29 Best Songs About Birds

11. Golden Lark by Styx

1974

Written by Dennis DeYoung, Golden Lark is a three-and-a-half-minute melodic song about love lost. No matter how much he wishes her to stay, she’s like a mute Lark that flies away. The song was part of Styx's fourth and final album with Wooden Nickel Records before the band made its leap to label, A&M Records.

12. When Doves Cry by Prince

1984

Coming off the sixth album Purple Rain, When Doves Cry stayed at number one for five weeks. The music video was controversial and deemed too explicit when it showed Prince taking a bath. Millions dissected the song to understand what it meant when referring to crying doves. However, it turns out, it’s just another one of Prince’s deep analogies. Doves signify peace, but as the song tells a story about explosive, toxic love that leads to terrible arguments, doves inevitably cry.

13. Bluebirds Over the Mountains by The Beach Boys

1968

Ersel Hickey originally wrote and recorded Bluebirds Over the Mountains. Over the years, Richie Valens and Robert Plant covered the song, but in the late 60s, The Beach Boys recorded the hit, taking it to number 61 on the charts. The song pleads for the birds to bring ‘his' baby back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give much of a clue as to why she’s gone, but it's been assumed ‘she’ might have gone to heaven.

14. Fly, Robin, Fly by Silver Convention

1975

The disco era was more about the sound than the lyrics, and Fly, Robin Fly, is a perfect example of the disco sensation. It was the third single from Silver Connection, and it shot straight to the top on Billboard, hitting number one. Six words were all it took for clubs worldwide to sing along. However, it might have been wordy, considering it won a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

15. When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along) by Bing Crosby

1956

In 1926, Harry Woods wrote this happy little ditty that would go on to be covered at least eight times over the decades. In the mid-fifties, Bing Crosby recorded the catchy bird tune for his radio show. It was included on The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings box set and meshed in with a medley on Crosby’s album On the Happy Side. And happy is what this song brings as it portrays a bopping bird, reminding everyone to embrace their child-like innocence.

16. Bird Set Free by Sia

2015

Sia wrote the song for Pitch Perfect 2, but it got passed over for Jessie J’s Flashlight. Then, she gave the piece to two other female artists, who eventually passed on it. Finally, Sia placed it on her seventh album, This Is Acting. Bird Set Free has been labeled as a ‘self-empowerment anthem’ as a broken soul no longer will stay broken. The song teaches listeners to sing again.

17. Caged Bird by Alicia Keys

2001

Alicia Keys, a pianist, writer, and composer, released Caged Bird on her debut album, Songs in A Minor. The album debuted at number one in the US and collected five Grammys. The sad song dives deep into the emotion of living in a fishbowl, or more so, a cage. Keys explains why the bird sings, but it’s profound lyrics for a young Keys and her first album. 

18. Hummingbird Heartbeat by Katy Perry

2010

The song was written by Katy Perry and a team of others, which was inspired by Perry’s relationship with actor Russel Brand at the time. It was included on the album Teenage Dream, but never was released as a single. Perry was moved to write this tale while watching hummingbird during breakfast. The story talks about sweet fast love. With a nostalgic 80s sound, Tom Thorogood from MTV called it a grown-up version of the birds and the bees.

19. I Like Birds by Eels

2000

The Eels is a rock band that has been famous for their mishmash of lyrics to construct a valid point. I Like Birds strings together random thoughts that cap off with the title lyric. It could be a slam on the sheep of society or just an observant opinion of people around town. Either way, I Like Birds made it onto Meet the Eels: Essential Eels, Vol. 1, the greatest hits compilation and DVD set that was released in 2008.

20. Dodo by Dave Matthews

2003

Dave Matthews has one solo album, Some Devil, where he still collaborated with Dave Matthews Band guitarist Tim Reynolds, along with other artists. The album went Platinum even though fans were skeptical of Matthews's choice to release a solo album. Dodo was the first track on the album, where it talks about when the earth was flat and the last dodo bird on the planet. However, in 2021, scientists believe the dodo bird might still be running around.