Has anyone else noticed that Andrew Bird's songs collectively act as an instruction booklet for the end times? Or is that just me? WELP. At least there will be snacks...
Andrew's line where he sings about the best lacking all conviction is a reference to 20th-century Irish poet W. B. Yeats’s warning of the oncoming bloodshed of the World Wars: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; *The best lack all conviction*, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Andrew Bird has to be one of the most well-read artists on the indie scene today and certainly doesn’t shy away from using his beautiful vocabulary in his songwriting. He’s a class all his own.
The poem is "The Second Coming" by Yeats. Written during interesting times, and now we're living in interesting times again. And the reference to "Catalonia" is the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, where many foreign nationals (Hemingway and Orwell among them) went to fight against Franco, the fascist dictator of Spain. "Homage to Catalonia" is George Orwell's memoir of his involvement.
This is the "Riders on the Storm" tune LEVEL... timeless, platinum. I think this song shows what would Psalms sound like in 'their' times, what emotional cargo is actually being carried by those ""dry, unrhymed, dull"" texts... God bless You Andrew Bird.
I'll never forget I bought Mysterious Production of Eggs in Record Town in the mall when it came out.. I picked it up randomly because of the cover art. When I heard the snippet of Nervous Tic Motion on the store's headphones I was like "damn, I've never heard anything quite as odd and rich as this." Since that time I've introduced so many people who've become big fans. Though admittedly many more people have found him now without my aid. ha. Bird=Legendary
Thanks to Mr. Bird, for not just this beautiful song, but for making me aware of the Spanish Civil War and the frightening parallels to our contemporary realities. I would encourage anyone that is concerned with classism, personal liberties, ineffective and overreaching government, and misinformation, to spend just an hour or 2, researching the Spanish Civil War.
Such a dire warning shrouded in a very casual, non-threatening song. A fantastic parallel to what is happening right now both melodically and lyrically.
@@danthompson5264 yeah Dan you've got some fuckin problems dude 😁 your like the kid in school that's really fucking weird and no body wants to help ya cause you don't want help. Your parents probably think your shit too😂 love this song
This is so powerful. "I'm keeping mine with the altruists I'm putting my weight behind the dancer I know it's hard to be an optimist When you trust least the ones who claim to have the answers"
The meaning seems clear to me. Bird means that the “mainstream sense making institutions” (as Eric Weinstein has called it) are self discrediting, no longer truthful or trustworthy, if they ever were. The media, the thought leaders, the political class, the Internet, are all presenting with a kind of facade of authority, which leaves many concerned and thoughtful people rudderless, with no means to discern fact or truth from fiction or narrative. But the dancer/altruists are still telling truth through art. While the rest of the thought leaders have lost heir minds in one way or another, there is a perineal group who isn’t swayed by the political winds. That art has an intrinsic truth to it which cannot be bastardized and manipulated. In essence, when the world has lost its mind, there is still truth in art. Always was, always will be.
"And the poets they explode like bombs,"...just wow. I have had this album since not long after its release and that lyric is one I just can't shake. Do yourself a solid everyone and buy the whole album, My Finest Work Yet. Start to finish, when I listen to this album, I feel like I am at a play that just happens to be made out of music (not a musical, it's something different). This album has joined my favorites of all-time. Thanks, Andrew Bird, on the odd chance you ever land here.
To me the most important verse of the song has to be "Catalonia in 1936". If you have time read George Orwell's book "Homage to Catalonia". Its his eye witness account of the Spanish civil war, which was a posturing ground for WWII. The amount of disinformation being spread led to no one being able to trust each other. He went to dinner one night with a comrade and the very next morning the allied militias they were members of declared each other "Fascist spies". 12 hours or so after enjoying dinner together they were literally shooting at one another. Chaos broke out in that city (which wasnt even close to the front lines), all because those militia leaders were vying for power, and the weapons they used were lies designed to make you mistrust your own friends and allies. The modern day parallel- the widening gap between left and right. The distrust between everyday people just because of who you voted for. Both side believing that the other is fundamentally immoral.
I think only few understand this reference (including me), so thank you for sharing this. It's exactly what's going on right now. The polarization is growing stronger everyday, we need people who see this and understand it's important to keep resisting the lies. We need bridge builders so much right now. The world can only thrive in unity.. We are all one
"Don't you worry 'bout the wicked. Don't you envy those who do wrong let your innocents be like the dawn whhile the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun."
Ah, this is the song that has most summed up our current era for me. But that's not why I love it. I love it because it's such a beautifully composed and realized song. Since I've heard this I've explored much of Andrew Bird's catalogue, and he's just such an incredible songwriter and musician. He is a major and significant artist.
