Little Birds (song)

Little Birds is the fourth single by American folk rock band Neutral Milk Hotel. It was written in 1998 but remained officially unreleased until 2011, when it was released as part of Neutral Milk Hotel's Walking Wall of Words compilation package.[1][2][3] Both the studio version and the live version were performed solely by Jeff Mangum. The studio version of the song was recorded by friend and regular collaborator Robert Schneider and engineered by Craig Morris, while the live version of the song was recorded by filmmaker and cinematographer Lance Bangs. The album art was designed by Mangum and Mark Ohe.[4]

"Little Birds"
Single by Neutral Milk Hotel
ReleasedDecember 12, 2011
Format7" Vinyl
RecordedDecember 1998 – January 1999
GenreFolk rock, lo-fi
Length10:38
LabelNeutral Milk Hotel Records
Producer(s)Jeff Mangum
Neutral Milk Hotel singles chronology
"You've Passed/Where You'll Find Me Now"
(2011)		 "Little Birds"
(2011)

Background

"Little Birds" is the only known song by Neutral Milk Hotel written after the release of In the Aeroplane over the Sea of which a recorded version exists. It is also the only post-Aeroplane song that has been performed in public.[5] Mangum described the song thus:

It's the beginning of a story where a boy is in a not-so-nice situation. One day, little birds start to form around him in his room. They start coming into his body and he was very happy about this. But unfortunately he tries to share it with other people and they get very upset because this is something that he finds to be very beautiful but they don't find very beautiful and they want to destroy it.

— Jeff Mangum

The song was also inspired by the murder of Matthew Shepard.

Track listing
A-Side

"Little Birds"

B-Side

"Little Birds" (Live)

References
  1. Young, Alex (2011-09-16). "Check Out: Neutral Milk Hotel – 'Little Birds (Unfinished Version 2)'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  2. Fitzmaurice, Larry (2011-09-16). "Listen to Another Unreleased Neutral Milk Hotel Song, Mix From Jeff Mangum". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  3. Martin, Andrew (2011-09-16). "Neutral Milk Hotel: 'Little Birds' (Unfinished Version 2) (Unreleased)". Prefix Media. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  4. walkingwallofwords.com
  5. Cooper, Kim (2005). In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. New York; London: Continuum Books. p. 95. ISBN 978-0826416902.
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