Welcome to the third episode of The Theme Show, “For the Birds.“
The Birds theme was initially broadcast on December 16, 1999, as a live shoutcast. I reworked it a little, sticking only to songs that had ‘bird’ in the title.
The joke among my friends is that I own “all the CDs,” yet for some reason I was hard pressed to find a copy of “Free Bird,” and I needed to buy a 3rd copy of The White Album because it went missing… again! Instead, I had to put a cover version of “Blackbird.” I felt bad replacing the Beatles, but it turned out the cover was a nice pick-me-up for the set.
For some reason, 75% of songs about birds are mellow, so this is a subdued set. Also, for those of you who remember from way back, the Theme Shows all used to end in an Obligatory Polka; in this case, I left it in (sort of).
Playlist Note (2025)
This playlist was first made in 2006, during a time when my awareness of cultural and lyrical sensitivity was less developed. Some songs may contain language or imagery that, by today’s standards, feels insensitive. I keep them not as an endorsement, but as part of the archival process.
Recreated versions of the original podcast setlists are now available below. Due to changes in streaming music catalogs over time, some tracks from the early episodes may be unavailable.
Check them out at:
Setlist:
| Color Key | Not Available on Spotify | Not Available on YTMusic | Not Available on Either |
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| Surfin’ Bird | The Trashmen |
| Free Bird | Lynyrd Skynrd |
| The Bird (Live) | Morris Day |
| Blue Bird | Stacy Robin |
| The Birds of Rhiannon | Faith & The Muse |
| A Flock of Birds | Chako |
| Circus Bird | The Rivergods |
| Blue Bird Tattoo | Circe Link |
| Mexican Blackbird | ZZ Top |
| Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) | John Lennon |
| Bluebird | Daniel Ash |
| This Little Bird | Marianne Faithfull |
| The Birds and the Bees | Jewel Akens |
| Mockingbird | Inez & Charlie Foxx |
| Tennessee Bird Walk | Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan |
| Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag) | Julie Andrews |
| Rain Bird | Love & Rockets |
| Blackbird | Eros |
| Bird | Dead Can Dance |
| Three Little Birds | Bob Marley & The Wailers |
| Bird of Paradise | Guitar Garden |
| Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) | Icicle Works |
| Caged Bird | The Shroud |
| Birdie Song (AKA The Chicken Dance) | Hampton the Hampster |
For other bird-related themes, please check out.
and
Hunting down that original mix?
The MP3 is ready for streaming or download below. Just one note from your host: copyright claims might pull the plug without warning—so grab it while it’s still in the archive.