Birds have been an important part of human history for ages. They serve as inspiration for art and metaphors for poetry. Whether you see their wings as a symbol of beauty or their flight as a symbol of freedom, their influence on music is undeniable. From the Beatles to Eminem, various artists have made birds a muse for their tunes.
Below we have compiled a list of 50 songs about these humble creatures to fuel your obsession with them.
Here are the 50 Best Songs About Birds
- And Your Bird Can Sing — The Beatles.
- The Bird — Jerry Reed
- Blackbird — The Beatles
- Down Came a Blackbird — Lila McCann
- Eagles — ABBA.
- Bluebird — Miranda Lambert
- Bird Set Free — Sia
- Sparrow — Emeli Sandé
- When Doves Cry — Prince
- Fly Like an Eagle — Steve Miller
- Two Sparrows in a Hurricane — Tanya Tucker
- I’m Like a Bird — Nelly Furtado.
- Sparrow — Simon & Garfunkel
- Little Bird — The Beach Boys
- Mockingbird — Carly Simon & James Taylor
- Little Red Rooster — The Rolling Stones
- Bird on a Wire — Leonard Cohen
- Birds — Coldplay
- May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose — Little Jimmy Dickens.
- The Raven — The Alan Parsons Project
- Free as a Bird — The Beatles
- Hummingbird Heartbeat — Katy Perry
- Skyline Pigeon — Elton John
- Songbird — Fleetwood Mac
- Nightingale — Demi Lovato
- A Broken Wing — Martina McBride
- Rockin’ Robin — Bobby Day
- Sally’s Pigeons — Cyndi Lauper
- How Shall a Sparrow Fly — Ryan Bingham
- Bluebird — Sara Bareilles
- Feed the Birds — Julie Andrews
- Swan Song — Lana Del Rey
- Bluebirds over the Mountains — Ersel Hickey
- Skylark — Linda Ronstadt
- Wings of a Dove — Hal Ketchum
- Vultures — John Mayer
- Swan Song — Dua Lipa
- The Eagle — Waylon Jennings
- Three Little Birds — Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Golden Lark — Styx
- Sparrow — Tom Odell
- Two Birds — Regina Spektor
- Snowbird — Anne Murray
- Little Bird — Annie Lennox
- Winter Bird — Aurora
- Dodo — Dave Matthews
- Mockingbird — Eminem
- The Eagle and the Hawk — John Denver
- Free Bird — Lynyrd Skynyrd
- The Phoenix — Fall Out Boy
1. And Your Bird Can Sing — The Beatles.
Starting off this list the right way- with the Beatles! The musicality of this song is widely appreciated among fans. The lyrics, on the other hand, are very cryptic. While on the surface they seem to indicate a rift between a couple, various interpretations are saying they’re pointed at the Beatles’ rivals, The Rolling Stones.
2. The Bird — Jerry Reed
This country number is a straight-up banger and it is no surprise it reached number 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks and number 2 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart. A cautionary tale about being greedy, the song describes a man being tricked into buying a talking bird, hoping to make a fortune from it, only for it to fly away.
3. Blackbird — The Beatles
One of the band’s signature songs and an anthem of hope, Blackbird has been a staple in every household, from parents introducing their children to The Beatles to getting tucked in with this lullaby. Said to be about escalating racial tension in America, the song is a reminder to pick yourself up and “fly” when you’re most broken down.
4. Down Came a Blackbird — Lila McCann
This Country Single describes a turbulent relationship from the point of view of a woman who has left her partner because of his lack of empathy for her and how she feels like she’ll never succeed in life with him around – if she stays with him “she’ll end up his waitress for life”.
5. Eagles — ABBA
The first track on the group’s fifth album, ABBA: The Album, and the longest track they ever recorded, Eagles is simply a tribute to these magnificent birds. The singer compares themselves to the bird, soaring in the skies, displaying a sense of freedom and liberation.
6. Bluebird — Miranda Lambert
The song is a message of positivity and joy, just like its adorable namesake- No matter how many lemons life throws your way, if you’ve got a sunny attitude, there is no problem you can’t solve.
The song was nominated for Single and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards and Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards.
7. Bird Set Free — Sia
Another song about resilience and never giving up, Bird Set Free uses the creature to symbolize strength and self-sufficiency. Backed with a beautiful piano melody and Sia’s magnificent vocals, this power ballad is an anthem of self-empowerment.
