Snowbird

Anne Murray

About Snowbird

"Snowbird" is a song by the Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan. Though it has been recorded by many performers (including Bing Crosby, Lynn Anderson, and Elvis Presley), it is best known through Anne Murray's 1969 recording, which—after appearing as an album track in mid-1969—was eventually released as a single in the summer of 1970. It was a No. 2 hit on Canada's pop chart and went to No. 1 on both the Canadian adult contemporary and country charts. The song reached No. 8 on the U. S. pop singles chart, spent six weeks at No. 1 on the U. S. adult contemporary chart, and became a surprise Top 10 U. S. country hit as well. It was certified as a gold single by the RIAA, the first American Gold record ever awarded to a Canadian solo female artist. The song peaked at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2003 it was an inaugural song inductee of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Anne Murray and Gene MacLellan had met while both were regulars on the CBC television series Singalong Jubilee and Murray recorded two of MacLellan's compositions, "Snowbird" and "Biding My Time", for her first major label album release, This Way Is My Way, in 1969. Murray would recall: "Gene told me he wrote ["Snowbird"] in twenty minutes while walking on a beach in PEI." The theme and approach broadly resemble that of the earlier hits "Message to Michael" (a.k.a. "Kentucky Bluebird" in hit versions by Lou Johnson and Adam Faith) and "Yellow Bird" in contrasting the narrator's being stranded in the place of their heartache to the bird's ability to just up and fly away. "Snowbird" sold well over a million copies and was recently picked as 19th on the 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version list, a partially populist approach to defining the most influential songs by Canadians. 


Year:
1980
56 

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Beneath this snowy mantle cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting
For its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers
That will bloom again in spring

When I was young my heart was young then too
Anything that it would tell me
That's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life's
The thing thing that I can't win

Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you

The breeze along the river seems to say
That he'll only break me heart again
Should I decide to stay
So little snowbird take me with you
When you go
To that land of gentle breezes
Where the peaceful waters flow

Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you, yeah if I could, you know that I would, fly away with you

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Anne Murray

Morna Anne Murray CC ONS (born June 20, 1945) is a multiple award-winning Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary music whose albums have sold over 54 million copies worldwide as of 2012. more »

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Written by: GENE MAC LELLAN

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Snowbird" Origin
The song was written by Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan and became a hit song for Anne Murray, a Canadian singer in 1969.
Anne Murray's Success
"Snowbird" is Anne Murray's breakthrough single in her homeland Canada and in the United States.
Lyric inspiration
The lyrics were reportedly written by MacLellan within 20 minutes. He had been inspired by the beauty and freedom of birds flying around during the winter.
Bing Crosby’s Version
Bing Crosby, an American singer and actor, covered "Snowbird" on his 1970 album "Bing Crosby's Christmas Album".
Snowbird" Awards
Anne Murray's rendition of "Snowbird" won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1970, making her the first Canadian solo artist to win a Grammy.
Snowbird" in Top singles
The song was a No.1 hit on the Canadian Singles Chart and peaked at No.8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Cultural Impact
"Snowbird" has been covered by numerous artists in different genres. This includes Elvis Presley, Perry Como, and Loretta Lynn.
Certifications
The single earned a Gold certification for selling over a million copies.
Lynn Anderson's Cover
Lynn Anderson, an American country artist, also covered "Snowbird". Her version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number one on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.
Snowbird's Success Across The Atlantic
In the United Kingdom, this song was not only a hit for Anne Murray in 1970 but also for Val Doonican in 1971.
Bing Crosby's Christmas Album
Although "Snowbird" isn't a Christmas song by nature, Bing Crosby included it in his Christmas album which gives it a festive winter feel.

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    Snowbird

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1970

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