Aldous Harding - What If Birds Aren't Singing They're Screaming Lyrics






What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
I got high, I thought I saw an angel
But he was just a ghost
He was making wooden posts out of my family

What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
What if birds aren't singing they're screaming

What if my moon gets caught up in my waning
Trapped under a sky left blacker than the eyes of my visitors

What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
What if birds aren't singing they're screaming

I got high, I thought I saw an angel
But it was just a ghost heaving under his cloak

What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
What if birds aren't singing they're screaming





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Aldous Harding What If Birds Aren't Singing They're Screaming Comments
  1. M.... L....

    Brilliant of course.

  2. c.... ....

    I think this was the video that sealed the deal, on my new found love for her.
    She's become my favorite of all time. Fucking love her.

  3. S.... P....

    I think she would be a great Polly Peachum. Probably wake up Lotte Lenya from the grave :)

  4. I.... F....

    "Blacker than the eyes of my visitors", after she’s finished with them maybe.

  5. D.... J....

    She treads this amazing thin line between grotesque and beautiful. Is she bleating? Is she singing? Is she having a seizure? Meanwhile she asks a really good question

  6. m.... j....

    God i luv her/ lol

  7. E.... T....

    Je l'adore, je l'écoute en boucle...Par contre, difficile à regarder tant elle grimace

  8. K.... ....

    Neither singing or screaming.

  9. E.... R....

    Sorry to be so anal here, but it is early hours of the morning, and I've read several stories in grammatically incorrect newspapers today, written by people who write for a living, and thus should know better.
    To the point then; The title of this piece is not even close to correct despite being off target by only a few letters. Consequently, it fails to depict the meaning implied within the song. This seems to be a recurrent theme on YouTube, which is understandable if Copyright is breached, but just sad when (C) isn't an issue. Our children learn their use of English on here, and similar sites, so there is some need to not just write stuff without any care for accuracy and/or the capture of implied meaning.
    For the current song, the title suggests that, if birds are not singing, then they are screaming, This title, taken as a statement, is nonsensical. It suggests that the song delivers a statement to the effect that, when birds are not singing, then they are screaming. If this were a true statement, then birds would very quickly get sore throats. Followed to its conclusion, I would say that by observation of behaviour of birds, If Birds are not singing, then they are eating, drinking, sitting quietly, etc. Or, more in keeping with the lyrics, and the likely meaning within the songs lyrics, I would simply quote the lyric itself, "What if birds aren't singing, they're screaming"?
    It seems likely that bird-song is a territorial shout-out to potential adversaries, to say something like, "this is my patch mate, so p*s$ off somewhere else and build your nest there, else-wise I'll have to kick yer ass!" It's very unlikely they do it because of the pleasing sounds they make...

  10. M.... ....

    Miranda sings vibes

  11. P.... X....

    Aldous....you are the perfect blend......^^

  12. D.... S....

    Note to self: Don't get high.

  13. C.... C....

    Why the long face?

  14. 5.... W....

    good editing on this video.

  15. D.... K....

    The wicked witch of the west has reinvented herself

  16. J.... M....

    Fuck her voice is so haunting and controlled

  17. W.... L....

    shes terrifying
    shes perfect
    like a tiger hiding in tall grass
    .... or a spider web in your car window

    W.... L....

    Cool description.,

    W.... L....

    hahahahhahahahahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahahhaa fuckn HAAAH

    W.... L....

    I don’t find her creepy or unsettling at all. I love watching her live stuff!

    W.... L....

    @Emme Cee me too love watching her live grit her teeth or hold a note like it hurts

  18. L.... V....

    Woooow. I listened to her song Horizon from Wentworth. I had to look her up cause her voice totally mesmorized me. She's amazing and so talented.❤

  19. d.... l....

    Having just listened to a fascinating thing on radio 4 regarding bird calls, turns out..... They are screaming.....she knows her shit.

  20. c.... ....

    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
    I got high, I thought I saw an angel
    But he was just a ghost
    He was making wooden posts out of my family
    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
    What if my moon gets caught up in my waning
    Trapped under a sky left blacker than the eyes of my visitors
    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
    I got high, I thought I saw an angel
    But it was just a ghost heaving under his cloak
    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming
    What if birds aren't singing they're screaming

  21. d.... ....

    she should do acting ( movies )

    d.... ....

    she is acting

    d.... ....

    @Karl nope

  22. N.... D....

    I love her art.

  23. M.... D....

    Dietrich/Piaf... she's already timeless.

  24. R.... ....

    what a rare phenomenon she is. it's a cause for celebration.

  25. C.... R....

    A bit like Marlene Dietrich!! Love it.

  26. S.... B....

    Staggering & Beautiful

  27. J.... S....

    Aldous must be getting some good shit! 😃

  28. J.... S....

    I think she's right actually. 🤔

  29. R.... ....

    My favourite shade of cra'y

  30. M.... ....

    what a beautiful song

  31. L.... M....

    Shower Thoughts...

  32. v.... d....

    so wonderful and classy, amazing song!😍 does anyone know which kind of epiano this is? sounds great

  33. A.... B....

    This is totally all consuming, I love it

  34. R.... W....

    This is a breath of fresh air!

  35. J.... S....

    so powerful...

  36. J.... S....

    Her music will be appreciated far longer than she knows...

