About The Song
Anne Murray’s rendition of “Snowbird,” written by Gene MacLellan, became her breakout hit, earning her the first American Gold record for a Canadian solo female artist. Released in 1970 as a single from her album “This Way Is My Way,” it propelled Murray to international stardom, marking the beginning of her series of Canadian No. 1 hits.
The song metaphorically contrasts the narrator’s inability to leave heartache with the freedom symbolized by a snowbird’s ability to fly away. “Snowbird” resonates with themes of longing for escape and finding solace in nature, encapsulating emotions of longing and bittersweetness.
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Lyrics
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 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 my 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
Fl-y-y-y-y away with you