Song Lyric Sunday – Songbird

The prompt from Jim this week is to find a song that features the affectionate animal prompts of Bird/Cat/Dog/Fish/Pet.

---

The first song that came to mind for me is “Songbird” written and performed by Christine McVie of the band Fleetwood Mac. McVie is one of the three vocalists in the band and also serves as their keyboardist. She is known for her contralto voice and her powerful lyrics.

The song was written in 1976 and released as the B-side of the single “Dreams”. It was released in 1977 on the “Rumors” album and is often used to close out their concerts. There are a few stories floating about the meaning of the song, but it has been said the song got the band through some of their most trying times.

This song is often sung at weddings as well as funerals the words far-reaching in their simplicity.

“Songbird” came to Christine in the middle of the night when she woke with the song in her head. She wrote the entire song in half an hour and knew it was a powerful song. From Songfacts.com:

She recalled to Mojo in 2015: “Stevie and I were in a condominium block and the boys were all in the Sausalito Record Plant house raving with girls and boozer and everything. I had a little transistorised electric piano next to my bed and I woke up one night at about 3.30am and started playing it. I had all, words, melody, chords in about 30 minutes. It was like a gift from the angels, but I had no way to record it. I thought I’m never gonna remember this. So I went back to bed, and couldn’t sleep. I wrote the words down quickly.”

“Next day, I went into the studio shaking like a leaf’ cos I knew it was something special. I said, ‘Ken, (Caillat, Rumours‘ co-producer/engineer) put the 2-track on, I want to record this song!’ I think they were all in there, smoking opium.”

This song was also recorded by American singer Eva Cassidy and was released posthumously on the album of the same name “Songbird”. Her soprano voice was a perfect instrument for this song. The story of Eva Cassidy is a sad one but thankfully her voice lives on. If you do not know her work, please listen to some of her music. She has a hauntingly beautiful voice.

Songbird (Fleetwood Mac Version)
Lyrics from: Songfacts.com

For you, there’ll be no more crying.
For you, the sun will be shining.
And I feel that when I’m with you,
It’s alright, I know it’s right.

To you, I’ll give the world.
To you, I’ll never be cold.
‘Cause I feel that when I’m with you,
It’s alright, I know it’s right.

And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score.
And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before.

And I wish you all the love in the world.
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing, like they know the score
And I love you, I love you, I love you
Like never before, like never before, like never before.

---

Why not join in on this Sunday blogging ritual. Head over to Jim Adams’ blog to check out the rules and read some of the great responses to the weekly prompt.