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The Prettiest Bird

from The Prettiest Bird by Susan Pepper

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about

Drawing upon imagery from the trad. song“The Blackest Crow”, “The Prettiest Bird” is about the tension between birth and death and the beautiful, tenuous spaces in between.

lyrics

The reddest rose will wither and die
The prettiest bird away shall fly
The whitest cloud passes on by
And so my love shall you and I

The sun lifts up so full and ripe
Purple orange streaks on the sky
Soaring so high with an eagle’s pride
No time to stop and wonder why

Each is born a labor of love
Fire water sweat and blood
It clings to its nest like a turtle dove
until it enters in the flood

(Bridge)
Bound to fly away, bound to fly
Bound to fly away, bound to fly
Bound to fly away, bound—to fly

Oceans rise and mountains fall
Across the pines a hoot owl calls
A baby’s born and an old woman falls
We pray and pine for time to stall

A golden globe on a sea of blue
drops and paints a wondrous hue
These bookends that bind us, me and you
We live each day so false and true

The reddest rose will wither and die
The prettiest bird away shall fly
The whitest cloud passes on by
And so my love shall you and I
And so my love we’re bound to fly

credits

from The Prettiest Bird, released October 3, 2020
voice: Susan Pepper
guitar & mandolin: Zeb Gambill
fiddle: Julie Chiles
bass: Joseph DeJarnette
(c) Susan Pepper/ ASCAP Anna Blue Music

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about

Susan Pepper North Carolina

Susan Pepper is a grassroots musician, performer and educator dedicated to sharing heartfelt songs old and new and building community through song. She performs unaccompanied ballads as well as songs with banjo, dulcimer and guitar. Her repertoire is informed by her older mountain musician mentors. Her compositions draw inspiration from old music, stories of individuals, nature and the sacred. ... more

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