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Josh Ritter — Birds of the Meadow
Album: Sermon On The Rocks
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1181









Released: 2015
Length: 3:14
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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I didn't come to ask you
How you're doing these days.
Didn't come to roll no stones away, no.
I've come to tell you that the end is nigh.
I've come to prophesize.

You wanted a messenger and I am thee,
Your heebie-jeebie man, in ecstasy.
But my eyes are blazing and I'm mental dark.
You better hark.

Fire is coming, fire is coming.
Birds of the meadow, birds of the meadow.
Fire is coming, fire is coming.
Birds of the meadow, birds of the meadow.

Honey, I'm a wild one and I'm dressed in rags.
I roll you over, turn your bedside up, yeah.
Before the whole thing's over, you're gonna shout my name.
I don't care if you believe me.

Fire is coming, fire is coming.
Birds of the meadow, birds of the meadow.
Fire is coming, fire is coming.
Birds of the meadow, birds of the meadow.

Fire is coming, fire is coming.
Birds of the meadow, birds of the meadow.
Fire is coming, fire is coming.
Birds of the meadow, birds of the meadow.
Comments (34)add comment
Enjoying it well enough and I know poets and songwriters are free to say what they wish (as we all are) but personally my stomach is turned at "heebie-geebie".  Get a bit more creative and find something else that fits your expressive need  --unless you actually intend this as the racial slur it is.
Posted 6 months ago by tgalvinize    [ Reply ]
 jasko wrote:

Voice between Nina Simone and Tracy Chapman in refrain.



I can hear the Tracy Chapman in the second verse and onward. Nina? No.
Posted 11 months ago by q4Fry    [ Reply ]
I heard Bono... not that I was paying much attention until I thought...hmmm...
Posted 11 months ago by rgio    [ Reply ]
 GregryCM wrote:

Reminds me of Bob Schneider, for some reason.


To me this song has a Nick Cave vibe outside of the chorus.
Posted 1 year ago by danmc    [ Reply ]
this is fire!!!
Posted 1 year ago by tm    [ Reply ]
Nick Cave's son?
Posted 1 year ago by wifesboyfriend    [ Reply ]
This was a perfect start to my day today! Thanks to all the folks at Radio Paradise!
Posted 1 year ago by bruceadams    [ Reply ]
 joelbb wrote:

WTF.  86 this one.  Gave it a 2.  No, it just went longer still!!  Downgrade to suckobarfo.


You're either sucking or barfing.  You can't do both.  Pick one.
Posted 2 years ago by h8rhater    [ Reply ]
I'm hearing Robbie Robertson, circa 1988. 
Good stuff. Instant 8.
Posted 2 years ago by scrubbrush    [ Reply ]
I get this and it connects.  Seeing it manifest all around but it takes poets, musicians and those driven by creativity to express this reality.  This  makes our lives  richer and more intense and so needed.  Thanks 
Posted 2 years ago by countryrds    [ Reply ]
Voice between Nina Simone and Tracy Chapman in refrain.
Posted 2 years ago by jasko    [ Reply ]
Posted 2 years ago by TheKing2    [ Reply ]
Eleventh grade English poetry composition class? 
Posted 2 years ago by sfoster66    [ Reply ]
 GregryCM wrote:

Reminds me of Bob Schneider, for some reason.



Yeah, a bit. I was thinking of early Steve Miller at the beginning of the song...
Posted 3 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
Next Messiah, then this... Standard White Jesus would be a good follow up.

There's a short guitar lick in there that sounds like it was lifted and sped up from a Nick Cave song. 
Posted 3 years ago by RabbitEars    [ Reply ]
 Grammarcop wrote:
Fire is a good thing for birds of the meadow.
 
Like a lot of things in life, it is a good thing in the long term, but fatal if you chose not accept the short term burden by ignoring it.
Posted 3 years ago by forthbrdge    [ Reply ]
 Proclivities wrote:
It's not a bad song; it just sounds too contrived or formulated to me, like a Steve Miller Band song from the late 1970s.
 

I agree with you about the resemblance to Steve Miller but I would dearly welcome more of his style of music these days. Was it pop- and hit-driven?  Yeah, but it was freakin' great.
Posted 5 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
It's not a bad song; it just sounds too contrived or formulated to me, like a Steve Miller Band song from the late 1970s.
Posted 7 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
 mardisoninnc wrote:

Dear RP,

I really wish that you would play stuff from "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" and/or "So Runs The World Away," shelving this tune for a while.  Please.  Thank you in advance.



 
mmmm yeah, hey hows bout Eddy Arnold's "Make the world go away"   that's stuck in my memory box for like 50 years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdWEbweX1rQ
Eddy Arnold - Make The World Go Away (1966)
Posted 7 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]

This track is a 7, +1 when played directly after Carmen Rizzo's "Overlooked Happiness" (BillG is THE segue master)

 


Posted 7 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]

Dear RP,

I really wish that you would play stuff from "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" and/or "So Runs The World Away," shelving this tune for a while.  Please.  Thank you in advance.


Posted 7 years ago by mardisoninnc    [ Reply ]
WTF.  86 this one.  Gave it a 2.  No, it just went longer still!!  Downgrade to suckobarfo.
Posted 7 years ago by joelbb    [ Reply ]
When birds fly away can I reach them just by shouting  and screaming ?
Posted 8 years ago by twoplain2sea    [ Reply ]
this one is growing 7 -> 8
Posted 8 years ago by yuel    [ Reply ]
A prophet on Easter Monday; hmmm.
Posted 8 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
I'm surprised at the low rating...I think this song-sermon rocks !
Posted 8 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]
HS. I would have never guessed this is Josh Ritter. A great songwriter. Do it, Josh. I'll start this as a 7 based on its origin. 
Posted 8 years ago by kingart    [ Reply ]
 GregryCM wrote:
Reminds me of Bob Schneider, for some reason.

 
Don't quite hear it myself but I know Bob only from "Flowerparts." When he stops grunting like Ray Wylie Hubbard—about halfway through the song—and starts singing loudly, his voice sounds like a young Steve Miller.
Posted 8 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
Sounds good...
Posted 8 years ago by rgabriel    [ Reply ]
Fire is a good thing for birds of the meadow.
Posted 8 years ago by Grammarcop    [ Reply ]
Reminds me of Bob Schneider, for some reason.
Posted 8 years ago by GregryCM    [ Reply ]
Josh continues to write and perform interesting music.  All his CDs are great, inventive, heartfelt, insightful, and just plain well done.  Don't know why he is not a bigger name.
Posted 8 years ago by inozjeff    [ Reply ]
Fun photo, that guy looks like a commercial trucker in a small highway cafe outside Marseille Provence Airport, fun tune too
Posted 9 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
A catchy tune by Mr. Ritter. Will have to checkout the cd.
Posted 9 years ago by ShaunJ    [ Reply ]