When Andrew sings: "Don't you worry 'bout the wicked; Don't you envy those who do wrong; And your innocence will be like the dawn while the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun." He's quoting Psalm 37 from the Bible: "Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;" - Psalm 37:1 (NIV) "He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun." - Psalm 37:6 (NIV) Just thought that was interesting considering his reference to clergy in the video's description.
& what do you think about that? It's known well that Mr. Bird have the inclination to write songs with references from the Bible or even God. Which it's the case of Capsized, Heretics, or the album Hands of Glory. But, I don't know what he says about the religion. Did he say something about this themes in a interview?
Interesting! He also makes allusion to a Yeats poem, “The Second Coming.” “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
A very black and white portrait of the Spanish civil war. There was cruelty, violence, death on both sides. And the left was definitely not "principled" with all the massacres of religious people. That's war...
i randomly heard this song for the first time on a radio channel... god bless the dj for identifying the artist and song! absolute ear and soul candy ! I feel profoundly grateful for receiving this musical master peice especially apt for this crazy covert 19 viral madness drama!
WOW what an incredible song!!! Thank you for the beautiful voice, the 60’s feel and the great lyrics. Why isn’t this guy big? Radio plays nothing but recycled garbage. We need more real artists 🙏
This song is like the mood I'm in, when a good friend died and I'm out of the only black hole this typically brings with it and melancholy and the nostalgia of the memories of good times I had with this friend ignite some small, but very dedicated flame in the middle of the darkness, where happyness can grow again.
He plays the 🎻 with Heartfelt Soul, an Awesome Music Arrangement and Musicians. 🎹🎶🎵 The Graphics Guy at my previous job introduced me to this Masterpiece!
Well, I think it's a masterpiece. Haven't see/listen/read anything so touching and moving and thought provoking since a very long time. Bravo Monsieur Bird, all hidden Musicians and Filmmakers!
Took me straight back to Laurie Lee's 'As I walked out one mid-summer morning' which I read maybe forty years ago, probably more. If you haven't read it, Laurie recounts his walk as a young man from England to Spain in the 1930's, carrying just his violin, with the backdrop of Civil War along the way. This song echoes that journey perfectly.
Briefly had my poster signed at the symphony here in KC, MO! Felt so lucky my husband got to see him before he passed away from suicide. He fell in love w the music that night... love abd light can prevail
I remember seeing Andrew at the Bend Amphitheater and right before he played Bloodless he said he wished this song was obsolete by now lol Love this guy
Very good indeed. First time I have heard this but this is proper musicians playing a proper song. Knocks the stuffing out of most stuff in the charts. Keep at it Andrew.
Ahh! It's like David Axelrod and Marvin Gaye had a musical baby. I've enjoyed everything you've done, and all the genres you've hit since 06. You seem very adept at the adaptation of your own musical migration. Thanks for the music.
WTF...?!?!???? this guy, man! how he reinvents himself again and again...and then THIS!!!!!!! i dropped to my knees last night when i heard it for the first time.
Bloodless Verse 1 : They're profiting from your worry They're selling blanks down at the DMZ They're banking on the sound and fury Makes you wonder what it all's got to do with me Bloodless for now Verse 2 : I'm keeping mine with the altruists I'm putting my weight behind the dancer I know it's hard to be an optimist When you trust least the ones who claim to have the answers Bridge : And it's an uncivil war It's an uncivil war It's an uncivil war Bloodless for now And the poets, they explode like bombs (Bloodless for now) While the gentry is drinking Moet Chandon (Bloodless for now) Chorus : Turn around and quote a well known psalm Don't you worry 'bout the wicked Don't you envy those who do wrong And your innocence will be like the dawn While the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun Verse 3 : Well, the best lack all conviction And the worst keep sharpening their claws They're peddling in their dark fictions While what's left of us, well, we just hem and we haw Bridge : And it feels like 1936 In Catalonia In Catalonia Bloodless for now Bloodless for now And the poets, they explode like bombs (Bloodless for now) Drinking Moet Chandon (Bloodless for now)
For some reason this tune pops up n my "Surf"-style mix. A catch tune, but I never really listened to the words until it played just now. Brilliant. How perfect for the current times.
There is quite some bonobo in this song, isnt it? Got catched by one of your songs playing on the radio. It was instantly drawing my attention i couldnt focus on anything else anymore. what a lucky find! Intuitively i put it in the ''good old songs'' playlist until i realised its actually from 2016. I really enjoy your music!
