LYRICS: Leave me alone is all that I say When I have nothing in me to give away A purple martin in her house She hollers at me "why be inhuman? Why be like me?" Like so many robins, like so many doves Like so many lovebirds with so many loves Like the songs of the bobwhite without any words When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds At six in the morning, you rise from the pillow Stand steaming above me while I slumber below I'm one with the blanket laying fragrant and loose You're one with a whip-poor-will, you're one with a goose Like so many robins, like so many doves Like so many lovebirds with so many loves Like the songs of the bobwhite without any words When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds So, tweet with me and widely spread Your olive wings embrace my head Fly with me 'til we are dead And one with the birds Like so many seagulls, like so many hawks Like so many thrushes and so many cocks A swallow will tell you Without using misleading heartrending words When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds When we hide our feelings We may as well fly away
such a great waltz. I was always so frustrated with my good friend Jason Molina's constant comparison to the genius Will Oldham; felt it diminished him, bit they were great friends too and strengthened each other. R.I.P. Jason, you were a great writer and awesome person.
I love this song so much It fast becoming my favourite Will Oldham song.. You only get it on the last verse. But the feeling of sadness has already bought you there before you read that last verse!!
Beautiful song... reminds of 'Hickory Wind, with echoes of Jason Molina in his voice... Not familiar with BPB. Can you have an album you like of his, Graham?
He has become to abstract for me during these latest years. It's such a bummer since Joya, greatest palace music and ease down the road are on my top 10. Guess we all move
It's hard not to notice similarities between Will and Jason though. Lyrically, vocally and their musicality. Doppelgängers!! It doesn't diminish a thing to me -beautiful song this I hear 'like the songs of the Bogwai' but they don't seem to be an actual tribe... Who is he referring to there? Anyone know?
+David Sumtinelse Yes. The late, great Jason Molina. If you forced me to choose I'd probably say Jason too but I'd say Will has worn more musical hats, has more 'range'. If I can make a rather undeveloped music analogy I'd say JM is Miles Davis and WO is Louis Armstrong. Louis had more range but Miles was unrivalled in his expression and mastery of the mid-range notes.
![Bonnie 'Prince' Billy S/T [Full Album]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FY_12U6ToPM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Bonnie 'Prince' Billy S/T [Full Album]](/img/tr.png)
Stupid comment I know, but, after listening to this song at least 7,436 times , I think it may be the greatest song ever written.
You might be right
not stupid at all you may be right
Agreed.
probably right
The only stupid comments are the ones felt as deeply and never written or shared.
LYRICS:
Leave me alone is all that I say
When I have nothing in me to give away
A purple martin in her house
She hollers at me "why be inhuman? Why be like me?"
Like so many robins, like so many doves
Like so many lovebirds with so many loves
Like the songs of the bobwhite without any words
When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds
At six in the morning, you rise from the pillow
Stand steaming above me while I slumber below
I'm one with the blanket laying fragrant and loose
You're one with a whip-poor-will, you're one with a goose
Like so many robins, like so many doves
Like so many lovebirds with so many loves
Like the songs of the bobwhite without any words
When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds
So, tweet with me and widely spread
Your olive wings embrace my head
Fly with me 'til we are dead
And one with the birds
Like so many seagulls, like so many hawks
Like so many thrushes and so many cocks
A swallow will tell you
Without using misleading heartrending words
When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds
When we hide our feelings
We may as well fly away
I remember Will saying how much he disliked The Byrds and then he released this. Brilliant!
A perfect compositional companion for me tonight.
Blessed to discover this artist man... just in time you know what I mean
such a great waltz. I was always so frustrated with my good friend Jason Molina's constant comparison to the genius Will Oldham; felt it diminished him, bit they were great friends too and strengthened each other. R.I.P. Jason, you were a great writer and awesome person.
it`s been 9 years since the comment, but I will search the artist out. Guess he already got used to heaven so no need to say anything. :)
What a great time for music that was tho.