8. Sparrow — Emeli Sandé
The song encourages listeners to aspire to be courageous, persistent, and resilient like sparrows because every small bird has an important role in life. It encourages that no matter what obstacles life throws us, we remain capable of going forward and conquering them. I think it’ll definitely lift your spirits.
9. When Doves Cry — Prince
The song was originally written by Prince for his semi-autobiographical 1984 film, Purple Rain and the album of the same name. It talks about the pain that comes from a loss of love. It was Prince’s first Billboard Hot 100 number 1 single, staying there for five weeks, and was also ranked number one on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1984
10. Fly Like an Eagle — Steve Miller
Eagles personify what the USA stands for – freedom and encouragement. I personally think this song is about the liberation that comes with helping someone, the sense of happiness it brings, and how you want to do your best to make the world around you a better place. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and otherwise performed well on the charts.
11. Two Sparrows in a Hurricane — Tanya Tucker
This beautiful story revolves around two lovers, compared to two sparrows, who get stranded in metaphorical storms in their relationship, and their determination to survive. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and the Canadian Country Tracks chart.
12. I’m Like a Bird — Nelly Furtado
While this song seems like an empowering anthem for freedom at first sight, I think it has more to do with the narrator’s commitment issues, since she’s likening herself to a skittish bird who can fly away at any moment.
I’m Like a Bird peaked at Number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the singer a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
13. Sparrow — Simon & Garfunkel
The song seems more like a poem with background music, poignant lyrics, and a heavy feel. Though the lyrics are somewhat ambiguous, they can be seen alluding to death as a constant. The little sparrow doesn’t find comfort anywhere in nature except when she “returns to the earth”. It can be seen as a commentary on the fragile nature of mortality.
14. Little Bird — The Beach Boys
This song is a summery tune with a deeper meaning. The vocals and bridge seem a little juvenile, but the message conveyed is solid wisdom – the bird advises the narrator to enjoy the little moments in life and learn to let go.
15. Mockingbird — Carly Simon & James Taylor
The song is a more popular interpretation of the original by Inez and Charlie Foxx, based on the traditional American lullaby, “Hush Little Baby.” The rock song is fun to listen to, with promises of material wealth to sustain a relationship. This version also did better on the charts.
16. Little Red Rooster — The Rolling Stones
A Rolling Stone’s twist to a sensual Blues classic – now that’s how you pay tribute to a legendary tune. Featuring the story of a man well aware of his charms, the song reached number one on the Record Retailer chart and remains the only time a blues song has ever topped the British pop charts.
17. Bird on a Wire — Leonard Cohen
One of the legendary songwriter’s signature songs, the lyrics use archaic language to portray a conflict between the inherent need to be free and the limitations life places on us (like the wire). Some say the song is about Cohen’s own internal struggles when he was writing it, while others say it is a metaphor for how humanity is limited by self-imposed restraints.
18. Birds — Coldplay
Coldplay songs always carry a message of hope and are in some way, deeply spiritual. This song is no different. The song is about escaping dreary circumstances and learning to set yourself free, enjoying the process and the beauty of the current moment. Message aside, what makes this song a 10 for me is Chris Martin’s heavenly vocals.
19. Little Bird — Ed Sheeran
I stand by my word when I say no one can write a better love song than Ed Sheeran, but no one can portray the complexities of a relationship like him either. Little Bird is yet another masterpiece, where the narrator compares his relationship to a bird with a broken leg – fragile or wounded. The sweetness and domesticity of this song make it criminally underrated in my opinion.
20. The Raven — The Alan Parsons Project
A metaphor for madness? Inner demons that won’t leave? Or the ever-present threat of death? Who knows what the Raven symbolizes? Raven is the first single off of Tales of Mystery and Imagination, a once-in-a-blue-moon album, with a retelling of classic horror tales and Edgar Alan Poe’s poetry (also the title). Macabre and mysterious, are we really surprised I dig this song?
21. Free as a Bird — The Beatles
The Beatles seem to have a running theme of their obsession with birds. This one is a breakup song and one that received quite a lot of fame. The song peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and number on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also became a top-ten hit in at least 10 other countries and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
22. Hummingbird Heartbeat — Katy Perry
California Girls set the theme of overt sexuality in Perry’s third album, but this song takes the score. On the contrary, the message of the song is one about the feeling of elation and joy that comes with falling in love, portrayed through excellent imagery and metaphors.
