sorrow
One magpie is associated with sorrow

Two for joy
Two magpies are associated with joy

With no salutes
The artist did not give a salute

I move away
The singer moves away from the magpies

And long to face, face ,face
The singer longs to face their fears

Face down fear
The artist wants to confront and overcome their fear

Content to cry
The artist is comfortable with crying

No more to lie
The artist will no longer tell lies

In truth with you
The singer wants to be truthful with someone