1532 Songtext
von Smallgang

I swallowed a little bird
And from my throat sprang
A trilling and lilting melody
Made the bell of my heart ring

So I swallowed more and more
Saw my library of tunes expand

Now the trees and fields are quiet
To find a feathered meal to bite
My destination′s uncertain
I eat and sing to pass the time
Until I find the last singing bird
Tell him I must consume him
So that when I exhale
My syllables take wing

And I've tried ducks and seagulls
They only make cries and quacks
And a whistle I could master
It′s a rusted nail to a gleaming tack


And he says
"Oh, can't you hear
The shit of your appetite
The silent, sad country
The tramp of your hunter's feet
The only singing beast

"So please don′t eat me
I am all bone and beak
I am no tasty treat
That would rest in your gut
I would flap in your throat"

But I ignore his pleas and eat
′Til I find that his
Is the saddest song
And the only one
The only one that I can sing
The only one I know
The only one that I can sing
The only one I know

The only one I know