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Snowbird

Rating:
4.3 / 5

Words & Music: Gene MacLellan

Beneath this snowy mantle cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting
for its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings a 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
Is the thing 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 she'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

Recordingdate: 1970/09/22, first released on: Elvis Country (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Snowbird:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(harmonica)

Others*

(guitar)
(percussion)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Snowbird.

bastiaanvinke wrote on March 10, 2009
love the song, love the album
Deano1 wrote on April 16, 2010
A solid rendition of a song made popular by Anne Murray that leads of the excellent LP "Elvis Country". One of the breezier tracks on the album and not one of the highlights, but a solid four star track with Elvis in fine vocal form.
shoesuedeblues wrote on April 16, 2010
A good version of Anne Murray's world wide hit single. The song bounces along very nicely, did Elvis really like the song or was he just jumping on the bandwagon? As many versions were recorded around this time
old shep wrote on April 16, 2010
A good Elvis recording which seems to have been forgotten.
My boy, my boy wrote on April 16, 2010
Fabulous song, can't get enough !
Pedro Nuno wrote on April 16, 2010
I Love Elvis Country, and this song is a perfect startof it
Great Dane wrote on April 16, 2010
Always loved the album. I rate this song 4* and the album 5*.
derekd wrote on April 16, 2010
Ann Murry had a big Uk hit with this song, so it was a good choice for the opening track to the EC album. A very good recording from Elvis and really sets up the rest of the Lp. Looking back the album should have done better chartwise.
NONE000000 wrote on April 16, 2010
One of my earliest Elvis records was called Elvis: A Canadian Tribute, and it was on clear gold vinyl. Snowbird was on it and this was my favorite Elvis song for years. It is still really high on my list of favorites. I don't know how may live versions exist, but the one I have on a bootleg is fantastic. I don't know if he performed it live often, but he should have! Great song! Great voice!
Steve V wrote on May 13, 2010
Solid, very solid song & performance. This would be the last Elvis album to totally thrill me and warrant repeat playings day after day.
dgirl wrote on May 13, 2010
Good lead-off song to Elvis' truly last great album. One of his best.
ElvisSacramento wrote on December 08, 2012
This is such a beautiful, catchy and fun song and it's always been my favorite song from the "Elvis Country" album. Elvis' only concert performance of this gem occurred during the Las Vegas, Nevada Dinner Show from January 29, 1971.
sugartummy wrote on May 05, 2013
At least we can now listen to the end off the song, without I Was Born.. killing it. Some claim this song is about drugs. I dig this one.
shawnrw wrote on January 04, 2014
This offers little more than a male version than the Anne Murray's classic original. Nonetheless, it is beautifully sung, and had Elvis had put it out before Murray it would every bit as much his hit as it is regarded as hers now.
Gorse wrote on November 09, 2014
Yes a real breezy start to a great album that had no weak tracks It always amuses me when it is stated Elvis added nothing new to the original. Yes he did, he added his voice, and that is good enough for me.- 4 stars
ntass1 wrote on February 26, 2017
beautifully sung,excellent version of Anne Murray's song."Elvis Country" album 5 STARS.
Cruiser621 wrote on November 17, 2017
Finally, a song I can give 5-stars to. Amazing how many "dogs" he put out on record during ther 1970's and among them are some really amazing tunes. Plain and simple, I like this one.
JerryNodak wrote on August 22, 2019
Elvis doesn't try to remake this song. Simply brings his voice to the Anne Murray arrangement. Great result. 4 stars.
Milky White Way wrote on August 23, 2019
I can listen to this over and over again. I love it and the live versions to.
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