Neutral Milk Hotel - Little Birds Lyrics
Little birds born without a mother or a father
I can feel their feathers forming in the running water
Now there is another in the middle of my mouth
A hundred altogether inside of me now
Little birds, little birds, come into my body
Mother, they're within me every moment I'm awaking
Bodies multiplying till they finally overtake me
Put your ears up to my mouth and you can hear them singing
Put you hands within me and you'll know what I am feeling
I just want to swallow up and promise to protect them
Daddy, come towards me I could see his hands are shaking
Put his hands against me he could feel their bodies breaking
Pushed me to the floor and put his hands up for a beating
"I don't want to hear it anymore", he kept repeating
"Did you see the burning hell it took your baby brother?
Did you see how far he fell and how he made us suffer?
Another boy in town at night he took him for his lover
And deep in sin they held each other
So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in
Knowing God in heaven no could never could forgive him
So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in"
Little boy born without a mother or a father
Taken to the river and then pushed into the water
And the priests are singing that the hell was getting hotter
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only ones to save him
From the thing he loves the most but we know will betray him
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only ones to save him
And here beneath the water I can see how the light distorts so strange
And this is how I would like to leave my body and start again
Other Lyrics by Artist
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Little Birds
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Oh Comely
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Communist Daughter
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Two-Headed Boy
- Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
- Neutral Milk Hotel - King Of Carrot Flowers, Parts 2-3
- Neutral Milk Hotel - King Of Carrot Flowers, Part 1
- Neutral Milk Hotel - April 8th
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Naomi
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Three Peaches
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Gardenhead / Leave Me Alone
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Where You'll Find Me Now
- Neutral Milk Hotel - A Baby For Pree
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Someone Is Waiting
- Neutral Milk Hotel - You've Passed
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Song Against Sex
- Neutral Milk Hotel - Tuesday Moon
Rand Lyrics
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Neutral Milk Hotel Little Birds Comments
No words.
If you see this, little bird was here...
I discovered an amazing indie artist the other day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7NrI5pQalI
youtube.com/c/vladimirmotchoulski
This song was inspired by the murder pf Matthew Shepard, you can notice it in the lyrics: "Another boy in town at night he took him for his lover. And deep in sin they held each other. So I took a hammer, nearly beat his little brains in. Knowing God in heaven no could never could forgive him. So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in"
smth about this reminds me of deer dance by System of a down
Anyone get here because of parks and rec
Incredible.
I’m not one hundred percent sure of Jeff’s intentions, but I’m fairly certain this is a song about adversity gay people face, especially in jewish and semetic cultures. There’s a slur used in hebrew, Fagala, meaning little birds. And it’s often used to refer to gay men.
Well this was also inspired and even references the murder of Matthew Shepard.
None of you are unique
half the comments are about how dark this song is, especially for Jeff/NMH
the other half is "DEE DEE DEE DEE DEE DEE"
holy shit what a great song damn this is the best song from them imo ex aequo with sailing through and oh sister
"hey bro who you main"
0:00
I like to imagine drowning to this song
why da fuck is he saying giggity at the beginning
its so nice to hear a group that can incorporate the help from the mentally challenged person to sing. much respect
omg this is so magical
This is really really dark
and heeeere... beeeeneeath.... theee-eeee-eeee wateeeeeeer
Written by Charlie Kelly
The beginning reminds me of some Kid 3D Nursery Rhymes for Kids YouTube channel shet.
Wheh I hear this I don't understand why everyone doesn't love it like I do. I guess it is an idividual taste kindo f thing. Man I love this
Little birds born without a mother or a father
I can feel their feathers forming in the running water
Now there is another in the middle of my mouth
A hundred altogether inside of me now
Little birds, little birds, come into my body
Mother, they're within me every moment I'm awaking
Bodies multiplying till they finally overtake me
Put your ears up to my mouth and you can hear them singing
Put you hands within me and you'll know what I am feeling
I just want to swallow up and promise to protect them
Daddy, come towards me I could see his hands are shaking
Put his hands against me he could feel their bodies breaking
Pushed me to the floor and put his hands up for a beating
"I don't want to hear it anymore", he kept repeating
"Do you really want the burning hell to come and get you?"