23. Skyline Pigeon — Elton John
A powerhouse of vocals accompanied by a sweet piano melody, this song has a gloomy, almost yearning mood. It features beautiful imagery and themes of nature described in vivid detail, which are at odds with the feeling of suffocation and entrapment the narrator feels.
24. Songbird — Fleetwood Mac
A classical power ballad, Songbird is a simple yet elegant tune about embracing love while getting it in return, creating a feeling of tenderness and intimacy that really pertains to the audience’s emotions. The beauty of the song is in its simple melody and message.
25. Nightingale — Demi Lovato
The song is a tribute to one of the singer’s friends who passed away when they were young. In the heart-wrenching tune, she is desperate and lost, looking for a guardian angel or protector to show her the way. In a way, Lovato shows how they still feel their friend close to them.
26. A Broken Wing — Martina McBride
This is a woman’s recount of an emotionally abusive relationship, with someone who neither valued her ambitions nor her presence and constantly found ways to bring her down. The song is about the narrator taking her power back, fleeing from that relationship, and rebuilding herself.
The video was nominated for Music Video of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards along with the single hitting number 1 on the US Hot Country Songs chart.
27. Rockin’ Robin — Bobby Day
Whether you prefer the Micheal Jackson version or the original 1950s hit, there is no denying this number is an earworm. Boasting of a Robin’s popularity with ‘The Birds’, it was Day’s biggest hit single, becoming a number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and spent one week at the top of the R&B sales chart.
28. Sally’s Pigeons — Cyndi Lauper
Unlike most of her pop-rock tunes, this Cyndi Lauper song is inspired by quite a harrowing incident from the singer’s life, where a friend of hers died from a back-alley abortion. The 1993 song features the same theme, renewed gain in 2022 when Roe V Wade was overturned.
29. How Shall a Sparrow Fly — Ryan Bingham
You may recognize the song if you’ve seen Christian Bale’s hostile. This track from the 2018 motion pictures features Ryan Bingham himself singing in the film as the Seargent, lamenting the loss of freedom, and feeling trapped.
30. Bluebird — Sara Bareilles
In a heartbreaking breakup song, Bareilles uses the image of a bluebird flying away as a symbol of the love no longer being there in a relationship. However, not all hope is lost since the song has a very strong theme of picking yourself up and moving on.
31. Feed the Birds — Julie Andrews
I remember this being one of my favorite songs from when I was a child! Featured in the 1964 children’s musical ‘Marry Poppins’, the whimsical tune talks about a poor woman making her living from selling crumbs to tourists, encouraging them to feed the birds!
32. Swan Song — Lana Del Rey
The song refers to an ancient Greek lore about Swans singing a song right before passing away. This indie song has one of two possible interpretations; it is either about a couple looking forward to retiring, or, about an artist’s career coming to an end.
33. Bluebirds over the Mountains — Ersel Hickey
I think there isn’t anything too deep about this song – it’s a classic old-timey romance tune about a boy and a girl in love, and the pain they feel when the other is not around. Though a lot of people prefer the Beach Boys version, I still think the original is unbeatable in the sense of musicality.
34. Skylark — Linda Ronstadt
I think there is something so deeply intrinsic about human beings relying on nature for help when all feels lost, the way the singer asks the bird to bring back her lost love.
Ronstadt covered the 1941 song for her album Lush Life and her version was nominated for a Grammy Award.
35. Wings of a Dove — Hal Ketchum
Ketchum’s number feels very spiritual in nature, featuring the relationship between God and man. The song is perhaps an allusion to God sending Noah a dove during the flood in Genesis. Doves are a symbol of purity and in this case, a reminder of God’s mercy and love.
36. Vultures — John Mayer
Despite the amount of scrutiny he’s under, Mayer has never hesitated to expose the dark side of the music industry. In this Blues-inspired song, he refers to the higher-ups in the industry as vultures, claiming that they’re always asking for more and how he refuses to become ‘just another number for them.
37. Swan Song — Dua Lipa
The song was written for the soundtrack of the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel. This electropop track is an anthem of hope, inspired by the movies protagonist, Alita, who fights for marginalised lives and overcomes a great deal to reach the point of success.
