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.
Wellington
The Mutton Birds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind it cuts right through you and it rains more than it should
But I'd be there tomorrow, if I only could
Oh I wish I was in Wellington
I wish I was in Wellington - the bureaucracy
The suits and the briefcases along Lambton Quay
The Harbour City Capital, the lights beside the sea
Oh I wish I was in Wellington
And me at the other end of the island
The problem is the gap - between us on the map
And there's no easy way to reconcile it
I wish I was in Wellington, the cafes and the bars
The music and the theatre, and the old Cable Car
And you can walk everywhere 'cause nowhere's very far
Oh I wish I was in Wellington
Oh I wish...
Oh I wish I was in Wellington, the wind it cuts right through
I wish I was in Wellington, there's so much more to do
I wish I was in Wellington, and you wish I was too
Oh I wish I was in Wellington, 'cause then I'd be with you
Oh I wish I was in Wellington, 'cause then I'd be with you
The Mutton Birds's song "Wellington" is a nostalgic ode to the capital city of New Zealand. The song highlights various aspects of Wellington, including its infamously bad weather, vibrant nightlife and cultural scene, and its role as the country's political and bureaucratic epicentre. The lyrics express a deep longing to be in Wellington despite the distance that separates the singer and the city, and a sense of frustration at the lack of an easy way to bridge the gap.
The first verse sets the scene with a lament about the weather, which is famously changeable in Wellington. The second verse references the city's political and bureaucratic institutions, its status as the capital and the hub of New Zealand's government. The third verse looks at the city's cultural side, referencing its lively music and theatre scene, the iconic Cable Car that runs from Lambton Quay up to Kelburn, and the compact size of the downtown area. All of these evocative details paint a vivid picture of a city that the singer deeply loves and misses.
The recurring chorus expresses the central theme of the song, which is the wishful yearning to be in Wellington. The sentiment is partly driven by missing a person who lives there, but it also seems to be more generally about the singer's love for the city itself. There is a sense of longing and wistfulness that is palpable in the song, which speaks to the emotional connection that many New Zealanders feel to the capital.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I was in Wellington, the weather's not so good
Despite the unfavorable weather, I want to be in Wellington
But I'd be there tomorrow, if I only could
I would be in Wellington as soon as possible if it were feasible
I wish I was in Wellington - the bureaucracy
I wish to be in Wellington, even with its corporate culture and business district
The suits and the briefcases along Lambton Quay
Wellington has many business people in suits and carrying briefcases on Lambton Quay street
The Harbour City Capital, the lights beside the sea
Wellington being the capital city with stunning lights adorning the harbor is a desirable location
It just isn't practical, you down in the capital
Practically speaking, it is complicated because one of us lives in the capital city
And me at the other end of the island
The long distance between us is a challenge
The problem is the gap - between us on the map
The geographical chasm is the main issue that prohibits our meeting easily
And there's no easy way to reconcile it
There is not a straightforward solution to bridge the gap between us
I wish I was in Wellington, the cafes and the bars
Wellington's abundance of cafes and bars is an attractive feature
The music and the theatre, and the old Cable Car
Wellington's music, theater, and the iconic old Cable Car are alluring
And you can walk everywhere 'cause nowhere's very far
Walking is a viable mode of transportation since the city's attractions are all nearby
I wish I was in Wellington, there's so much more to do
There are a lot of activities to do in Wellington that I wish to experience
And you wish I was too
The other person also wishes that we were together in Wellington
Oh I wish I was in Wellington, 'cause then I'd be with you
The ultimate reason for wanting to be in Wellington is to be together with the other person
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALAN GREGG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicole Smith
My old teacher taught us this song before she left and we all loved it!!! We still have the lyrics and we are gonna start singing it again!! Everyone misses our old teacher and we want her back soooo badly but at least we still have this song to remind us of her!!! :D
Adriana D'Ambrogio
My dream to visit this magical place, so I guess I can say I wish I was in Wellington, which also happens to be thrive of my life!
Adriana D'Ambrogio
name
Adriana D'Ambrogio
I love the comment of the old teach you love
Camelia Irwanti
Yes I was in Welington. Now i'm Back At My Home Country 👍👍
havanother1
Yep, the vid's getting a bit old now, but Welly can still turn it on, on a good day : )
allblacksrule1124
Its from a wellington band called the Mutton birds, Ross on drums, (wheres my beer wheres my coca)
snaleman
I thought they were Aucklanders? The songs about a girl he knew that moved to Welly.
hemi coupe
That guy driving Pete Jackson around in the 68 Pontiac firebird 400 -looks like a bit of a Ponce.
Lisa Lorenzen
Go to million subscribers I will luv u