"Did you see the burning hell it took your baby brother?
Did you see how far he fell and how he made us suffer?
Another boy in town at night he took him for his lover
And deep in sin they held each other
So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in
Knowing God in heaven no could never could forgive him
So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in"
Little boy born without a mother or a father
Taken to the river and then pushed into the water
And the priests are singing that the hell was getting hotter
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only ones to save him
From the thing he loves the most but we know will betray him
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only ones to save him
And here beneath the water I can see how the light distorts so strange
And this is how I would like to leave my body and start again
Man this song gets right to the core. Jeff Mangum is brilliant, a tormented soul, perhaps, and doesn’t fully get the recognition he deserves. I really hope he puts out new music in the near future..
wow amazing cockraoch god!
This is some dark stuff
4:48 I´M GAAaaaAAAAAAAaAY
Samuel De Grandi this shouldn’t have made me laugh as much as it did
I never thought anything in context of this song would make me laugh.
I’m gay and UHHHHHHHHH aaaaaAAAAAAAAAÄÄÄA UHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAUuuhhhh
Dee dee dee I am Jeff Mangum dee dee dee
When did men start singing with small, cute, weak AF voices? Alright, tight. Peace.
sounds like you might have some insecurity issues bud
This is the scariest thing I've ever heard. Especially coming from Jeff Magnum.
scariest thing you've herd *so far
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiafFrnXBjc
King DeeDeeDeeDeeDee
I love nmh, but... this song is so damn dark!! It creeps me out hella. Gotta love it.
Hella, right?
Should be on Spotify
Masterpiece.
I love your video
Is this the longest Milk song excluding Aunt Eggma Blowtorch and Oh Comely?
Pree-Sisters is 13 minutes, I believe
King of carrots flowers?
It's about sweet Dee from it's always sunny in Philadelphia
Mynighboirwolf and they call her bird all the time, it's perfect lol
I was just about to comment that haha
Similar to the recent film "Thelma", dir. Joachim Trier.
need to find a live version of this. when i saw them a couple of years ago, they had strings doing parts of the vocals. so beautiful.
Man, i love this band.
I got here form a random article click on Wikipedia. His singing is AWFUL, but the song could probably be way better if sung by a talented singer. I picture even Billy Corgan form Smashing Pumpkins could add personality to this song. But his voice... YIKES. Some people just need to take a step back and see themselves for their shortcomings and strengths. This guy's strength is songwriting, his shortcoming, tone deaf.
i don't even know how to respond to this. ding dong your opinion is wrong
Nah his pitch is pretty on point, he just always sings in his chest voice
Do you know what tone deaf means?
só vim comentar que eu achei essas música por obra do destino!
Obra do destino é encontrar um brasileiro por aqui. <3
i think this song is actually pretty clearly written about Matthew Shepard, a teen who was brutally murdered for being gay. it's part actual account & part Jeff lamenting the hatred in society against LGBT+ folks & expressing his desire to protect us from it.
this song was written at least 5 months before that happened. also Shepard wasn't actually killed for being gay
I think they're forcing the 2nd brother to be baptised, but he's wishing he would rather die than live in the hypocrisy and violence at the hand of his father, especially after beating the 1st brother to death or within an inch of his life.
Jeff magnum Paul McCartney and David Bowie would be amazing if they worked together
Andromeda Studios boy do I have some bad news for you....
lol bowie ded my dude
lmao paul mccartney is ass
This music is so overcompressed it's hard to listen to. I get that sound quality isn't the most important thing, but why deliberately fuck it up, especially with acoustic music? What's wrong with the natural sound of his voice and guitar? There's no dynamics here at all. I can distinctly hear the gain sucking in and out.
just wow
I didn't know there was a studio version of this song!!!!! You just changed my LIFE
I got an accordion for Christmas and now I'm going to learn this song. It'll be amazing on accordion.
dunno if you knew this but Jeremy played accordion on this when they did it live
Tor Parsons did you do it?
dude, we need that cover please
Tor Parsons make a cover!!!
