As originally written, the song urged all birders to stand up and be counted, and was originally performed in Maryland after a Christmas Bird Count, when birdwatchers who have been out counting birds all day gather together to make a list of all the birds they've seen during their annual all-day bird count.
Here are the lyrics as originally written and performed:
Oh Yeah, yeah
We roll tonight
To the birds in flight
Yeah, yeah, oh
Stand up and be counted
For all the birds that you have seen
We are the birders
We are birding lean and mean
Hail hail to the good times
'Cause birding's got the right of way
We ain't no legend, ain't no cause
We're just livin' for today
For those about to bird, we salute you!
For those about to bird, we salute you!
We bird at dawn on the front line
Like a bolt right out of the blue
The sky's alight with birds in flight
Birds will roll and flock tonight
For those about to bird, we salute you!
Hee hee..I LOVE IT...
ReplyDeleteYou need to get those birding Rockers, Julie Zickefoose, Bill Thompson and the Kaufmans to buy the rights to the song :) and cut a record..I bet it goes right to the Birding top ten spot!!
Rob Fergus, You are a mad genious. For this, and so many other birdy reasons, I Salute YOU!
ReplyDelete~kimmer
You want nerdy? I'll give you nerdy.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know the original song!
Kim, hellp meee!
I had an AC/DC-free 80's.
I KNEW something was off about the commercial version of that song.
ReplyDeleteJulie, say it isn't so!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H33vSYapNNs&feature=related
Okiebu, yeah there was just something a little off about the line "The sky's alight with the guitar bite
Heads will roll and rock tonight."
That line makes more sense as a sloppy rewrite :-)
Lots of classic rock songs started out as birding tributes, even going back to the Drifters. "Under the Boardwalk" wasn't always a song about makin' love at the beach, but was originally about going "Out on the Birdwalk" until it go into the hands of the record label that is.
ReplyDeleteHere are the true words behind that classic tune (feel free to sing along loud and proud!)
(Oh) When the sun comes up
And all the birds begin to sing
You get binoculars
Field guide in hand
You know I just love Spring
Out on the birdwalk
What will we see? (yeah)
Spotting birdies is my hobby
That's where I'll be.
(Out on the birdwalk) We'll see Waxwing
(Out on the birdwalk) We'll see Starling
(Out on the birdwalk) There's a Warbler above
(Out on the birdwalk) I hear Mourning Dove
Out on the birdwalk (birdwalk!)
From the park you hear
the piercing call of a Killdeer
Mm-mm, you can really hear
the Cowbirds and Sparrows so clear
Out on the birdwalk
down by the creek (yeah)
Watching Orioles feeding babies
That's where I'll be.
(Out on the birdwalk) We'll see a Crow
(Out on the birdwalk) We'll see Swallow
(Out on the birdwalk) I hear a House Finch
(Out on the birdwalk) a Heron in a pinch
Out on the birdwalk (birdwalk!)
[instrumental break]
(Oooooh) Out on the birdwalk
What we will see? (yeah)
Spotting birdies is my hobby
That's where I'll be.
(Out on the birdwalk) Mallards we'll see
(Out on the birdwalk) A Falcon possibly
(Out on the birdwalk) Pigeons all around
(Out on the birdwalk) Robins on the ground
Out on the birdwalk (birdwalk!)
really love this!
ReplyDeleteBirding is fun..(Robert) Another excellent tune. I love both songs..Now, whos going to sing them?
ReplyDeleteZick ~ Have no fear. I absorbed enough AC/DC for both of us. I know we could totally rock that song!
ReplyDelete