I'm Like a Bird
| "I'm Like a Bird" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "I Feel You" |
"I'm like a Bird" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West for her first album Whoa, Nelly! (2000). Furtado said that "I'm like a Bird" is her favourite song: "There's a simplicity about it that I love", she explained. "It's my freedom song." It was one of the most successful singles of 2001, reaching number one in Canada, number two in Australia, number five in the UK and number nine in the U.S. It won a 2002 Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and was covered by the band Element 101, whose version appears on the compilation album Punk Goes Pop (2002). Furtado said of the song, "I've heard it sung at karaoke or by cover bands and it was awesome — I was like, wow, I've got one of those songs. Somebody once called it a "hairbrush song", one that girls and guys sing in front of the mirror with their hairbrush. I just think I'm lucky I have it — it's paying the bills!"[2]
The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence.
Music and structure
"I'm like a Bird" is composed in common time in the key of B♭ major.[3] The song moves at 90 beats per minute, and Furtado's voice spans around an octave and a half, from F3 to B♭4.[3] It is written in verse-chorus form, with a bridge before the second chorus.[3]
Track listing
- "I'm like a Bird" (LP version)
- "Party (Reprise)" (LP version)
- "I Feel You"
- "My Love Grows Deeper" (non-LP version)
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hot100Brasil | 1 |
| United World Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks | 6 |
| Official UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 4 |
| Dutch Mega Single Top 100 | 8 |
Notes
- ^ [1]
- ^ de Silverio, Victoria. "Nelly Furtado: Free As A Bird". Blender. July 2006. Retrieved September 18 2006.
- ^ a b c Sheet music for "I'm like a Bird". Nelstar Publishing. 2001.