I love this song so much It fast becoming my favourite Will Oldham song.. You only get it on the last verse. But the feeling of sadness has already bought you there before you read that last verse!!
Agreed. So beautiful and haunting.
It's such a slow hypnotism, and then your are gone. This song always brings up Hickory Wind for me..... Oh Will Oldham thank you for being you....
Annie El Haha.Ive just been listening to Hickory Wind,and thinking 'What does this remind me of ?'
Exactly
Thank you again for this song
Touching song and lyrics are beautiful
Beautiful song ❤️🙏
outstanding.
Superb. They don't make 'em like BPB anymore.
Heard this for the first time in Big Sur just a few weeks ago. Thought it was new. Love it all. Just simply amazing. Bonny.
If it was new Bonny it but wouldn't be very good
This has happened twice tonight. The two songs reflected the lyrics perfectly. Almost 6. As he sings that's when you rise from your pillow. Love it.
The best BPB song period
One of my favorite BPB tunes as well, many thanks for uploading.
❤
Most recent release with Eighth Blackbird ("When We Are Inhuman") is my favorite recording of this wonderful song.
One of my favorite songs of his. Thanks roesmoker.
Beautiful song... reminds of 'Hickory Wind, with echoes of Jason Molina in his voice... Not familiar with BPB. Can you have an album you like of his, Graham?
Just so amazing.
I love you so, my sweet Jenn ❤
Love his music
Love this song so much .. fucking Bonnie prince billy man .... so much effing talent LEGEND!!
If only Gram had lived to interpret this song....
DAMN !
Beautiful...
great one
sempre volto aqui.
Sempre.
Hahaha, first time I heard it, I was convinced of the same. "Songs of the Bob White."
He has become to abstract for me during these latest years. It's such a bummer since Joya, greatest palace music and ease down the road are on my top 10. Guess we all move
Agreed. Really for me Superwolf was the last great BPB record, and a lot of that was Matt Sweeney.
great
did he say the songs of Mogwai without any words? Cause they are mostly instrumental.
Bobwhite?
Mogwai first time, Bobwhite second time.
apparently a mogwai is a kind of owl. I did not know
I always thought it was the songs of the Bhagwan
You're welcome! "Songs of the Mogwai", haha! Challenge Accepted.
the always wonderfully odd melodic explanation of longish fingers and floating through the nether regions
It's hard not to notice similarities between Will and Jason though. Lyrically, vocally and their musicality. Doppelgängers!! It doesn't diminish a thing to me -beautiful song this
I hear 'like the songs of the Bogwai' but they don't seem to be an actual tribe... Who is he referring to there? Anyone know?
Bobwhite! It's a kind of bird. He doesn't enunciate the "white" part so it sounds like Mogwai, haha. This is discussed below in earlier comments.
Thanks for that.
I just listened to one online. More shrill then I would have imagined but the soft calls are quite nice...
you're welcome!!
+Burke Bridgman You mean Molina - right? I love Jason more because he lived it.
+David Sumtinelse Yes. The late, great Jason Molina. If you forced me to choose I'd probably say Jason too but I'd say Will has worn more musical hats, has more 'range'. If I can make a rather undeveloped music analogy I'd say JM is Miles Davis and WO is Louis Armstrong. Louis had more range but Miles was unrivalled in his expression and mastery of the mid-range notes.
They die before we can fix it...No matter how much I wanted it to be different
I miss Will Oldham collaborations
I prefer being inhuman as to being inhumane.
Right on JJ
fucking god.
What does it mean to be inhumane?
Adam Holmes i asked the same question.
Jesse Snyder "the inhuman scale of the dinosaurs"
Jesse Snyder I find it funny because Inhumane acts are often very human characteristics.
+Adam Holmes will talks briefly about being inhumame in his KEXP interview
great song ! btw check out my BPB uploads
oh fuck. I had no idea he was dead.
I have nothing to say.
He's not dead. I just saw him in concert.
Jason Molina is dead, not Will Oldham
Lovely !..but a straight rip-off of Hickory wind
he is not at all!