Aoife O’Donovan: The King of All Birds
On first hearing The King of All Birds, I think the opening caught my ear just a little bit. But once it got to the chorus and the chord changes kicked in, I immediately stopped what I was doing and paid attention.
It’s difficult to describe, but the key change is sudden, abrupt. It’s like a U-Turn, but done deftly. I’m usually pretty decent at picking out notes and keys, but when this happens in the song… I honestly have no idea what key it’s in. Have a listen:
My favorite lines:
Anyone that I might want in this world
They’re asleep in the arms of another girl
Who will they be when the lights come up?
Everyone that I ever loved in my life
Now calls somebody else their wife
Who am I to you?
They’re asleep in the arms of another girl
Who will they be when the lights come up?
Everyone that I ever loved in my life
Now calls somebody else their wife
Who am I to you?
Beyond just the key change, there’s a lot of syncopation happening. A lot of words that are stretched and it feels like it lingers and almost stumbles over to the next line. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s just a fascinating snippet within a fascinating song.
I was curious about the title of the song, and did a bit of searching. Turns out the wren is considered “the king of all birds,” according to an old fable that outlined a contest between an eagle and a wren.
Found a bit more background in this great article about O’Donovan, by The Bluegrass Situation.
avoision (November 19, 2023 at 2:25 pm)