Album: Songs From A Room (1969)

License This Song 

• Like a bird on the wire
  Like a drunk in a midnight choir
  I have tried in my way to be free
  Like a worm on a hook
  Like a knight from some old fashioned book
  I have saved all my ribbons for thee
  
  If I, if I have been unkind
  I hope that you can just let it go by
  If I, if I have been untrue
  I hope you know it was never to you
  
  Oh, like a baby, stillborn
  Like a beast with his horn
  I have torn everyone who reached out for me
  But I swear by this song
  And by all that I have done wrong
  I will make it all up to thee
  
  I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
  He said to me, "You must not ask for so much"
  And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
  She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
  
  Oh, like a bird on the wire
  Like a drunk in a midnight choir
  I have tried in my way to be free Writer/s: Leonard Cohen
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

• Tonylee from IndianapolisFor those of us with deep regrets, this mournful song states our position perfectly.
• Miles from Vancouver, CanadaA wonderful song if there ever was one, and it's easy to see why it was a target to cover. The Neville Brothers version leaves me breathless. By the way, the producer's name is Bob JOHNSTON (with the extra T), and you have it written "1973's Songs from a Room" when it's clearly 1969.
• AnonymousFantastic,very emotional like many of other Cohen's songs.
• Tony from Eugene, OrA local musician recorded this song along with some other covers and originals. We became acquainted,and got to do some open mike and retiement home playing. The song became a favorite of mine--somehow the lyrics kind of stuck in my head. As I got to know my new friend better, it became apparent to me that it's really all about being misunderstood and asking those who may have been put off by your behavior to be patient with you and not just write you off.
• Jeff from Casa Grande, AzYou know, i have always liked this song, but I never knew why. Now, I understand the lyrics. Wow.
• Matt from Kansas City, KsThe line, "Like a bird on the wire,Like a drunk in a midnight choir I have tried in my way to be free."Is to be Kris Kristoferson's epitaph.
• Betsy from Belle Vernon, PaThis song was also recorded by Esther Ofarim, he was a favorite composer of his, and she sang many of his songs. You can hear many versions of her singing this song on YouTube.
• Senorita from Canada, Canada"Bird On The Wire" is about the desires of a person to be free from being influenced by what others might say. But we can't be truly free as we are bound to claim "personal accountability" for our actions and decisions.
• Rob from Bath, United StatesONE OF THE BEST COVERS WAS RECORDED BY JENNIFER WARNES
• Rob from Bath, United StatesTHERE WAS A TV FILM ENTITLED FIRST WE TAKE MANHATTON. IT FOLLOWS LEONARD TO HYDRA AND HE EXPLAINS THE ORIGINS OF THE SONG. THE MIDNIGHT CHOIR WAS HIS LITTLE GROUP STUMBLIN BACK FROM THE BARS AND TAVERNAS LATE AT NIGHT. HE STILL OWNS THE HOUSE THERE AND I REMEMBER HIM EXPLAINING ALL THIS TO HIS BACK UP SINGER JULIE CHRISTIANSEN AS THEY LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AT THE SINGLE ELECTRICITY WIRE.

More Songfacts:

RenegadeStyx

"Renegade" by Styx wasn't a big hit when it was released in 1978, but it became one of their most popular songs thanks in part to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who started playing it at home games in 2001 to fire up the team and fans.

We Will Rock YouQueen

Brian May wrote Queen's "We Will Rock You" so the crowds could participate in the song. They didn't have instruments, but they could clap their hands and stomp their feet.

OutsideStaind

Staind's big moment came in 1999 when lead singer Aaron Lewis played "Outside" on Limp Bizkit's Family Values tour. The live, acoustic version earned lots of radio play.

The CaveMumford & Sons

"The Cave" by Mumford & Sons is based on the philosophy of Plato and his work called "Allegory of the Cave."

Looking For A New LoveJody Watley

The phrase "Hasta la vista, baby" was popularized in the 1987 Jody Watley song "Looking For A New Love," four years before Arnold Schwarzenegger said it in the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Bad, Bad Leroy BrownJim Croce

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is about a guy Jim Croce met in the National Guard, which Jim joined to keep him out of Vietnam. Leroy went AWOL, but got caught when he tried to pick up his paycheck.

Editor's Picks

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.