Their music is clearly influenced by bands like R.E.M., although their sound is distinctively brighter and janglier, featuring contrast-filled intrumentation and catchy and crisp hooks and unusual chord progressions, giving vivid life to Don McGlashan's lyrics, dominated by poetic imagery and everyday themes.
Their debut The Mutton Birds (1992) was followed by Salty in 1993. In 1995 a compilation of their two first albums, titled Nature, was released outside of New Zealand. Also around this time the first two albums were re-released within NZ as a box set entitled Box of Birds. After moving to England the band released Envy of Angels in 1996, and it is perhaps their strongest album in terms of songwriting and arrangements. After a limited-edition collection of singles and B-sides (Too Hard Basket) and a live album (Angle of Entry), they released Rain, Steam and Speed in 1999.
Flock - The Best of The Mutton Birds was later released in New Zealand and Australia.
A Thing Well Made
The Mutton Birds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As she makes the kids lunches
I oblige and quietly shut the front door as I leave
I drive into town before the fog lifts
I sell sporting goods
'Cause I've got a shop not far from Cathedral Square
I like to open up early
And daydream around the rods and reels
While their breakfast's still warm inside them
Go on have yourselves a look
I'm proud of my shop
Almost everything's from overseas
You won't find a better selection
Look at the way this gun fits the crook of your arm
To make a thing like that you'd need to know what you were about
You'd need to know where you were going
And go there in a straight line
And everything else you'd have to shut right out
Can you see the man who made that
Can you see him putting it down and standing back
Can you see the moment when he said
That's it
That's perfect
At a time like that
You wouldn't care about your job
Or your mortgage
Or the fight you had with your wife 'cause
When a man holds a thing well made
When a man holds a thing well made
There's connection
There's completeness
When a man holds a thing well made
When a man holds a thing well made
When a man holds a thing well made
When a man holds a thing well made
It's Wednesday
So I do the mail orders
There's nothing much
Some oilskins and a 303
For a hunter over in Westland
And oh yeah
One of those AK-47s
For some collector down the line
The Mutton Birds' song A Thing Well Made is a beautiful reflection on the value of hard work and craftsmanship. The song is told from the perspective of a man who owns a sporting goods shop in Christchurch, New Zealand. He takes great pride in his shop and the products he sells. As he leaves for work early in the morning, he notices his wife is in a bad mood and is wearing her "don't talk to me face." He quietly leaves the house, and the scene shifts to his shop.
The singer loves to open up the shop early so that the "fellas" can come in on their way to work and browse around. He takes great pleasure in showing them the different products, especially the guns. He admires the craftsmanship that goes into making a gun and marvels at the moment when the maker must have stood back and said, "That's it. That's perfect." He reflects that at moments like these, all of life's problems and stresses seem to fall away. Holding a thing that has been well made brings a sense of connection and completeness.
As the song progresses, the singer goes about his daily tasks, filling mail orders and selling his products. He notes that one of the items he sells is an AK-47 for a collector down the line. This line is significant because it highlights the contrast between the beauty of a well-made product and the potential danger of such a product in the wrong hands.
Overall, A Thing Well Made is a moving tribute to the value of hard work and the satisfaction that comes from creating or owning something that has been crafted with care and attention to detail.
Line by Line Meaning
She's wearing her don't talk to me face
She has her look of not wanting to be bothered while she makes the kids' lunches.
I oblige and quietly shut the front door as I leave
I leave without making any fuss out of courtesy.
I drive into town before the fog lifts
I leave early enough to catch the morning fog as I head to town.
I sell sporting goods
I run a shop that specializes in selling sports equipment.
'Cause I've got a shop not far from Cathedral Square
I chose this location because it's near Cathedral Square.
I like to open up early
I prefer to open my shop early in the morning.
So fellas can come in on their way to work
This allows men to come in before work.
And daydream around the rods and reels
They can look around the fishing equipment and imagine themselves using it.
While their breakfast's still warm inside them
They are still warm from eating their breakfast.
Go on have yourselves a look
Feel free to browse around and see what we have to offer.
I'm proud of my shop
I take great pride in the store I have built.
Almost everything's from overseas
Most of the inventory comes from other countries.
You won't find a better selection
This is the best place to find a wide variety of sporting goods.
Look at the way this gun fits the crook of your arm
Consider how perfectly this gun fits into your arm's bend.
To make a thing like that you'd need to know what you were about
Creating something of that caliber requires skill and expertise.
You'd need to know where you were going
You must have a clear idea in your mind of what you want to create.
And go there in a straight line
This requires single-minded focus and a clear path towards your goal.
And everything else you'd have to shut right out
All else fades away as you concentrate on the work at hand.
Can you see the man who made that
Imagine the person who created this masterpiece.
Can you see him putting it down and standing back
Imagine the sense of satisfaction he feels as he admires his work.
Can you see the moment when he said
Imagine the surprise and delight of the creator as he realized he had created something perfect.
That's it
He knows this is exactly what he wanted to make.
That's perfect
He recognizes that this is as good as it can possibly be.
At a time like that
When you've reached that level of perfection,
You wouldn't care about your job
Other concerns lose their importance in the face of such accomplishment.
Or your mortgage
Even financial pressures are forgotten, for a moment.
Or the fight you had with your wife 'cause
Even personal conflicts seem trivial compared to this moment of triumph.
When a man holds a thing well made
The proud sense of accomplishment that comes with creating something so perfect.
There's connection
A sense of connection with the object is formed, almost as if it has a life of its own and the creator is all it needs to be complete.
There's completeness
The object is precisely what the creator wanted it to be, and no flaws exist to detract from that satisfaction.
It's Wednesday
This is just another day in my routine.
So I do the mail orders
Taking care of the mail orders is part of my job.
There's nothing much
Today's mail orders are small and unremarkable.
Some oilskins and a 303
These are an oilskin jacket and a type of rifle ammunition.
For a hunter over in Westland
These items are being shipped to a hunter in Westland.
And oh yeah
I almost forgot to mention...
One of those AK-47s
A single AK-47 rifle is also included in today's orders.
For some collector down the line
This rifle is being sold to a collector for their personal collection.
Contributed by Alyssa S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.