Song picture
Yellow Bird
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Single   $1
Album   $8
pop rock acoustic folk americana folk rock ukulele childrens music
Artist picture
Acoustic Folk Pop from sunny Santa Barbara!
Don't let the name fool you--this is no novelty act! With music that combines the soulfulness of James Taylor with the pop sensibilities of Jack Johnson, Ukulele Jim will treat you to an ear pleasing, heart stealing, joyful feeling good time! The combination of Jim's lilting voice with the sweetness of the ukulele are notable in catchy, emotive songs that bridge the gaps between Pop, Rock, Country and Folk music. From his home studio in Santa Barbara, California, James "Ukulele Jim" Clark uses the convenience of the Internet to work with talented musicians from all over the world, creating an international ‘virtual group' free from geographical boundaries. This collaborative freedom allows Jim to switch styles between acoustic solo pieces to songs with a full band sound. Ukulele Jim is also Santa Barbara's best-kept secret because his rise in ukulele music coincided with his starting a family which is currently keeping him relatively close to home. While his wife was pregnant with twins in 2005, Jim began learning the ukulele so his kids would grow up in a house that was always full of music. He is primarily self-taught, drawing from a large pool of influences such as George Harrison, James Hill, Boulder Acoustic Society, Barenaked Ladies, and The Magnetic Fields, just to name a few. The music that inspired Jim to choose the ukulele as his primary instrument was "The Cowboy Song" as sung by Tom Hanks in the movie "Joe vs. the Volcano". It was the first song he learned to play, and he's since recorded his own version for his kid-friendly album "Ukulele Jim's Jumping Flea Circus" released in 2010. When he's not recording or performing, Jim writes webcomics and graphic novels. He can usually be found busking for the crowds at comic book conventions.
Song Info
Genre
Acoustic Cover Songs
Peak in subgenre #57
Author
Norman Luboff, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman
Rights
Walton Music Corporation / Spirit Two Music
Uploaded
March 06, 2011
Track Files
MP3
MP3 2.2 MB 128 kbps 2:28
Story behind the song
As calypso music rose in popularity in the United States in the mid-1950s, the melody of the Haitian song "Choucoune" was adapted by Norman Luboff and new English lyrics were written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Although the lyrics of "Yellow Bird" bear no relation to those of the original, the words "ti zwazo" (little birds) are part of the chorus of "Choucoune." The song first appeared on the Norman Luboff Choir's Calypso Holiday album in 1957 and was subsequently covered by others and the title was cut on albums by the Mills Brothers, Roger Williams, and Lawrence Welk. Although the song was associated by Americans with the Caribbean, it was also recorded by the Hawaiian exotica Arthur Lyman Group in 1961. This version would be the only one to become a Top 40 pop hit (and it was Lyman's only Top 40 appearance as well) peaking at number 4 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100.
Lyrics
Yellow bird, high in banana tree. Yellow bird, sitting alone like me. Did your lady friend leave the nest again? That is very sad, makes me feel so bad. You could fly away, in the sky away. You more lucky than me. I once had me a pretty girl (she not with me today). They all the same, those pretty girls. They make their nest, then they fly away. Yellow bird, high in banana tree. Yellow bird, sitting alone like me. You should fly away, in the sky away. The picker's coming soon, he picks from night 'til noon. Black and yellow you, like banana too, they might pick you someday! I wish I were a yellow bird, I'd fly away with you. But I am not a yellow bird, so here I sit, nothing else I can do. Yellow bird. Yellow bird.
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