I'm Like a Bird

"I'm Like a Bird"
Single by Nelly Furtado
from the album Whoa, Nelly!
B-side "I Feel You"
"Party (Reprise)"
"My Love Grows Deeper"
Released October 24, 2000 (2000-10-24)
Format CD single
Recorded 1999
Genre
Length 4:03
Label DreamWorks
Songwriter(s) Nelly Furtado
Producer(s)
Nelly Furtado singles chronology
"I'm Like a Bird"
(2000)		 "Turn Off the Light"
(2001)

"I'm Like a Bird"
(2000)		 "Turn Off the Light"
(2001)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"I'm Like a Bird" on YouTube
Alternative cover
European cover

"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album, Whoa, Nelly!

It was one of the most successful singles of 2001, peaking at number one on Canada's MuchMusic chart, as well as number two in Australia and New Zealand, number five in the United Kingdom, and number nine in the United States.

The song received very positive reviews from music critics for Furtado's singing and the empowering lyrics, and became one of the most critically acclaimed songs of 2001. Many also consider it to be her signature song; Furtado herself commented "There's a simplicity about it that I love," and "It's my freedom song". The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, making Furtado the first female act to win the award for her debut single since Mariah Carey did so ten years earlier and the last to be awarded to a Canadian artist winner in the category. It also won the Juno Award for Single of the Year.

Music Theory

"I'm Like a Bird" is composed common time in the key of B♭ major.[1] The song moves at 90 beats per minute, and Furtado's voice spans around an octave and a half, from F3 to B♭4.[1] It is written in verse-chorus form, with a bridge before the third chorus.[1]

Artist Response

In 2006 Furtado said of the song, "I've heard it sung at karaoke or by cover bands and it was awesome — I was like, wow, I've got one of those songs. Somebody once called it a 'hairbrush song', one that girls and guys sing in front of the mirror with their hairbrush. I just think I'm lucky I have it — it's paying the bills!"[2]

Music video

The music video for "I'm Like a Bird" was directed by Francis Lawrence.[3] The video begins in the sky where the camera slowly pans down onto Furtado, who is lying in the grass. It then shows her singing on a tree trunk in mid-air. In the chorus she gets up and starts singing to the camera while birds are flying around her. The second verse shows her sitting in mid-air in a forest, while singing to the camera. The chorus consists of flashes of Furtado singing in mid-air, again, while leaning on the tree trunk. During the bridge she is singing to a bug while her eyes change colour. The conclusion of the video shows her falling backwards from a branch into a crowd as she sings the final chorus of the song. The last shot pans out to reveal a crowd of tens of thousands.

There was made an edited version of the music video for European VH1, where some scenes where changed.

Track listing

UK CD single
  1. "I'm Like a Bird" (LP version) – 4:02
  2. "Party" (Reprise) (non-LP version) – 4:53
  3. "My Love Grows Deeper" (non-LP version) – 4:54
  4. "I'm Like a Bird" (video) – 4:02
German 2-track single
  1. "I'm Like a Bird" (LP version) – 4:02
  2. "Party" (Reprise) (non-LP version) – 4:53
German 4-track single
  1. "I'm Like a Bird" (LP version) – 4:02
  2. "Party" (Reprise) (non-LP version) – 4:53
  3. "My Love Grows Deeper" (non-LP version) – 4:54
  4. "I Feel You" (featuring Esthero) – 4:08

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Whoa, Nelly! album liner notes.[4]

Official versions

  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Junior Vasquez Club Anthem Remix) – 10:21
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Junior Vasquez Club Anthem Padapella) – 9:12
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Junior Vasquez Earth Anthem Radio Mix) – 6:30
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Gavo's Martini Bar mix) – 6:56
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Your Mom's Mix) - 7:27
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Moon mix) – 4:27
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Tara remix)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (F Man remix)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Vadco Martini mix)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Bubbling Reggae remix)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Asha vs. Nelly Remix) – 5:33
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Studio Version from Get Loose Tour) – 5:51
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Radio promo) – 4:02
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (LP version) – 4:04
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Acoustic version) – 4:29
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Piano version)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Karaoke version)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Instrumental version)
  • "I'm Like a Bird" (Element 101 Cover from Punk Goes Pop)

Release history

Region Date Label
United States October 24, 2000 DreamWorks
Canada November 28, 2000 Universal Music
Europe February 19, 2001
Australia February 26, 2001
United Kingdom

Charts and certifications

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sheet music for "I'm Like a Bird". Nelstar Publishing. 2001.
  2. ↑ de Silverio, Victoria. "Nelly Furtado: Free As A Bird" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine.. Blender. July 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2006.
  3. ↑ Method Studios - Nelly Furtado "I'm Like a Bird" Archived 2007-10-26 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ (2000) Album notes for Whoa, Nelly! by Nelly Furtado [liner notes]. DreamWorks Records.
  5. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  9. ↑ "Brazil" (PDF). ABPD. October 6, 2001. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  10. ↑ "MuchMusic (Canada) Weekly Singles Chart for 2001". Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7292." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  12. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7102." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  13. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Tracklisten.
  14. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in French). Les classement single.
  15. ↑ "Musicline.de – Furtado,Nelly Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  16. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 15, 2001". Irish Singles Chart.
  17. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Top Digital Download.
  18. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 12, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  20. ↑ "Charts.nz – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Top 40 Singles.
  21. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". VG-lista.
  22. ↑ "Top40-charts.com". Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  23. ↑ Romanian 2001 end-of-year charts
  24. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  25. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Singles Top 100.
  26. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Swiss Singles Chart.
  27. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  28. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  29. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  30. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  31. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  32. ↑ "ARIA End Of Year Singles 2001 | Top 50 Australian Singles Chart". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2001" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  34. ↑ "Rapports annuels 2001" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  35. ↑ "JAAROVERZICHTEN - Single 2001" (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  36. ↑ "End of Year Charts 2001". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Årslista Singlar - År 2001" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  38. ↑ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  39. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 2001". Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  40. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  41. ↑ "British single certifications – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like a Bird". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 9, 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type I'm Like a Bird in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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