  37. J.... S....

    I love her! Well not actually in love with Hannah but actually her music and art. So perfect and beautiful.

  38. J.... S....

    Perceptions... what if what we think is a beautiful expression is something terrible or sad?

  39. S.... t....

    She is singing and screaming at the same time and good actor too

  40. g.... R....

    Most bird song is used as a territorial display. Perhaps it actually is closer to screaming.

  41. J.... C....

    Fascinating ,what a voice ,great songs ,new fan here.

  42. M.... J....

    Only discovered this artist today but she’s a little like Regina Spektor. Her track “Beast” is brilliant. Love the lyrics. Not too keen on this one though. Going to check out some more.

  43. S.... S....

    she's a juwel....

  44. v.... ....

    Una canzone così, cantata così, non succede spesso; entra nelle ossa e ti attraversa, è nata una stella.

  45. L.... G....

    anyone know what the chords are for this song?

    L.... G....

    I might have got the studio version by ear.
    there are two chord lines that intertwine throughout the song.
    repeat
    Dm F G G/A
    switch for the first time at "he was making wooden" to
    C Em F G
    from that point on the two switch frequently.. try to figure out the rest of the changes by ear.
    Hope this helped :)

    L.... G....

    Ok. Maybe the live version is something like
    C Em F Em7/G (just like before)
    And then
    F Em F Em
    F Em F Em7/G
    And obviously many 7s and maj7s all around
    ("It's a thought")

  46. S.... B....

    No Aldous your the Angel with an Angelic voice

  47. G.... G....

    Kevin Coyne ... yeah?

    G.... G....

    Ged Gray wow good call ,

  48. D.... F....

    A cross between Piaf and Christine Hynde

    D.... F....

    and Jeff Buckley

  49. D.... F....

    This version is so much better than the album version

  50. D.... F....

    Love this

  51. D.... H....

    She looks like she shit her pants

    D.... H....

    the world really needed this little tid bit of your inner monologue - cheers!

  52. W.... ....

    Awesome

  53. m.... ....

    Gena- Woman under the influence

  54. T.... ....

    Aldous is the best new artist 4AD has signed in a long time and that's saying something as they have a lot of great artists... I love how powerful her songs are with such minimalism. She just lets the unspeakable energetic flow of creativity flow through her unfiltered. So beautiful. This could be the theme song for the fight against climate change...

    T.... ....

    climate change?, wake up, rebel against NWO, otherwise you won't be singing, you'll be screaming.

  55. N.... O....

    WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!

  56. K.... R....

    this is such a perfect song

  57. G.... N....

    I love how she acts as she sings ... she entirely consumes herself in her work.

    G.... N....

    for me it appears as if she is a crystal-meth consumer (irises dilated). beautiful one, though

    G.... N....

    @krllr she isn't. she has described her odd expressions as good for the music, outside of singing she behaves ''normally''

    G.... N....

    @krllr do you know for sure??????

  58. D.... ....

    I think she's a talented woman (and the name of this song is brilliant) but I can't take all of the weird voices she does in her songs. Whether she's doing a weird low-range foreign accent or a high-pitched child-like voice, it's all just a little too much for me. Maybe it has to grow on you over time. I've only heard a few of her songs. For now I'll stick with Courtney Barnett as my favorite female Aussie singer. I'm glad there's a market for what Aldous is doing. It's a lot more interesting than most of the auto tuned BS pop songs out there that are usually sung by someone pretty who didn't even write it.

    D.... ....

    DaveCo777 She's from New Zealand. Courtenay Barnett would be your favourite Aussie either way.

    D.... ....

    They're a few thousand miles apart, but for some reason in my mind they're practically the same place. Like if I was visiting in Australia I could just pop over to New Zealand for lunch on a dingy with an outboard motor. (In reality it's like going from New York to Los Angeles with nothing but ocean underneath.)

    D.... ....

    No Dave. You are wrong

  59. A.... M....

    No Aldous they are in fact singin<3

    A.... M....

    I wouldn't bet on it.

    A.... M....

    @Julian Andres Ikr?

  60. j.... s....

    On which cd is this song?

    j.... s....

    This is on her new cd "Party", due out in May.

  61. n.... ....

    what's up with her faces?

    n.... ....

    Many singers and musicians like this are a little odd or eccentric; some are even on the autistic spectrum and are socially awkward and unaware of the oddness of their expressions and mannerisms. They express themselves through the music and aren't concerned with how they appear to an audience. Aldous, Ladyhawke, and Aurora are all singers I would tentatively place on the autistic spectrum; others, like Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, Kate Bush and Tori Amos, are at least eccentric and possibly also neurodivergent in some way.

    n.... ....

    @n2tattoos eat more fruit

    n.... ....

    @n2tattoos then leave the junk food alone...it will help your brain to function again..s not a going to be easy..

    n.... ....

    @drag0nfly_girl and hmm ? So what is your point...and the point of your comment ? What is the constructive point to your comment and purpose...

    n.... ....

    @Keith Wigley way to bring up a really, really old comment thread. you must be really lonely.

  62. J.... P....

    I feel this story miss. Painful when I didn't know my family anymore. Different stories I'm sure. Thank you for sharing your work and gifts with us.

  63. D.... C....

    so good, jeez, girl!

  64. B.... ....

    Terrific!