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Josh Ritter — Birds of the Meadow
Album: Sermon On The Rocks
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1129









Released: 2015
Length: 3:13
Plays (last 30 days): 1
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 (33)add comment
 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.
I heard Bono... not that I was paying much attention until I thought...hmmm...
 GregryCM wrote:

Reminds me of Bob Schneider, for some reason.


To me this song has a Nick Cave vibe outside of the chorus.
this is fire!!!
Nick Cave's son?
This was a perfect start to my day today! Thanks to all the folks at Radio Paradise!
 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.
I'm hearing Robbie Robertson, circa 1988. 
Good stuff. Instant 8.
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 
Voice between Nina Simone and Tracy Chapman in refrain.
Eleventh grade English poetry composition class? 
 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...
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. 
 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.
 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.
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.
 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)

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

 


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.


WTF.  86 this one.  Gave it a 2.  No, it just went longer still!!  Downgrade to suckobarfo.
When birds fly away can I reach them just by shouting  and screaming ?
this one is growing 7 -> 8
A prophet on Easter Monday; hmmm.
I'm surprised at the low rating...I think this song-sermon rocks !
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. 
 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.
Sounds good...
Fire is a good thing for birds of the meadow.
Reminds me of Bob Schneider, for some reason.
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.
Fun photo, that guy looks like a commercial trucker in a small highway cafe outside Marseille Provence Airport, fun tune too
A catchy tune by Mr. Ritter. Will have to checkout the cd.