Two years and still no cover
Dee dee dee I am Jeff Mangum dee dee dee
kinda wish there was a compilation of all the Jeff Magnum song with the really signature" Dee dee" melodies. They always stick with me that most.
i think about this comment quite often
Little birds born without a mother or a father
I can feel their feathers forming in the running water
Now there is another in the middle of my mouth
A hundred altogether inside of me now
Little birds, little birds, come into my body
Mother, they're within me every moment I'm awaking
Bodies multiplying til they finally overtake me
Put your ears up to my mouth and you can hear them singing
Put your hands within me and you'll know what I am feeling
I just want to swallow up and promise to protect them
Daddy, come towards me, I can see his hands are shaking
Put his hands against me, he could feel their bodies breaking
Push me to the floor and put his hands up for a beating
"I don't want to hear it anymore," he kept repeating
Do you really want the burning hell to come and get you?
Did you see the burning hell it took your baby brother?
Did you see how far he fell and how he made us suffer?
Another boy in town at night he took him for his lover
And deep in sin they held each other
So I took a hammer, nearly beat his little brains in
Knowing God in heaven no could never could forgive him
So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in
Little boy born without a mother or a father
Taken to the river and then pushed into the water
And the priests are singing that the hell was getting hotter
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only one to save him
From the thing he loves the most but we know will betray him
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only one to save him
And here beneath the water I can see
How the light distorts so strange
And this is how I would like to leave my body
And start again
I know Mangum's lyrics are often fragmented. This song seems like a much more straight forward story, but obviously it cannot be. The gay brother is mentioned as a "baby brother" and the drowning one is a little boy but neither of those fit the narrative of going out with a lover.
k k the ‘drowning’ was a baptism maybe?
could just be like a nonliteral use. one of my coworkers calls me little boy lol nd im 27
@k k I'm pretty sure the "drowning" is a baptism and the whole last section is him saying he'd like to just drown rather than go through life with the supposed "family" he is
singing and playing this song while drunk is the wildest experience
who is "dee-dee"? he says her name quite a bit here
dee dee is a character from the scottish sketch show "limmy's show". it was mysteriously first broadcast over 10 years after this song was recorded
I believe its some little chick
It's a meaningless vocalization Mangum uses to create melody, like singing "La la la" or "Da da da".
Dan Abnormal did you really think OP was being serious?
Kit Palmer No, but I think the facts he frequently uses De De De is interesting.
Plaintif et inutile ............ :-(
Man, Jeff got DARK at the end of his career. Maybe that's why he stopped recording.
"supposedly"
This song was written around 98, actually before/during the bulk of his released recorded material, not after.
@chadkndr lol he says, two years ago 😂
A majority of his songs are dark, his initial hiatus was due to being sick of touring
He’s always been pretty dark
gonna be honest his voice is shit when he tries to do higher notes (might just be my taste because a lot of people seem to enjoy it), but the song is good and so is the guitar
No, it's actually not.
theyre literally all the same
Hunter Dobbins Man, his voice is similar to the Dylan's one... It's amazin'_
@cosmicwaffle 69 Kinda lile Bright Eyes Conor Oberst cant sing for shit but his lyrics hit your heart and his voice is so shaky and sad it kinda breaks your heart. Its good shit man.
libtard gets FUCKED live in 2016
So good. I listen to this nonstop
I just want to swallow up and promise to protect them...
Jeff is awesome! I can say that his is the best live show I've ever seen. Better than Kristin Hersh at McCabes in LA. Better than Richie Havens in Santa Barbara. Better than John Cleese in Long Beach. But he so often reminds me of Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes. Has anyone else noticed this. They are each unique, but both have a similar vocal style—edgy but authentic. Opening up the floor here. Any thoughts? Regarding Gordon Gano (For the elephant collective purists) cf: "Country Death Song". "Never Tell", "Confessions", "Black Girls", "Gimmee The Car".
Absolutely feel the same way. They both have that grating sound in some of their songs. Like when Jeff sings "I love how you love me" it really reminds me of some of The Violent Femme's slower songs. Couldn't have made a better comparison myself. :)
I miss you Christine, Rachel and Meara. I'm so sorry.
@The random show thing thx for reminding me ir this gem of comments with your comment. Still waiting for an explanation lol
@Caio Valente ur welcome
Adriel Rivas no u! Bitch
@Adriel Rivas damn someone seems to be going through some problems of their own. you can talk to me if you want :)
What happened here???