Number one artist of our generation he's got a song for every mood every style and melodie a instrument can produce simply a one man band don't you go away on us any time soon
Possibly the ONLY song I've ever heard that references Orwell (Catalonia) 1936 and the Spanish civil war. Chomsky would be proud to hear the verses making modern day comparisons. Whether there's a direct inference to Orwell or i've implied it myself because of his book titled 'Catalonia' I still applaud the parallels. We DO have a thus far, relatively 'bloodless' war happening here in the US. Though militias and MAGA-hats are on the march, arming themselves for what they see as the coming race-war. Of course big corporations have spun it that way with Trump as carnival barker pushing racial divide and hate. Meet your neighbors, do the right thing instead of the easy thing, this country has seen many battles and it has endured, and will endure this as well.
@Non Compos Mentis You're putting a false definition of being left. Being leftist is about progressive changes, not preserving the current status quo. By your definition, conservatism is hypocritical because their "values" are not original.
Good work Mr. Bird -- just might be your finest yet. I also like the music video. Blurred faces (not yours). Many people staring into "smart" phones (what are they doing and sharing; are they doing it willingly and knowingly). Lady taking selfie photograph with "smart" phone (who/what is she sharing this with; is she doing it willingly and knowingly). So many micro-phones. So many phone/to/graphs. So much "face-time" being "booked-faced". Are who/what/they/it/us doing it willingly. Are who/what/they/it/us doing it knowingly. who/what are they/it, and when/where/why/ and how much, for what purpose. For better or for worse. To have and to hold. 'Till death do us part. What if we took a time out, a separation, a divorce. What if we swapped spouses. I'm unsure of this thing, if it would have a positive effect, or not. I do think it would be a heck of a thing, if a substantial number did; for now, catch this falling star and put it in our pocket; save it for a rainy day. From where are our apple eye-phones. Are they the fruits of Sir Isaac Newton and his giants' soldiers ("I Like Giants"); the fruits of the tree of G&E; are they both; are they something more (e.g. GE - General Electric); are they something less or neither... oh, my god (I don't believe this letter is disrespectful to not capitalize the "G", because god can handle, either way; it's sometimes maybe You and Me that can't handle.)... ... ... Lots of other good stuff. Manikin with balloon head lying down. To homeless person lying down. Art. (Can somebody please cite the art and maybe the photos? Like, the painting depicting the two men fighting with what look like sticks? Same for the paintings of ships and water and river? Chalk woman artwork? I'm curious about the images from 2:04 - 2:22, 4:24 - 4:43, 5:00 - 5:02, 5:47, and 6:13 - 6:15) I like right near the end where you sort-of look into the camera at us, briefly, aloofly, then away again, in your chair. Like I said, good work, no, great work. I have revised these comments multiple times. (or call them edits, oh semantics.)
If none of you have ever checked out the website "Genius (Lyrics)", it may be worth it. One person's take regarding the line "While what's left of us, well, we just hem & we haw" thinks of the possibility of the double-meaning in Ernest HEMingway (“For Whom the Bell Tolls”, the Spanish Civil War) and Nathaniel HAWthrone (“The Scarlett Letter”, active during the time leading up to the American Civil War, etc.). These might be a stretch, but they're a good stretch of somebody stretching their mind... ... ...
Can at least one person please comment on this post with their own original opinion. I will give you $20 if you do and you can meet me in person to receive the money.
And also when I wrote, asking someone to comment on this “post”, I really meant as a reply to mine, or sub-post, and as far as I can see, nobody has replied to this post of mine. I find that surprising. I still have $22 (at least) to give away. . .
Over time, by chance, I found at least one of the paintings (no thanks to any of you, other than contributors to Wikipedia). Here's a link to one by Pieter Bruegel the Elder performed in 1563: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_Bruegel_der_%C3%84ltere_-_Landschaft_mit_der_Flucht_nach_%C3%84gypten.jpg I thought I had found another of the landscapes done by Claude Lorrain en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Lorrain or possibly by Joseph Mallord William Turner en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._W._Turner, but I can't pin down the specific painting, so it may not have been those artists. If anybody knows the other paintings, like the one of what looks like men fighting with sticks (context would say it's likely a Spanish artist's painting), please share.
Gosh, one of my very most beloved artists, period. Not only the music oh so touching, reaching the deepest consciousnesses , but the words... oh the words... his music should be mandatory in elementary schools. We'd have a different, better nation with his education
Rich and beautiful. Word as art and a real respect for the listener. People are still making fine art folks. You just have to did more now. What a jem this is. Rich and beautiful.