38. The Eagle — Waylon Jennings
The eagle is a representation of authority and valor. In Jennings’ song, this image is evident. Featuring a protagonist who makes an effort to live in peace, he asks not to be underestimated and his kindness not to be mistaken for weakness. The song reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart making it Jennings’s last Top 40 hit.
39. Three Little Birds — Bob Marley and the Wailers
I found this tune incredibly comforting and uplifting. Marley’s vocals have a timeless quality to them, and hearing him sing about how everything will be alright, is quite the reassurance.
40. Golden Lark — Styx
The song has a mystic vibe to it, with earthy string processions and unique vocals. It talks about a love that is beautiful and comforting, but ultimately fleeting.
41. Sparrow — Tom Odell
Odell’s soft, soulful vocals over a sparse acoustic guitar set the tone for the song as he begs his partner to stay by his side. The song features poetic imagery of nature and once again, the theme of man turning to nature when he feels sad and lost.
42. Two Birds — Regina Spektor
You may have heard this acoustic melody all over your TikTok For You page, or on Instagram edit accounts. Though there are various interpretations, I think the song is about two lovers parting – one who chooses familiarity and their comfort zone, and the other who’s too ambitious to stay in the same place.
43. Snowbird — Anne Murray
This nearly brought me to tears – the melody features such a strong yearning for freedom yet the heartbreaking reality of being stuck in the same place due to your circumstances. The song peaked at number 1 on both the Canadian adult contemporary and country charts and on the U.S. adult contemporary chart and became a surprise Top 10 U.S. country hit as well.
44. Little Bird — Annie Lennox
Often you’re unaware of your own strength until life pushes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to adapt. Similarly, the song features the struggle behind taking a big decision and learning to trust your own ability to fly.
The song was also featured in the film Striptease, where Demi Moore dances to it and performed well on charts around the globe.
45. Winter Bird — Aurora
All of Aurora’s songs feature a deep-rooted admiration for Mother Nature, portraying her in a divine sense. This song is no different, painting a beautiful winter landscape with cryptic lyrics and the singer’s haunting vocals.
46. Dodo — Dave Matthews
This song is about hesitation to change one’s ways in the face of a pressing need. The Dodo is an animal that went extinct because it lacked the necessary survival skills and refused to adapt to its new surroundings. Nowadays it’s also slang for ‘stupid’, so take away from this what you will!
47. Mockingbird — Eminem
Mockingbird is the story of a single father raising his daughters after their mother left them. The way the narrator comforts his girl and vows to protect her makes this more than just a commercial rap number. Written about his daughters, this Eminem song received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance.
48. The Eagle and the Hawk — John Denver
With poetic lyrics and a breathtaking melody, the song is the remnant of Denver’s days as a pilot. It serves as a reminder that true freedom involves both bodily and spiritual freedom. The eagle and the hawk are more than simply animals; they stand for the ability that each one of us has to rise above our constraints.
49. Free Bird — Lynyrd Skynyrd
With themes of liberation, freedom, and breaking away, Free Bird has the number 8 spot on Guitar World’s 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time and is Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature and longest song.
50. The Phoenix — Fall Out Boy
This has to be one of the most iconic rock songs from my favorite rock albums, Save Rock and Roll. The Phoenix is a mythical bird, known for its ability to be reborn from its ashes. The song has a similar story, one of resilience and strength, encouraging listeners to rise up from circumstances they feel might be their end.
FAQs
Who did Eminem write Mockingbird for?
Mockingbird was written for his daughter Hailie Jade and his niece whom he adopted, Lainie. The song was written after Kim Scott, Eminem’s wife who was a drug addict, left their daughter in the rapper’s care. He calls it his most emotional song to date, and an effort to communicate with the girls to explain what was happening in their lives.
What song about birds is featured in an old musical?
This would be Feed the Birds by Julie Andrews, written and recorded for the children’s Disney musical Marry Poppins. It features the famous St Paul’s Cathedral and the last on-screen appearance of Academy Award winner Jane Darwell who played the Bird Woman.
Where can I stream these songs?
While most of these songs are easily available on Spotify and Apple Music, we’ve included links to YouTube for each. Fear not, even if you can’t find the song or it doesn’t stream in your country, you can always head to YouTube for music in the gold old 2000s manner.