Where have all the bluebirds gone...?

Question

Hi all,Gone away is the bluebirdHere to stay is a new birdHe sings a love song as we go alongWalking in the winter wonderland.And I am perplexed: why is the bluebird gone away? Is it a migratory species that leaves the UK (orthe US) in winter, to seek warmer climates? Even so, why would it matter for a song that just triesto draw an image of the winter wonderland?Also, what can the new bird be? A titmouse?Thanks in advance for any enlightment,Leszek.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

U¿ytkownik "Leszek L." (Email Removed) napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
[nq:1]Gone away is the bluebird Here to stay is a new bird He sings a love song as we go ... of the winter wonderland? Also, what can the new bird be? A titmouse? Thanks in advance for any enlightment, Leszek.[/nq]
The bluebird is gone since "there's no place for the two of us" said Mr. Stork - the new bird. Mr. Stork has just appeared clad in warm leggings, a scarf and a woolen cap. As we all know storks bring babies and this time our stork is really *** off because someone figured out that the little baby boy whose birth people celebrate allegedly came in winter - not the right season for Mr. Stork. The bluebird seeing the stork in a bad mood would rather avoid a direct confrontation as he was a chicken and besides he was all blue with cold - hence his name. And so he's gone. Hope it helped with your Christmas perplexity.
Mike (for you Micha³)

Usenet · Answer

Leszek L. schrieb:
[nq:1]Gone away is the bluebird Here to stay is a new bird He sings a love song as we go ... of the winter wonderland? Also, what can the new bird be? A titmouse? Thanks in advance for any enlightment, Leszek.[/nq]
The full chorus of the song is:
Sleigh bells ring, are you listeninâ??
In the lane, snow is glisteninâ??
A beautiful sight, weâ??re happy tonight
Walkinâ?? in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song, as we go along
Walkinâ?? in a winter wonderland
I would therefore tend to think that the word should be "blue bird" where "blue" means "sad" - "we're happy tonight", sadness is gone because "we're in love" (the new bird "sings a love song").

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

Usenet · Answer

Howdy, and thanks for writing.
U¿ytkownik "Einde O'Callaghan" (Email Removed) napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
[nq:1]Sleigh bells ring, are you listeninâ?? In the lane, snow is glisteninâ?? A beautiful sight, weâ??re happy tonight[/nq]
It is reassuring to know that we Poles are not the only people whose diacriticals get garbled on the net

[nq:1]I would therefore tend to think that the word should be "blue bird" where "blue" means "sad" - "we're happy tonight", sadness is gone because "we're in love" (the new bird "sings a love song").[/nq]
Makes a lot of sense, thank you. Another interpretation a friend has offered refers to the adage "the bluebird of happiness lives right in your own back yard but you never think of looking for it there until it's too late". That one makes a lot of sense too, but it's much more complicated and thus harder to absorb by novice learners of English. Which is my intended use of the text, once it has been disenperplexified.
[nq:1]Regards, Einde O'Callaghan[/nq]
Cheers,
Leszek.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Gone away is the bluebird Here to stay is a new bird He sings a love song as we go ... of the winter wonderland? Also, what can the new bird be? A titmouse? Thanks in advance for any enlightment, Leszek.[/nq]
Since a textbook is involved you may want to be more precise.

Literally : A blue bird is any bird mainly blue in colour.

A bluebird is an actual species with subspecies, still mainly blue in colour.
Poetically or in song: A bluebird is a symbol of happiness.

A blue bird is a sad bird because one meaning
of blue is sad.
In the area of Canada in which I live the local
subspecies - Eastern Bluebird - is in decline and
there are bluebird bird houses scattered
around parks to help them survive and avoid
us having to ask : ' Where have all the bluebirds gone?'

Where have all the bluebirds gone...?

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