From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Birdman
The Birdman
"The Birdman" ing to Catherine McRae, manager of domestic market-
ing and artist development for Sony Music Canada, "We
deliberately chose a single which wasn’t an immediate,
commercial, hit-radio single and then serviced it specif-
ically first to campus radio to build a street buzz on the
band."[1]
Raine Maida admitted that he knew "The Birdman"
wouldn’t do well at radio. He said in an interview with
Billboard in 1995, "What it did was allow us three months
to tour with other bands and get better. Now we’re all
confident about our live show. We’re not intimidated by
playing with anybody."[1]
Single by Our Lady Peace Meaning
from the album Naveed The song is about a man that lead singer and lyricist
Released January 17, 1994
Raine Maida once saw on the street. The Birdman was the
nickname of a serial killer, Robert Stroud who was once
Format Promo-only CD single imprisoned at Alcatraz.
Genre Alternative rock "I assumed he was some kind of politician that lost it
and was living on the streets and just going nuts all night.
Length 5:12 (album version) It was strange; I just caught a few words as I passed by
Label Sony Music, Epic, Relativity (US) him, and he was one of the most intelligent people I have
ever heard speak. Right then I had this enlightenment. I
Writer(s) Raine Maida
did not give him a chance and there are probably times
Producer Arnold Lanni where you miss opportunities because you form opinions
so quickly." - Raine Maida
Our Lady Peace singles chronology
"I was in Kansas city a while back and there was this
"Out of Here" "The Birdman
The Birdman" "Starseed" man on the street. I was in my hotel room and I couldn’t
(1992) (1994) (1994) sleep ‘cause this guy was just yelling through a mega-
phone and he was yelling about a bunch of propaganda
Music sample and stuff but the next day when I went down from the
hotel and he was outside still. I had a chance to pass by,
"The Birdman"
read his booklet and stuff and I heard him talking to some
other people and the song encompasses the thing where
it’s kinda like a serial killer where on the surface he’s just
a ruthless, kinda no conscience, no remorse killer but un-
"The Birdman is Our Lady Peace’s first single off their
The Birdman" derneath the serial killer there’s obviously a really intel-
debut album Naveed. Because of the Naveed cover, Saul ligent, very calculating kind of person and that’s is what
Fox is best known for being "The Birdman". The chorus I wanted to get in the lyrics of the song. There’s so many
of the song originates from an early demo that the band different ways and so many different perspectives to look
cut in 1992 called "Nobody’s Wrong" with a completely at somebody.This thing, the birdman is just that in itself,
different meaning. that there’s always something deeper when you look into
it." -Raine Maida
Release
Music video
The Birdman is the first single released by Our Lady
Peace, and only in Canada, on January 17, 1994. It was The band chose Floria Sigismondi to direct "The Bird-
considered to be the least accessible track off Naveed and man" video after, according to Maida, the first uniden-
was chosen to be the first single for that reason. Accord- tified director they chose pitched an idea that was com-
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Birdman
pletely irrelevant to the song. Maida later witnessed the
same idea used for another artist’s video by that director.
Track listing
Sigismondi’s video is set against a sunset backdrop Epic 924
and stars Saul Fox as the bird man as well as the members 1. Album Version - 5:12
of the band. Saul appears at various times in the video 2. Edit Version - 4:13
parading around a nest wearing a birdcage on his head,
wearing a fake beak and wearing wings as well as having
corresponding scars on his back while the band plays on.
References
The video ends with Raine Maida going insane and kick- [1] ^ LeBlanc, Larry. "Our Lady Peace jumps Canadian
ing around the bird nest before the video fades out. The border. " Billboard 25 Feb. 1995: JuniorQuest
video version of the song is edited so that it fades out be- Magazines, ProQuest. Web. Retrieved 28 Sep. 2010.
fore the actual ending.
External links
• "The Birdman" Official music video on YouTube
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Birdman&oldid=424901832"
Categories:
• 1994 singles
• Our Lady Peace songs
• Debut singles
• Music videos directed by Floria Sigismondi
• Songs written by Raine Maida
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