Have always stood with Catalunya. Fraco's legacy still bleeds through Spain today. I've always thought that this current badministration in the US could never have happened if more people were still alive who knew, who recalled, the hell and dangers of fascism and WWII.( My father, RIP, was at Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Bulge. ) Perfect video for this song. When he hits that high note on 'Catalunya...' -- blissful and wistful. Thank you for posting.
right on brother, the wage of a war as we never have known... u continue to surprise me man. thanks to you. i can only hope toil i could have one half as much clarity and sincere conveyance of such deep truths in my own musical translations... well then, there, now... man... lol, a proverbial vertices of variability, musically, manifesting equally with both admiration and envy. we are listening, and the truth is appreciated. thanks, from Beau Ryan (Beau Ryan Music) (as inspired by andrew bird)
Really felt like listening to this album today for some reason.
The Poets explode bombs....
And today... and yesterday... and all weekend. This song is so spot on right now.
Has anyone else noticed that Andrew Bird's songs collectively act as an instruction booklet for the end times? Or is that just me? WELP. At least there will be snacks...
This has somehow become my favorite Andrew Bird song. Applause for always reinventing yourself, and your finest work yet!
When he sings Catalonia...brings tears to my eyes every time. So beautiful, poetic, and political.
Andrew's line where he sings about the best lacking all conviction is a reference to 20th-century Irish poet W. B. Yeats’s warning of the oncoming bloodshed of the World Wars:
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; *The best lack all conviction*, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
Andrew Bird has to be one of the most well-read artists on the indie scene today and certainly doesn’t shy away from using his beautiful vocabulary in his songwriting.
He’s a class all his own.
👏👏👏
Unlike anything else. I am blessesd and scared all at once. There is enough love to go around
The poem is "The Second Coming" by Yeats. Written during interesting times, and now we're living in interesting times again. And the reference to "Catalonia" is the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, where many foreign nationals (Hemingway and Orwell among them) went to fight against Franco, the fascist dictator of Spain. "Homage to Catalonia" is George Orwell's memoir of his involvement.
thanks for the clarification
Keen observation 👌
This is the "Riders on the Storm" tune LEVEL... timeless, platinum.
I think this song shows what would Psalms sound like in 'their' times, what emotional cargo is actually being carried by those ""dry, unrhymed, dull"" texts...
God bless You Andrew Bird.
I mean how can andrew bird not be your favorite artist at this point
I'll never forget I bought Mysterious Production of Eggs in Record Town in the mall when it came out.. I picked it up randomly because of the cover art. When I heard the snippet of Nervous Tic Motion on the store's headphones I was like "damn, I've never heard anything quite as odd and rich as this."
Since that time I've introduced so many people who've become big fans. Though admittedly many more people have found him now without my aid. ha. Bird=Legendary
yes
22 years and counting...
Right? Genius
No shit, honey! I just found out he's in New Orleans the 28th of April and I'm happy dancing. Finally, I get to see him in person.
The most underrated artist of all times
Thanks to Mr. Bird, for not just this beautiful song, but for making me aware of the Spanish Civil War and the frightening parallels to our contemporary realities. I would encourage anyone that is concerned with classism, personal liberties, ineffective and overreaching government, and misinformation, to spend just an hour or 2, researching the Spanish Civil War.
watching thr past few months and returning to this song. Even more prescient than 5 years ago- i fear the worst...
Such a dire warning shrouded in a very casual, non-threatening song.
A fantastic parallel to what is happening right now both melodically and lyrically.
James Dean check out his old song Beware - same idea of dire warning in a cute song
@@windowsforvista I have, and it's amazing.
and its still happening :/
I want to pour this song in a rocks glass and drink it slowly.
Precisely.
Doin that rn thank you😂
Dan T the hell is your Problem with this comment?
@@danthompson5264 yeah Dan you've got some fuckin problems dude 😁 your like the kid in school that's really fucking weird and no body wants to help ya cause you don't want help. Your parents probably think your shit too😂 love this song
you have it in bottle, it's called Johnnie Walker !
This song feels like hearing Picasso's painting of Guernica. Very powerful message.
Lillian Sanders yesssss!!!!!! Amazing
How rude. Don't insult a musician you don't know. He's a really good guy and just want people to hear his music and enjoy it.
@@charliefleener1409 actually that comment was praising the music
@@abacate4492 maybe they don't like Picasso that much lol
This is so powerful. "I'm keeping mine with the altruists
I'm putting my weight behind the dancer
I know it's hard to be an optimist
When you trust least the ones who claim to have the answers"
Just curious, what does that lyric mean to you?
