Three groups have recorded under the name "The Paragons".

1) The Par… Read Full Bio ↴Three groups have recorded under the name "The Paragons".

1) The Paragons was an influential rocksteady band from Kingston, Jamaica, operating in the 1960s.

2) The Paragons was a doo wop group perhaps best known for their 1957 single Florence.

3.) Charlotte, NC, '60s garage band. "I saw Abba late last night."

1) If you're familiar with the song "The Tide Is High" you probably know it as a huge hit for Blondie, but before Deborah Harry and company got a hold of it, it was a 1960s hit in for the Paragons. Formed in Kingston Jamaica, the Paragons were originally made up of Garth "Tyrone" Evans, Bob Andy, Junior Menz, and Leroy Stamp. In 1964, just before they broke big in Jamaica, Stamp was replaced by John Holt, and Menz (who left to join another Jamaican vocal group the Techniques) was replaced by Howard Barret. The early Paragons sound is heavily influence by American soul music and the singing is in the familiar tight, interlocking harmony style of Jamaican vocal trios and quartets of the early '60s. In 1964, the group caught the attention of legendary producer Coxsone Dodd who immediately brought the group to Jamiaca's famous Studio One and under the watchful eyes and ears of Duke Reid (who became the group's mentor) cut a succession of popular singles such as "Love At Last" and "Good Luck and Goodbye" for Reid's label Treasure Isle.

Not long after this first flush of success Bob Andy quit the group and the Paragons stopped recording as John Holt (who by this point had emerged as the group's leader) decided that the group should soften their soulful sound and go for a more root-heavy rock steady approach. It turned out to be a good idea as the Paragons became the most popular rock-steady vocal act in Jamaica and in Britain. But money problems, specifically issues over why the group wasn't rich after more than a dozen number one Jamaican hits, led to the band's breakup. Of the members only John Holt went on to have a significant solo career. Still, the Paragons recordings, including "The Tide Is High," are some of the most wonderful and sublime moments in Jamaican pop.

Yellow Bird
The Paragons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yellow bird, up a high banana tree
Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me

Did you lady friend leave the nest again?
That is very sad, makes me feel so bad
You can fly away, in the sky away
You're luckier than me

I once had a pretty girl, she's not with me today
They're all the same, them pretty girls
Leave the nest and then they fly away

Yellow bird, up a high banana tree
Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me

Did you lady friend leave her nest again?
That is very sad, makes me feel so bad
You can fly away, in the sky away
You're luckier than me

Wish that I was a yellow bird, I'd fly away with you
But I'm not a yellow bird, so here I sit
Nothing else to do

Yellow bird, up a high banana tree
Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me

Let her fly away
In the sky away
Winter's coming soon
Take from night to noon
Black and yellow you
Like banana too
They might pick you someday

Yellow bird

Yellow bird
Yellow bird

Overall Meaning

The Paragons' "Yellow Bird" is a melancholic song that tells the story of a man who feels abandoned by his lover. The song begins with a comparison between a yellow bird and the man, both sitting alone. The man specifically wonders if the yellow bird's lady friend has left the nest again, as his own girlfriend has seemingly done. The man expresses empathy for the bird as it can fly away and escape the loneliness that he cannot. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and heartache that comes from feeling abandoned and unable to move on.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the beauty and freedom of the yellow bird, with the man expressing his wish to be like the bird and fly away. The lyrics also suggest a sense of resignation as the man recognizes that he cannot change his situation. The repetition of the phrase "Yellow bird, up a high banana tree" creates a soothing melody that is juxtaposed with the sad lyrics of the song, giving it a bittersweet quality.

Line by Line Meaning

Yellow bird, up a high banana tree
Observes a yellow bird on a banana tree, high up in the sky.

Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me
Feeling lonely, compares self to the yellow bird's solitary existence.

Did you lady friend leave the nest again?
Asks if the bird's partner has left once more.

That is very sad, makes me feel so bad
Sympathizes with the bird's situation, feeling saddened.

You can fly away, in the sky away
Encourages the bird to fly away, to freedom.

You're luckier than me
Envious of the bird's ability to escape loneliness, wishes to fly away as well.

I once had a pretty girl, she's not with me today
Recalls a past relationship, laments its absence in present day.

They're all the same, them pretty girls
Believes pretty girls are all alike in leaving eventually.

Leave the nest and then they fly away
Referring to the girls, they leave and don't come back.

Wish that I was a yellow bird, I'd fly away with you
Wishes to be the yellow bird, to fly away with it.

But I'm not a yellow bird, so here I sit
Realizes they are not a bird and remains on the ground.

Nothing else to do
Bored and feeling stuck in life.

Let her fly away
Encourages loved ones to go and find their happiness, even if it means they have to leave.

In the sky away
Reiterates the idea of loved ones leaving and flying away instead of staying.

Winter's coming soon
Implies an impending feeling of sadness and loneliness that is associated with the winter season.

Take from night to noon
Referring to the repetitive nature of life, from night to day.

Black and yellow you
Describes the yellow bird's feathers and colors.

Like banana too
Alludes to the bird's liking of bananas, the fruit of the tree it is perched upon.

They might pick you someday
Refers to the possibility of being caught or captured, plucked from the tree.

Yellow bird, yellow bird, yellow bird
Reiterates the first line of the song, as if to emphasize the bird's importance and relevance.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Norman Luboff

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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