“Messenger Bird” - a song about futility
On my wall I have all these old setlists from bands that did my live stream with me. There is one from Corey King of Ohio Weather Band. I was sitting one day feeling a song brewing, but I didn’t have an anchor to build off of. I glanced at that wall, and saw Corey’s setlist, the last song called “Messenger Bird”… so I wrote a song called that too! Thanks Corey.
Story Pairing
I wear a lot of flannel. I love it. It’s comfortable, practical, I look like I could chop down 50 trees/hour, it hides stains, and the ladies love a rugged look (or so I have read, I have no data of my own to support this). I can’t recall the first flannel I ever got, but it would be a moment I would bookmark in time if I ever had access to a time machine. I would zip back, and watch my naive eyes as they laid sight on what would become a staple in my uniform department. That said, I am thinking of cutting back. I don’t want to be bold and say I have been wearing flannels before they were even cool…. but I am definitely saying that.
Now everyone and their burly brother is copying my trend-setting style. With certain types of flannel comes certain types of music. I don’t want my music to be defined by my bold fashion statements, but sometimes it can’t be avoided.
Recently I saw a fellow flannite playing a show and I could tell that the core of the songs being was checkered red and black.. I felt a tinge of jealousy. So when I got home I put on my freshest flannel, added some coal to the fire, ate a cheeseburger, checked on my crops, and wrote this song.
I recorded this song in a denim shirt.
Song Structure
Come over here you beautiful C shape.
This is built around a picking pattern inside of the C shape chord that then adds an F shape flutter. That is easily one of my favorite movements, going from a C to and F and then back again. I use that a lot in the song to accent the type of feeling I was going for. It’s a little more in the vein of new “country” like a Tyler Childers vibe.
Voice Memos
Notebook Page.
Oct 2022
Lyrics
Messenger bird, I'm calling you
Take this letter to someone I knew
Don't care how you do it, don't care how long
She's out of my reach, she's too far gone
If you get lost, just open your eyes
Never seen nothing like this in your life
Try comparing to silver or gold
Wouldn't do justice, it wouldn't come close
You get lost, just use your ears
You'll know in an instant when you get near
Even when she's swearing it sounds like a song
Fight it if you want, you'll be singing along
Messenger bird I'm calling you
Take this letter to someone I knew
If you go reading the words I wrote
You'll see I'm begging her to come back home
Whatever it takes I'll never stop trying
I never loved nothing this much in my life
I know that you'll be back here soon
I gave you a job that you just can't do
You'd have to learn to fly a whole lot higher
She's the prettiest angel in the heavenly choir
Messenger bird I'm calling you
Take this letter to someone I knew
Messenger bird I'm calling you
Take this letter to someone I knew