The meaning seems clear to me. Bird means that the “mainstream sense making institutions” (as Eric Weinstein has called it) are self discrediting, no longer truthful or trustworthy, if they ever were. The media, the thought leaders, the political class, the Internet, are all presenting with a kind of facade of authority, which leaves many concerned and thoughtful people rudderless, with no means to discern fact or truth from fiction or narrative. But the dancer/altruists are still telling truth through art. While the rest of the thought leaders have lost heir minds in one way or another, there is a perineal group who isn’t swayed by the political winds. That art has an intrinsic truth to it which cannot be bastardized and manipulated.
In essence, when the world has lost its mind, there is still truth in art. Always was, always will be.
THIS!!!!!!!
This violin send me to Pluto every time. And I come back every time.
One of the most brilliant songs written in the 21st century
"And the poets they explode like bombs,"...just wow. I have had this album since not long after its release and that lyric is one I just can't shake. Do yourself a solid everyone and buy the whole album, My Finest Work Yet. Start to finish, when I listen to this album, I feel like I am at a play that just happens to be made out of music (not a musical, it's something different). This album has joined my favorites of all-time. Thanks, Andrew Bird, on the odd chance you ever land here.
It's not too often that I am completely blown away by a song. This just did it.
Bird wrote this material for 2019, but it seems even more relevant to 2020.
it's all but bloodless now, pal
...and now even more relevant in 2021.
There is a video on the making of this song with Andrew Bird. He said he wrote it after the 2018 elections...
Still relevant in 2024. Ugh. A new doomsday is always on the horizon it seems
This might be the best song Andrew Bird has made.
Perhaps even his Best Work Yet? 😏
To me the most important verse of the song has to be "Catalonia in 1936". If you have time read George Orwell's book "Homage to Catalonia". Its his eye witness account of the Spanish civil war, which was a posturing ground for WWII. The amount of disinformation being spread led to no one being able to trust each other. He went to dinner one night with a comrade and the very next morning the allied militias they were members of declared each other "Fascist spies". 12 hours or so after enjoying dinner together they were literally shooting at one another. Chaos broke out in that city (which wasnt even close to the front lines), all because those militia leaders were vying for power, and the weapons they used were lies designed to make you mistrust your own friends and allies.
The modern day parallel- the widening gap between left and right. The distrust between everyday people just because of who you voted for. Both side believing that the other is fundamentally immoral.
Clayton Amboy thanks for the recommendation-I’ve only read 1984 but will check it out
I think only few understand this reference (including me), so thank you for sharing this. It's exactly what's going on right now. The polarization is growing stronger everyday, we need people who see this and understand it's important to keep resisting the lies. We need bridge builders so much right now. The world can only thrive in unity.. We are all one
Heart Emojii
"Don't you worry 'bout the wicked. Don't you envy those who do wrong let your innocents be like the dawn whhile the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun."
Clayton Amboy thank you for sharing
Absolutely gorgeous. I've just now found you.. am glad I did.
Outstanding lyrics and of course Andrew Bird voice and instrumentation; he has an amazing vibrato!
I finally understand the meaning behind this song, sad to say.. Sends chills down my spine.
Who are you Bird? You take us to the in-between space . Merging, disappearing boundar I es...
Flying soaring roaming.
Thank you dear, dear Mr. Bird
Ah, this is the song that has most summed up our current era for me. But that's not why I love it. I love it because it's such a beautifully composed and realized song. Since I've heard this I've explored much of Andrew Bird's catalogue, and he's just such an incredible songwriter and musician. He is a major and significant artist.
When Andrew sings:
"Don't you worry 'bout the wicked;
Don't you envy those who do wrong;
And your innocence will be like the dawn
while the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun."
He's quoting Psalm 37 from the Bible:
"Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;" - Psalm 37:1 (NIV)
"He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun." - Psalm 37:6 (NIV)
Just thought that was interesting considering his reference to clergy in the video's description.
& what do you think about that? It's known well that Mr. Bird have the inclination to write songs with references from the Bible or even God. Which it's the case of Capsized, Heretics, or the album Hands of Glory. But, I don't know what he says about the religion. Did he say something about this themes in a interview?
Interesting! He also makes allusion to a Yeats poem, “The Second Coming.”
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
The clergy misuse the bible. You can quote the bible and disagree with those that used the scriptures for personal gain.
Nate Spanos fascinating!
Clergy and the Bible are two different things.
Excellent track. Beautiful string arrangements.
Thanks for the remembrance of what happened in Catalonia and Spain, and in the form of such great song.
