The Moody Blues was an English rock band formed in Birmingham, Warwickshire… Read Full Bio ↴The Moody Blues was an English rock band formed in Birmingham, Warwickshire in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas (died 2018), guitarist Denny Laine (died 2023), drummer Graeme Edge (died 2021), and bassist Clint Warwick (died 2004). The band came to prominence with the UK No. 1 and US Top 10 single "Go Now" in late 1964/early 1965 and subsequently embraced the psychedelic rock movement of the late 1960s with their 1967 album "Days of Future Passed" that established the band as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

The band began by playing rhythm and blues music. After some early lineup changes, the band settled on a line-up of Pinder, Thomas, Edge, guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge, which would stay together for most of the band's "classic era" through the late 1960s-early 1970s. Their second album, "Days of Future Passed", released in 1967, was a fusion of rock with classical music and established the band as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. Days Of Future Passed has been described as a "landmark" and "one of the first successful concept albums".

The Moody Blues became known internationally by recordings of songs including "Go Now", "Nights in White Satin", "Tuesday Afternoon", "Question" and "Your Wildest Dreams". The band has been awarded 18 platinum and gold LP’s. The band sold 70 million albums worldwide. The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Moody Blues formed in 1964 in Erdington, a suburb of Birmingham in the county of Warwickshire. Ray Thomas, a young John Lodge and (occasionally) Mike Pinder had been members of El Riot & the Rebels. They disbanded when Lodge, the youngest member, went to technical college and Pinder joined the army. Pinder then rejoined Thomas to form the Krew Cats. Back from a disappointing spell in the Hamburg region a few months later, the pair recruited guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine and band manager-turned-drummer Graeme Edge. Pinder and Thomas initially approached their former El Riot bandmate John Lodge about being the bass player, but Lodge declined as he was still in college. They instead recruited bassist Clint Warwick. The five appeared as the Moody Blues for the first time in Birmingham in 1964. The name developed from a hoped-for sponsorship from the M&B Brewery which failed to materialise, the band calling themselves both "The M Bs" and "The M B Five", and was also a subtle reference to the Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo". In an interview it was revealed that the band was named "Moody Blues" because Mike Pinder was interested in how music changes people's moods and due to the fact that the band was playing blues at the time. Around this time the band were the resident group at the Carlton Ballroom, later to become rock music venue Mothers on Erdington High Street.

The Moody Blues' "rich symphonic sound" influenced groups such as Yes, Genesis, the Electric Light Orchestra and Deep Purple. They also helped make synthesizers and philosophy "part of the rock mainstream".

The Moody Blues became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2013, readers of Rolling Stone Magazine voted for them as one of the ten bands that should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ultimate Classic Rock called them "perennial victims of an unaccountable snubbing" and inducted them into its own Hall of Fame in 2014.

Writing for The Guardian in 2015, Rob Chapman described the band as "psychedelia's forgotten heroes". He stated: "Despite their success, rock critics rarely took the Moody Blues seriously, a pattern that continued for the next 45 years." He also wrote: "Despite the critical disapproval, the best of the Moody Blues music between 1967 and 1970 possessed grace and beauty. Like The Beatles, they understood how pop songs worked as ensemble pieces. None of them were particularly virtuosic or showy as musicians and their music is refreshingly free of the noodling longeurs that characterised the output of their more self-indulgent contemporaries."

In December 2017, the band were announced as inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 14 April 2018, they were inducted as part of the 2018 class. During his acceptance speech in Cleveland, OH, Justin Hayward said, "If you didn't know already, well we're just a bunch of British guys, but of course to us and to all British musicians, this is the home of our heroes and we all know that..." acknowledging the inspirational role of America's rock and roll icons. During the ceremony, Ray Thomas was included as a star that was lost in the past year.

On 11th November 2021 Graeme Edge died. Upon Edge's death, Justin Hayward announced that The Moody Blues had no longer been active since Edge had retired in 2018 (Edge being the only member to remain with the band from formation to ending). Founding member Denny Laine died on 5 December 2023.

