It's a Beautiful Day - White Bird (1969)

This band was at the start of the San Francisco sound that was pouring out in the mid-'60s, right alongside Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, and Santana. Unfortunately, they never achieved the same success as those bands, with none of their songs reaching the charts. The group’s name was an ironic twist on their place of residence, Seattle, Washington, where the weather was often dreary.

This song comes from the group’s first self-titled album, It’s a Beautiful Day, released in 1969. The lyrics came about from the group’s brief living conditions in 1967: living in the attic of a house owned by their manager, not having a vehicle, and being unable to go outside due to the inclement weather. It was the group’s most successful song and was covered by violinist Vanessa Mae in 2001.



It's a Beautiful Day - White Bird (1969)

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Lyrics:

White bird in a golden cage
On a winter's day in the rain
White bird in a golden cage
Alone

The leaves blow ‘cross the long black road
To the darkened sky in its rage
But the white bird just sits in her cage
Unknown

White bird must fly
‘r she will die

The white bird dreams of the aspen tree
With their dying leaves turning gold
But the white bird just sits in her cage
Growing old

White bird must fly or she will die
White bird must fly or she will die

The sunsets come; the sunsets go
The clouds roll by and the earth turns old
And the young bird's eyes do always glow
And she must fly
She must fly
She must fly
She must fly

White bird in a golden cage
On a winter's day in the rain
White bird in a golden cage
Alone

White bird must fly
‘r she will die
White bird must fly
Or she will die
White bird must fly
‘r she will die

White bird must fly