A very black and white portrait of the Spanish civil war. There was cruelty, violence, death on both sides. And the left was definitely not "principled" with all the massacres of religious people. That's war...
i randomly heard this song for the first time on a radio channel... god bless the dj for identifying the artist and song!
absolute ear and soul candy !
I feel profoundly grateful for receiving this musical master peice especially apt for this crazy covert 19 viral madness drama!
Been listening to Bird for almost 16 years!!! ❤️ Never stop man.
really cool, love the part in the middle
You have all my respects creating this song, Andrew. Greetings from Barcelona.
WOW what an incredible song!!! Thank you for the beautiful voice, the 60’s feel and the great lyrics. Why isn’t this guy big? Radio plays nothing but recycled garbage. We need more real artists 🙏
They played this a lot on The Current in Minnesota. Awesome song.
Gracias por acordarte de nosotros. Un abrazo desde España.
This song is like the mood I'm in, when a good friend died and I'm out of the only black hole this typically brings with it and melancholy and the nostalgia of the memories of good times I had with this friend ignite some small, but very dedicated flame in the middle of the darkness, where happyness can grow again.
...brilliant as always. The violin at the end, perfection.
He has such a unique style to the way he plays his violin. Absolute perfection.❤
He plays the 🎻 with Heartfelt Soul, an Awesome Music Arrangement and Musicians. 🎹🎶🎵
The Graphics Guy at my previous job introduced me to this Masterpiece!
Well, I think it's a masterpiece. Haven't see/listen/read anything so touching and moving and thought provoking since a very long time.
Bravo Monsieur Bird, all hidden Musicians and Filmmakers!
Took me straight back to Laurie Lee's 'As I walked out one mid-summer morning' which I read maybe forty years ago, probably more. If you haven't read it, Laurie recounts his walk as a young man from England to Spain in the 1930's, carrying just his violin, with the backdrop of Civil War along the way. This song echoes that journey perfectly.
Thanks for the rec!
This is one hell of a master piece.
Wow !!! I am a fan from Seoul. I'm Waiting for the live concert in Seoul. 😀 Bloodless music is dreamlike and fantastic.
Briefly had my poster signed at the symphony here in KC, MO! Felt so lucky my husband got to see him before he passed away from suicide. He fell in love w the music that night... love abd light can prevail
If it weren't from the 1936 graphic at 3:36 I definitely would have thought he said 1956 for the rest of my life.
I was also very confused by the graphic, but I still believe he sings 56 though... [stubborn]
Sammmmme
Well... It just gets better and better. Andrew Bird you are my musical obsession.
i normally stick to harsher sounds but i think this song awakened a love for calmer music in me.
How this did not get picked up and played all over is a mystery to me…..utter brilliance
Well put Mr. Bird. Thank You!!
Thanks for keeping the legend that is Sound City alive by recording your album there.May it live for 100 years or more! :)
I remember seeing Andrew at the Bend Amphitheater and right before he played Bloodless he said he wished this song was obsolete by now lol
Love this guy
You are a really brilliant Artist. Merci.
One of my favorites artists : Andrew Bird. OUI!
This song is getting me through some really bad times and bad circumstances 🙏🏻
A wondeful musician with his very own style
Love, LOVE LOVE , got that Thievery Corporation vibe 💜💜💜😎
Very good indeed. First time I have heard this but this is proper musicians playing a proper song. Knocks the stuffing out of most stuff in the charts. Keep at it Andrew.
My god. Marvin Gaye's ghost just visited Andrew Bird. This is incredible.
Ahh! It's like David Axelrod and Marvin Gaye had a musical baby. I've enjoyed everything you've done, and all the genres you've hit since 06. You seem very adept at the adaptation of your own musical migration. Thanks for the music.
WTF...?!?!???? this guy, man! how he reinvents himself again and again...and then THIS!!!!!!! i dropped to my knees last night when i heard it for the first time.
Danielle Brown Still, somehow, he never left his own, unique track. He evolves, fed by his heritage.
Living in México, I'm often a day late and a peso short. But. Wow! That's all I can say. Andrew Bird! Better late than never . . .
Dude I can't believe I missed this song for two years. It came up random on my Timber Timbre Pandora Station.
This entire album is a masterpiece! An extremely mature work! Bravo!
His musics and including this too, makes my anxiety vanish. His musics like a healer.
If we don't all wake up, we can't even begin to know how prescient this is. Kudos Andrew!
This song is so special. Andrew Bird is an amazingly talented musician.
