"Can I be your bride?" Identify this indie song from the 90s ...

January 5, 2012 11:04 PM

"Little birdy sending a message over the ocean wide / little birdy sending a message: 'Can I be your bride?'" Who sang this song?

Sometime between 1995 and 1997, probably closer to '97, I heard a song on WRAS --- "Album 88", Georgia State Radio, 88.5FM in Atlanta --sung by a female singer with a chorus something like "Little birdy sending a message over the ocean wide / little birdy sending a message: 'Can I be your bride?'"

Honestly, this question has been bothering me since the late '90's. The googles, they do nothing. WHO SANG THIS SONG?

posted by jacobm to media & arts (3 answers total)

The timeframe, context, and repeated bit are a fairly close match for "Little Birdy" by Kristin Hersh, which is catchy enough that I can imagine someone remembering it that long.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 12:16 AM on January 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Lyrics-wise your song appears to be a variation of the folk song "Little Birdie," though I don't know if your tune is the same. If that's the case you'd have the best luck hitting up folksong collectors like Mudcat etc.
posted by nicebookrack at 7:27 AM on January 6, 2012

Ooh, I think I know it! Is it "Mermaid and the Sailor" by DQE?

Here's an Amazon link. Here's a link to a possibly sketchy site where you can listen to the whole thing.
posted by kitty teeth at 3:04 PM on January 6, 2012 [1 favorite]