Bye Bye Bird
The Moody Blues Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I say bye bye, bird.
I say bye bye, bird.
I say bye bye, baby.
I say bye bye.
Bye bye, baby, bye bye.
Bye bye, baby, bye bye.
Bye bye, baby, bye bye.
Bye bye, Birdie.

Now if you want to say goodbye to your girl
I want to give you one or two little tips, yeah.
Say Bye bye, baby
And then you say Bye bye, girl
And then you say Get the suitcases, honey
I don't want to see you, hear the words.

Say bye bye.
Say bye bye.
Bye bye, baby.
Bye bye, bird.

Now if you want to say goodbye to your girl
I want to give you one or two little tips, yeah.
Say Bye bye, bird
Then say Bye bye, baby
Bye bye, girl
Mmm, not another word.

I say bye.
I say bye.
Say bye bye.
Say bye bye.
Bye baye, babe.
Yeah, let's swing it on, now.

Bye bye, baby,
I say bye bye, baby.
I say bye bye, baby.
Bye bye.

Bye bye, baby.
Bye bye, baby.
Bye bye, baby.
Bye bye bye, baby, yeah.

Bye bye, girl.
I say bye bye, babe.

Overall Meaning

The Moody Blues's song Bye Bye Bird can be interpreted as a duet between two people who have decided to end their relationship. The lyrics "I say bye bye, bird" and "Bye bye, baby, bye bye" are repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the finality of the breakup. The singer suggests that if someone wants to say goodbye to their significant other, they should start by saying "Bye bye, baby" and then "Bye bye, girl" before telling them to leave. The repetition of "Bye bye" and "baby" imply a sense of detachment and indifference towards the person they are leaving behind. The line "Mmm, not another word" suggests that the singer has said everything they need to say and does not want to prolong the conversation.

The song's upbeat tempo and swing rhythm create a contrast with the lyrics' melancholic and bitter tone. This may reflect the ambiguity and mixed emotions of a breakup, where the couple may have good memories and feelings towards each other, but have decided to part ways. The song's title "Bye Bye Bird" may also refer to the phrase "to kill two birds with one stone," suggesting that the singer is attempting to end both their relationship and emotional attachment to their ex simultaneously.

Line by Line Meaning

I say bye bye, bird.
The singer wants to bid farewell to the bird.

I say bye bye, baby.
The singer wants to bid farewell to the baby.

I say bye bye.
The singer wants to bid farewell to an unspecified entity.

Bye bye, baby, bye bye.
The artist reiterates their desire to bid farewell to the baby.

Bye bye, Birdie.
The artist bids farewell to the bird using the nickname 'Birdie'.

Now if you want to say goodbye to your girl I want to give you one or two little tips, yeah.
The singer advises someone on how to say goodbye to their significant other.

Say Bye bye, baby And then you say Bye bye, girl And then you say Get the suitcases, honey I don't want to see you, hear the words.
The singer suggests that the person should first say goodbye to the girl, then ask her to leave while they don't want to watch or listen.

Bye bye, bird.
The artist bids farewell to the bird.

Then say Bye bye, baby Bye bye, girl Mmm, not another word.
The artist suggests that the person should next say goodbye to the baby and the girl, and then refrain from speaking any further.

Bye baye, babe. Yeah, let's swing it on, now.
The artist bids farewell to the babe with the nickname 'Babe' and indicates a desire to move on with life.

Bye bye, baby.
The singer bids farewell to the baby.

Bye bye bye, baby, yeah.
The artist reiterates their desire to bid farewell to the baby.

Bye bye, girl.
The singer bids farewell to the girl.

I say bye bye, bird.
The singer bids farewell to the bird once again.

I say bye bye, baby.
The singer bids farewell to the baby once again.

I say bye bye.
The artist bids farewell to an unspecified entity once again.

Say bye bye.
The artist urges someone to bid farewell.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, WILLIE DIXON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS