# "Bird on a Wire" - just how old \*is\* it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 7, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718 "2004-08-07T01:39:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teleute12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@teleute12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teleute12)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/1 "2004-08-07T01:39:26Z")
I heard the new KD Lang cover of this song on the radio today, and started googling it when I got home. I’ve discovered that Leonard Cohen wrote it, and it’d seem the first album it appeared on was “Songs from a Room”. in 1969, but I found a version of the song on a certain service that’s by the Fairport Convention as of 1968. So, when was the song first released? And then, I don’t suppose there’s any way to find a list of the artists who’ve covered it over the years? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/2 "2004-08-07T01:48:25Z")
[Cohen discography](http://www.serve.com/cpage/LCohen/discography.html) shows it appearing in 1968. [List of those who have performed it](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=17:154236) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/3 "2004-08-07T03:01:20Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > [Cohen discography](http://www.serve.com/cpage/LCohen/discography.html) shows it appearing in 1968. Actually, that discography shows the song as having been first released on _Songs from a Room_ in April 1969, as **teleute12** said. (You may have been confused by the 1973 reissue single with BOAW as a B-side appearing under a bold “1968” header.) The Fairport version was part of a BBC session recorded and broadcast in December 1968, but not released on record at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/4 "2004-08-07T03:07:55Z")
Johnny Cash’s recording of this song is amazing, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/5 "2004-08-07T03:30:11Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > Johnny Cash’s recording of this song is amazing, BTW. Judy Collins too ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/6 "2004-08-07T23:06:10Z")
**Ilsa\_Lund’s** theory of popular music: All songs improve at least two-fold when covered by either Johnny Cash or Judy Collins. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/7 "2004-08-07T23:16:00Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > **Ilsa\_Lund’s** theory of popular music: All songs improve at least two-fold when covered by either Johnny Cash or Judy Collins. Except “Send in the Clowns”. Nobody can save this song. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/8 "2004-08-07T23:28:58Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Except “Send in the Clowns”. > > Nobody can save this song. If only Johnny and Judy had tried a version together… Putting in a plug for Joe Cocker’s version. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/9 "2004-08-08T00:56:03Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Except “Send in the Clowns”. > > Nobody can save this song. _**MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA. YOU HAVE INSULTED ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS EVER. PREPARE TO DIE.**_ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/10 "2004-08-08T01:12:08Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > _**MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA. > YOU HAVE INSULTED ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS EVER. > PREPARE TO DIE.**_ Ooohh, that’s rich. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/11 "2004-08-08T04:22:03Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Ooohh, that’s rich. > > 😃 Actually, it’s quite queer… We lost our timing this late in our career… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![dry\_gear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@dry\_gear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dry_gear)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/12 "2004-08-08T04:40:17Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Judy Collins too Same for Leonard Cohen. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/13 "2004-08-08T12:15:08Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Except “Send in the Clowns”. > > Nobody can save this song. You obviously never heard Dudu Fisher’s Hebrew version. Of course, that man could sing the NYC phone book in Hebrew and make it sound totally amazing. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/14 "2004-08-08T16:14:04Z")
Actually, IMO, you haven’t heard “Bird on a Wire” until you’ve heard The Bobs do their live, a capella heavy metal version (yes, you read that right). ---
**Author:** ![dry\_gear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@dry\_gear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dry_gear)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-on-a-wire-just-how-old-is-it/258718/15 "2004-08-08T21:07:47Z")
> [@scotandrsn](#): > > Actually, IMO, you haven’t heard “Bird on a Wire” until you’ve heard The Bobs do their live, a capella heavy metal version (yes, you read that right). I’m scared.