THIS IS A SHOUTOUT TO WHALE! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! ( btw awesome song)
All I can say is this song is amazing, much like all of their other songs.
Your my sister also agreed.
Please, make more music. My heart aches for more.
Jeff is so unique. This song is just so surreal. Disturbing and beautiful. God I wish he'd put out some music. I find it hard to believe he stopped writing music...you know he has songs. Jeff....please man. We all love you. I know you hate media and all that shit...don't blame you. But your a True Genius. Hopefully one day...
When he doesn’t release any music, you get to project your best-case scenario onto him. “Imagine what he’s working on! Imagine what he could do!” And he never shows up to shatter that illusion.
onionguyman look at the weight of expectation you just placed upon him and put yourself in that position.
Ace567
Interesting standpoint huh...
Kinda like Half-Life? But more people to disappoint and heavily at that.
Write your own song about these feelings your having he's never coming back and you need to accept it it's been like 20 years it's over. We should want him to be happy not want him to make us happy
Marythegiant
Gracias, pretty nice
this song was so awesome live...
Phoenix Theater last week, last show of the last tour. They were so amazing live, studio does not do justice.
The band had so much love for each other. It was an incredibly inspirational show.
Thanks for the upload. +)
3 of the simplest guitar chords and such beauty.
It's actually 4 uwu
Am -> F, repeat Am -> G -> Em
AtlanticSpamHammer
BEGONE UWU
Holy shit, this song always makes me tear up a little.
Jeff's one of the few guitarist singers that can make you feel such emotion with only his voice and some barre chords/power chords. Wish he'd get more recognition.
Hyperdistortia what do barre chords have to do with this
Funny part is that this song uses no bar chords or power chords
Hey hi this is an awesome song and if you want tl download a copy or whatever i would thoroughly suggest using flvto
heard this live :)
I think Jeff Mangum overdid the vocal delivery on this one.
I never thought I'd say that about Jeff Mangum... but something about this one is done a little too dramatically for it's own good. I know it's a dramatic song, but he holds the same tone the entire song so it makes the more dramatic, passionate moments kind of meaningless.
When Jeff Mangum yells "and I am listening to hear where you aaaaare" on Two-Headed Boy it kind of takes you by surprise, and that's exciting.
Haha. Same here.
+speciesofpositive Try holding that long sustained vocal note Jeff pulls off at the end of "Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone". That's a killer.
It definitely is. I like to close acoustic sets with Gardnehead/Leave Me Alone if we have more time that we planned.
I think he agrees with you, that's why this song wasn't released until years later.
The classic live version of this song is way better in that sense.
In the end, Mangum sings 'and start again', so i replayed the song. The first part is where he sings about little birds filling his body, and even one in his mouth. Does that means, that the birds are actually water, and that his innocent mind were too young to comprehend what was happening?
As Jeff traveled the world he learned and became interested in Buddhism so I probably means reincarnation as that’s a thing in Buddhism
therealquade I think the dead person in Two Headed Boy p2 was either a relative of Jeff's or of a friend of the band. After the line "with our dark brother wrapped in white" on Holland, 1945 the liner notes read "(h.p.)", supposedly someone's initials. So that whole verse seems to be about someone they knew that killed himself, and I'm pretty sure Jeff's referencing that again in THB2
@therealquade jesus man
@Niels g I'm not trying to say any of this is what the songs are "factually" about, it's just an interpretation. If I was a gay teenager in the 1970's to 80's, in southern baptist louisiana, with barely any people around except a half brother, and had some fucked up experiences, This is exactly how it would come out. The fact that all the little pieces between ITAOTS, FWOF, and Little birds, All fit together with thematic references both literal and figurative.... It's a very vivid story. I'm not trying to say jeff INTENDED this interpretation, given that FWOF is songs he wrote for ITAOTS and then scrapped because they "didn't fit", and you can see that with a comparison between the opening track "oh sister" which was cut and altered into several songs in ITAOTS, with bits stripped out, so you can take the songs on FWOF to be "non-canonical" to the story. Possibly because of these types of connections. I'm just trying to say, This is the interpretation I got out of it.
@therealquade It all makes sense now....
Anyone else thinking that this song would sound much better with a trumpet?