Bloodless
Verse 1
:
They're profiting from your worry
They're selling blanks down at the DMZ
They're banking on the sound and fury
Makes you wonder what it all's got to do with me
Bloodless for now
Verse 2
:
I'm keeping mine with the altruists
I'm putting my weight behind the dancer
I know it's hard to be an optimist
When you trust least the ones who claim to have the answers
Bridge
:
And it's an uncivil war
It's an uncivil war
It's an uncivil war
Bloodless for now
And the poets, they explode like bombs
(Bloodless for now)
While the gentry is drinking Moet Chandon
(Bloodless for now)
Chorus
:
Turn around and quote a well known psalm
Don't you worry 'bout the wicked
Don't you envy those who do wrong
And your innocence will be like the dawn
While the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun
Verse 3
:
Well, the best lack all conviction
And the worst keep sharpening their claws
They're peddling in their dark fictions
While what's left of us, well, we just hem and we haw
Bridge
:
And it feels like 1936
In Catalonia
In Catalonia
Bloodless for now
Bloodless for now
And the poets, they explode like bombs
(Bloodless for now)
Drinking Moet Chandon
(Bloodless for now)
For some reason this tune pops up n my "Surf"-style mix. A catch tune, but I never really listened to the words until it played just now. Brilliant. How perfect for the current times.
There is quite some bonobo in this song, isnt it? Got catched by one of your songs playing on the radio. It was instantly drawing my attention i couldnt focus on anything else anymore. what a lucky find! Intuitively i put it in the ''good old songs'' playlist until i realised its actually from 2016. I really enjoy your music!
the end of this song is so amazing!
Found this masterpiece and now a fan of this guy after stumbling into this song on the radio, listening to public radio
As if this song wasn't hitting enough already -- then come the strings. Nice.
Wow - finally someone is singing about this! It's hard to know what to do next.....
How this song is not playing everywhere can not be explained
Profound, intense, relevant and affecting. And as it happens, great music too! An anthem and a prayer.
Number one artist of our generation he's got a song for every mood every style and melodie a instrument can produce simply a one man band don't you go away on us any time soon
Beautiful master piece!!
I was hopeless today, but not anymore
i'm still hopeless. But at least there's kindred spirits and good music to listen to while the ship goes down.
Sorry for your loss
Thank you Andrew, you set the bar... high and true! Bravo!
Possibly the ONLY song I've ever heard that references Orwell (Catalonia) 1936 and the Spanish civil war. Chomsky would be proud to hear the verses making modern day comparisons. Whether there's a direct inference to Orwell or i've implied it myself because of his book titled 'Catalonia' I still applaud the parallels.
We DO have a thus far, relatively 'bloodless' war happening here in the US. Though militias and MAGA-hats are on the march, arming themselves for what they see as the coming race-war. Of course big corporations have spun it that way with Trump as carnival barker pushing racial divide and hate.
Meet your neighbors, do the right thing instead of the easy thing, this country has seen many battles and it has endured, and will endure this as well.
@Non Compos Mentis You're putting a false definition of being left. Being leftist is about progressive changes, not preserving the current status quo. By your definition, conservatism is hypocritical because their "values" are not original.
And yet we are right back there again. Wtf America
@@kbwalshful Stupid people in large numbers are dangerous. Buy a helmet, keep your head down, and your powder dry.
Good work Mr. Bird -- just might be your finest yet.
I also like the music video. Blurred faces (not yours). Many people staring into "smart" phones (what are they doing and sharing; are they doing it willingly and knowingly). Lady taking selfie photograph with "smart" phone (who/what is she sharing this with; is she doing it willingly and knowingly).
So many micro-phones. So many phone/to/graphs. So much "face-time" being "booked-faced". Are who/what/they/it/us doing it willingly. Are who/what/they/it/us doing it knowingly. who/what are they/it, and when/where/why/ and how much, for what purpose. For better or for worse. To have and to hold. 'Till death do us part. What if we took a time out, a separation, a divorce. What if we swapped spouses. I'm unsure of this thing, if it would have a positive effect, or not. I do think it would be a heck of a thing, if a substantial number did; for now, catch this falling star and put it in our pocket; save it for a rainy day. From where are our apple eye-phones. Are they the fruits of Sir Isaac Newton and his giants' soldiers ("I Like Giants"); the fruits of the tree of G&E; are they both; are they something more (e.g. GE - General Electric); are they something less or neither... oh, my god (I don't believe this letter is disrespectful to not capitalize the "G", because god can handle, either way; it's sometimes maybe You and Me that can't handle.)... ... ...
