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Dar Williams — I Saw A Bird Fly Away
Album: The Beauty of the Rain
Avg rating:
6.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 352









Released: 2003
Length: 2:44
Plays (last 30 days): 0
I asked the habitual partygoer just how high she thought she'd get,
And I asked the ethereal girls if they were floating yet

And so I asked the light of the day, what's this rush for heaven,
Then I saw a bird fly away, and I could not ask again.

The tabloid-tainted actress knows the myth of higher ground.
The thing she got from playing a nun she got from sleeping around.

And so I asked the light of the day, what's this rush for heaven,
Then I saw a bird fly away, and I could not ask again.

And I've been running uphill, panting, punching at the air,
Fighting what's been pushing me down, as if it's really there.

And so I asked the light of the day, what's this rush for heaven,
Then I saw a bird fly away, and I could not ask again.

And I saw all this climbing, climbing, just as far from heaven,
Then I saw a bird fly away, and I started climbing again.
Comments (51)add comment
great lyrics
 sfoster66 wrote:

The disharmony from the backing vocalist really kinda does this track in, I hate to say.  But on a far more positive note...just realized that Dar was in Cry Cry Cry...that Cold Missouri Waters track from them is superb...so she has done some great things...



She has done hundreds of great things, actually.  Both in her music and her activism.
The disharmony from the backing vocalist really kinda does this track in, I hate to say.  But on a far more positive note...just realized that Dar was in Cry Cry Cry...that Cold Missouri Waters track from them is superb...so she has done some great things...
 Pyro wrote:

Was that John Popper on harp?



What made you ask? I don't think I know him.
This is a great album (I think it is Dar's best), but there are other songs that are more worth playing, like Beauty of the Rain
bird poop
Dar used to live on our street.
more like bird food mealy mush pop yuck
dogpound wrote:
it's bird day
This set is for the birds. HaHa!!!
it's bird day
lunalein wrote:
... in my humble-free opinion.
Funny, mine come that way too.
So much of her other work is so much stronger.
Yup. This album's spotty at best.
FlatCat wrote:
Great song if it weren't for that tuneless noodling on the harmonica. Doesn't Popper have another riff besides the one he uses on every BT song?
TUNELESS NOODLING?!?!?!? no
FlatCat wrote:
Doesn't Popper have another riff besides the one he uses on every BT song?
I have to agree with that one. gride wrote:
Sounds like she listened to a few too many Jimmy Buffet songs.
That one, too.
janellish wrote:
something about it just doesn't sit right with me - can't get into it. a bit bland for my tastes.
It's from her blandest album, in my humble-free opinion. So much of her other work is so much stronger.
something about it just doesn't sit right with me - can't get into it. a bit bland for my tastes.
Great song if it weren't for that tuneless noodling on the harmonica. Doesn't Popper have another riff besides the one he uses on every BT song?
Sounds like she listened to a few too many Jimmy Buffet songs.
charlesryder wrote:
Love Dar! Me and my sweetie will be going to see her in State College, PA on 9/12. Just hope she doesn't go too pop and lose her identity.
Identity? And what should that be? Stevie Nicks wannabe?
NeilBlanchard wrote:
Hello: Neil
Thanks for the compliment on my good ears. However, I think Popper sounds like NO ONE ELSE, so to me, it's easy to distinguish his playing. Like Stevie Wonder...has a unique harmonica style all his own.
Leetzy wrote:
Horrible...
Or perhaps the exact opposite. ;-)
Horrible...
Hello: Pyro wrote:
Was that John Popper on harp?
You have good ears! Cclicking on the CD link yielded this credit:
3 - I Saw A Bird Fly Away (featured guests: John Medeski - keyboards; John Popper - harmonica, vocals)
Neil
Was that John Popper on harp?
I bought this CD after hearing Mercy of the Fallen here on Radio Paradise. My wife and 5 year old daughter absolutely love this song. I enjoy the CD and plan to buy more of Dar! Thank you again RP!
Not my favorite Dar song but a good one, nonetheless.
I haven't listened to RP in a few months, and after only 10 minutes of listening here comes one of those songs I have to mute everytime. This and a few too many other songs that just don't deserve the amount of rotation they get, are the reason I'm burnt out on RP after only a year of occasional (twice a week for a few hours) listening. Oh well looks like it's back to KFOG for now... :(
Not only is Dar a wonderfully gifted songwriter and performer, she is also a wonderful person who has a relationship with her fans unlike any I've seen before.
Overrated folkie diva
Love Dar! Me and my sweetie will be going to see her in State College, PA on 9/12. Just hope she doesn't go too pop and lose her identity.
Oh to see her perform this song live was awesome! Every song I\'ve heard that I wasn\'t quite sure if I liked was sent over to \"outstanding\" after seeing her perform them with an understated passion. Recommend it to anyone.
Well this is different. Not sure what I think yet.
Originally Posted by SDBob: Whew... for a moment I thought I was listening to another Gawd Awful Chrissie Hynde's song!!
??
Whew... for a moment I thought I was listening to another Gawd Awful Chrissie Hynde\'s song!!
Doubleplusungood!
Oh dear, how embarrassing, given all the scorn and abuse (Well actually no, not really) :roll: I generally like Dar, but I LOVE this
Love it...put me right into a much better mood. Dar has a wonderful, unique vocal style, and the different (for her) instrumentation really works.
Embarrassing! I don\'t imagine Dar is very proud of this one.
Sorry, but I reach for mute on this one, too kindergarden-school-song-sounding for me.
Sorry, really not very good at all! :( :(
Saw Dar play this song the other night on Conan O\'Brien. Her vocals were coming in and out because her head bobbed to the beat of the song. Sounded terrible. It\'s a little better on this studio version but not by much.
Saw Dar for the first time several years ago (\'96 maybe?), when she was opening for Patty Larkin in front of small coffeehouse crowd. Dar was fantastic, and Patty had an off night. Talked to her after the show, and she\'s every bit as nice as she comes across on stage. She did alienate a lot of her hardcore folkie fans, when she came out with Mortal City. It was a little more than they could handle (esp. \"As Cool As I Am\").
i was wondering if that was john popper on backup vocals/harmonica... seems likely since the previous song was blues traveler! anyone know for sure? -- just answered my own question. it is john popper.
Ugh. Laughably bad. Just thought I'd add that!
Dar is a great songwriter. And she\'s a total nerd live. I love it.
nice song...catchy beat.....pleasant to listen to on a dreary friday morning in january...play some more by this artist, si vous plait, merci