This always reminds me of a Russian folk song.
Too fucking' cool - that's happening in your basement now - maybe now not.
Christ, this is one of the most surreal & darkest songs I've ever heard by far.
Scott Meade Jr. without a doubt.....
Yes! Jeff, what have you created?!
JESSSSUUUUUSSSS CHRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTT I love this song
I know man, It's fucking terrible.
Matt Campbell
OUCHIE
saw them live and i was a little disappointed cause they asked the venue not to use the big screens so I couldn't see shit the whole time. I was so excited to see them but that was such a disappointment. Although they sounded amazing lol
WHAT IS THIS A PART OF
I just saw Neutral Milk Hotel live last week in MI. I really enjoyed hearing this song live. It really made me choke up and probably everyone else. I am so happy they are back!!
Yes! That is where i saw them too :)
dee deee deee dee dee
dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee stains the mountain CHRRIIIISSSSSSSTTTTTTTT
This is one of my favorite NMH songs. I hope I get to see them one of these days. Not happening this tour, sadly.
So true! To me, the music is anything but melancholy. It is poignant. It provokes me to think, and to access my emotions. The song "Naomi", for example, reminds me so much of a cousin of mine who just died. Her name was not Naomi, but that was one of the last songs I ever played for her, and she reminds me of the girl in the song. "Your prettiness is seeping through..." Also, "Ghost.: "Ghost, ghost, I know you live within me..." And, my cousin was born in 1969, so I always modify the words and sing, "She was born in a bottle rocket, 1969". It's almost uncanny the way the songs fit the situations in which I found myself. And, I have an entire other story of how I incorporated the song "ITAOTS" into a "dream" I had last summer, a dream about Heaven, only, I suspect it wasn't really a dream...it was way too real, and that song was the soundtrack.
I hope I don't sound like a crazy person or some obsessed fangirl. It's not that. It's just that the music has meant so much to me and has, indeed, been an integral part of my life's soundtrack for quite awhile now. As you said, the bad times and the great times.
I saw them in Pittsburgh a couple of months ago. Incredible. Also Elf Power was there! I gave them pop-tarts :3
"It's almost uncanny the way the songs fit the situations in which I found myself." completely true and thats why I think jeff mangum is my favorite lyricist ever. His lyrics are so abstract and yet they touch upon very specific, relatable moments in a way that will feel different to every listener on a personal level.
And there's nothing wrong with being a crazy person :)
You guys get it! Good to be "among friends." :)
They played it at the Ottawa folk festival this weekend. Made me pretty happy, also one of my favorites of theirs.
good stuff
Recorded in 1995 published in 2011...for this band, sounds about right.
Recorded in '98.
It is true, though. Jeff's parents fought constantly and passionately, and the line in "The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. One" about his mother stabbing a fork into his father's shoulder is true of his parents.
How do you know?
Download link?
Consider "The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One" and "Home".
I think he meant that the inspiration is given to Jeff Mangum's Audience. He gives his audience inspiration through his personal tragedies I guess.
Why was this flagged as spam? It's true.
What other songs take inspiration from his "child abuse"?
Plebian, everyone knows that skream by drumstep is better.
Jeff Mangum and his "dee dee dees"
smal diks HE HE HE
I prefer Skrillex by Dubstep
Get out.
This song is a story about a young boy who discovers his sexuality but is demonized for it by his father... this song was played once in 1998 the day it was written in light of the murder of Matthew Shepard, who this song is dedicated to.
Source? I can't find a single reference to this anywhere. It seems more like this is from the perspective of a child with a loved one who suffered/died unfortunately and struggles to cope with it. There aren't really any references to sexuality or anything in these lyrics either. I think you might be reaching without a source.
Did you see the burning hell it took your baby brother?
Did you see how far he fell and how he made us suffer?
Another boy in town at night he took him for his lover
And deep in sin they held each other
So I took a hammer, nearly beat his little brains in
Knowing God in heaven no could never could forgive him
So I took a hammer nearly beat his little brains in
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Birds_(song) says it was inspired by Mathew shepard. Also, people who write (source?) Look like hateful cunts. You don't know everything, be willing to be wrong and learn.
Neutral Milk Hotel > everything else!