The birdman of Alkatrash
Thee Sixpence Lyrics
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He flies overneath the bridge
He swoops down low
And picks me up
And carries me over the ridge
But somehow
I discovered his game
And he no longer seems to fly
That way
"Clever fellow, isn't he?"
"Yes, very clever."
But for now
I find it hard
To reason
With myself
And just in case
I can't conceive
Of anybody else
I tried and tried to make it clear that what I want is not real at all
"What kind of joint is this?"
The time has come
For me to see
Just how much
It means to me
To tell someone
Of what went on
Now that the bird man's gone
Even though you'll find it strange
All along the bird man really was me
The song "The Birdman of Alkatrash" by Thee Sixpence tells the story of a person's encounter with a mysterious birdman who helps them cross a ridge by flying them over it. The lyrics suggest that at first, the person was oblivious to the birdman's game and found it fascinating. However, eventually, they realized the truth and that the birdman was not real, leading to a realization that what they wanted was not real either.
The song also touches on the struggle of reasoning with oneself and the difficulty of explaining one's feelings to others. The person in the song finds it hard to think of anyone else who can relate to their experience, leaving them with a sense of isolation. But the time has come for them to confront their reality and tell someone what they have been going through, now that the birdman is gone. In the end, the person discovers that the birdman was actually a part of themselves, which adds a twist to the story.
Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of the complexities of our inner world, our ability to deceive ourselves, and the importance of confronting our insecurities and seeking support from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Everytime the bird man comes
Whenever I believe in the impossible and fantastical notions of the bird man's existence,
He flies overneath the bridge
He soars smoothly and effortlessly below the stone bridge,
He swoops down low
In a swift and elegant movement, he descends towards me,
And picks me up
He takes hold of me and carries me,
And carries me over the ridge
He carries me over the top of the mountain,
But somehow
Yet despite this delightful experience,
I discovered his game
I finally figured out his deceptive tactics,
And he no longer seems to fly
He is no longer able to fool me with his tricks,
Anymore
he has lost his charm, and every illusion vanished with it.
That way
I am no longer lured into believing this whimsical fancy ever again.
But for now
Yet for the moment,
I find it hard
I struggle with believing reality over fantasy,
To reason
To come to a logical conclusion,
With myself
To make peace with my own thoughts and emotions,
And just in case
In an attempt to alleviate my doubts,
I can't conceive
I cannot fully comprehend,
Of anybody else
Why nobody else can see and accept the truth,
I tried and tried to make it clear that what I want is not real at all
I attempted numerous times to clarify that my desires are not based on reality
The time has come
It is now the moment,
For me to see
For me to acknowledge and comprehend,
Just how much
The extent,
It means to me
Of its significance to me,
To tell someone
To disclose to an individual,
Of what went on
About the events that took place,
Now that the bird man's gone
Now that the illusion of the bird man has vanished,
Even though you'll find it strange
Despite how peculiar it might seem to you,
All along the bird man really was me
All this time, I was the one pretending to be the bird man and falling for my own act,
Contributed by Grace T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dertizos
The only problem with this song is that it deserves longer organ solos !!
Ray Howard
Yes it's awful, but in a good way! Such well crafted instrumentals. At age 14, I spun this single a lot, on both sides.
Enrique MacMalotov
I remember my older brother bringing home this single when I was little... I didn't realize until the '80s that this was the B-side of the single
socalesler
He flies down over the bridge!!! I remember palying this like crazy, even with a cracked single!!! Between this and the flip side of let it all hang out....what a sophomore year..and I lived in the bay area too.
parlet
Love this song!!!
Peter Emmert
This side has durability - it was even on the MCA reissue of the "Incense and Peppermints" 45 single!
htsand
why does everyone here dislike the song... when they are IN here LISTENING to it. i dont understand that. its awesome!!!!
Miscarriage of justice
Come fly with me.....
raceyboy
Even though you'll find it strange, all along the birdman really was me.
jsilence418
@ raceyboy is that Marlowe or Shakespeare ?