Lots of other good stuff. Manikin with balloon head lying down. To homeless person lying down. Art. (Can somebody please cite the art and maybe the photos? Like, the painting depicting the two men fighting with what look like sticks? Same for the paintings of ships and water and river? Chalk woman artwork? I'm curious about the images from 2:04 - 2:22, 4:24 - 4:43, 5:00 - 5:02, 5:47, and 6:13 - 6:15) I like right near the end where you sort-of look into the camera at us, briefly, aloofly, then away again, in your chair. Like I said, good work, no, great work.
I have revised these comments multiple times. (or call them edits, oh semantics.)
If none of you have ever checked out the website "Genius (Lyrics)", it may be worth it. One person's take regarding the line "While what's left of us, well, we just hem & we haw" thinks of the possibility of the double-meaning in Ernest HEMingway (“For Whom the Bell Tolls”, the Spanish Civil War) and Nathaniel HAWthrone (“The Scarlett Letter”, active during the time leading up to the American Civil War, etc.). These might be a stretch, but they're a good stretch of somebody stretching their mind... ... ...
Can at least one person please comment on this post with their own original opinion. I will give you $20 if you do and you can meet me in person to receive the money.
It’s only me
And also when I wrote, asking someone to comment on this “post”, I really meant as a reply to mine, or sub-post, and as far as I can see, nobody has replied to this post of mine. I find that surprising. I still have $22 (at least) to give away. . .
Over time, by chance, I found at least one of the paintings (no thanks to any of you, other than contributors to Wikipedia). Here's a link to one by Pieter Bruegel the Elder performed in 1563: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_Bruegel_der_%C3%84ltere_-_Landschaft_mit_der_Flucht_nach_%C3%84gypten.jpg
I thought I had found another of the landscapes done by Claude Lorrain en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Lorrain or possibly by Joseph Mallord William Turner en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._W._Turner, but I can't pin down the specific painting, so it may not have been those artists.
If anybody knows the other paintings, like the one of what looks like men fighting with sticks (context would say it's likely a Spanish artist's painting), please share.
So clean... Love the groove.. Love the scripture. Peace & Blessings
Te conoci por Spotify y la verdad no me arrepiento ... CRAAACKK 👏👏👏👏
Gosh, one of my very most beloved artists, period. Not only the music oh so touching, reaching the deepest consciousnesses , but the words... oh the words... his music should be mandatory in elementary schools. We'd have a different, better nation with his education
More music/artists like this song please??
Rufus Wainwright
Tindersticks
miguel leandro thank u!!!!💓
😉🎶
Rich and beautiful. Word as art and a real respect for the listener. People are still making fine art folks. You just have to did more now. What a jem this is. Rich and beautiful.
You're walking in my shoes now, Andrew!
Man basically called 2020 lol
Damn, came back for the same reason.
I came here to say this but I knew in my heart it has already been said.
right! good thing Biden is going to lose
@@carlah6234 You're the kind of person he was talking about in this song, smh
@@caffeinator1849 You so sure? CS
Such a meaningful song and video. Great work!
I'm curious to the album cover and song title why it has a strong resemblance to Bloodhail by Have a Nice Life 🤔they're both great songs
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Marat
The band is going to blow up.
Great sound, keep it up.
“War happens when you have enough peace for more.”
,dan’ the silent letters stood me up one at a time
Adventure, jamming to Bird vibes with adventure 🤘
Espectacular!!!!
Came here after seeing the headlines coming out of Spain. May you all find peace and resolution in the conflicts that bring you unrest.
Have always stood with Catalunya. Fraco's legacy still bleeds through Spain today. I've always thought that this current badministration in the US could never have happened if more people were still alive who knew, who recalled, the hell and dangers of fascism and WWII.( My father, RIP, was at Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Bulge. ) Perfect video for this song. When he hits that high note on 'Catalunya...' -- blissful and wistful. Thank you for posting.
Comming back to "Beetleanians "sounds.. Sound powerful and good. Thanks . Powerful POP is the best .
Very powerful tracks. Everything I like is in it, a message, a voice, a melody, an orchestration and a real good feeling.
Gorgeous video & song shot in my favorite city.
Gracias, Andrew, por algo tan maravilloso. Muchas gracias.
right on brother, the wage of a war as we never have known... u continue to surprise me man. thanks to you. i can only hope toil i could have one half as much clarity and sincere conveyance of such deep truths in my own musical translations... well then, there, now... man... lol, a proverbial vertices of variability, musically, manifesting equally with both admiration and envy. we are listening, and the truth is appreciated.
thanks,
from Beau Ryan (Beau Ryan Music)
(as inspired by andrew bird)
Giving me Riders On The Storm vibes, puts me in a good state of mind. Beautiful song❤️