Little Bird (Annie Lennox song)

Swedish Aftonbladet wrote that "Little Bird" is based on "a vibrant sight loop not quite unlike many old Eurythmics songs".Aftonbladet. 3 April 1992. Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "a synth-driven thumper that harks back to her early Eurythmics tenure. Icy cool instrumentation is contrasted by a passionate vocal and an elastic bass line". He also complimented the song as "adventurous".{{cite magazine|first= Larry |last= Flick |title= Single Reviews |magazine= Billboard |date= 19 December 1992 |page= 71 |accessdate= 25 October 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-12-N.pdf |author-link= Larry Flick}} Randy Clark from Cash Box viewed it as a "beat-laden pop/rock ditty", adding, "although slightly less artsy musically than the first two singles, "Little Bird" has wings of its own."{{cite magazine|first= Randy |last= Clark |title= Music Reviews: Singles |magazine= Cash Box |date= 26 December 1992 |page= 7 |accessdate= 1 November 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-12-26.pdf}} Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report found that Lennox' "hit streak is about to carryover into 1993 on the wings of a sensitively written and brilliantly produced song that expresses what many people feel from time to time. All that, and it's uptempo!"{{cite magazine|first= Dave |last= Sholin |title= Gavin Picks > Singles |magazine= Gavin Report |issue= 1935 |date= 11 December 1992 |page= 48 |accessdate= 16 April 2018 |url= http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Gavin-Report/90/92/Gavin-1992-12-11.pdf}}

Matthew Cole from Music Week's RM Dance Update called it a "luscious tune".{{cite magazine|first= Matthew |last= Cole |title= Record Mirror Dance Update: Hot Vinyl Buzzing |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= 6 February 1993 |page= 6 |accessdate= 24 March 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-02-06.pdf}} Another RM editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "perky strutter".{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |title= Djdirectory |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= 6 February 1993 |page= 7 |accessdate= 24 March 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-02-06.pdf |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}} Alec Foege from Spin named it the album's "finest track", saying "Its call-and-response woo-woos exude genuine confidence, cleverness, and craft."{{cite magazine|first=Alec|last=Foege|title=Spins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_hQxGHrtDC0C|magazine=Spin|date=July 1992|page=75|accessdate=27 February 2020|author-link=Alec Foege}} Richard Riccio from St. Petersburg Times declared it as "an obvious hit with a menacing beat and infectious vocal hook. Although quite similar rhythmically to the early Eurythmics' hit "Love Is a Stranger", there's more soul than detachment here, and Lennox hoots and hollers during the chorus, pulling you into the fun."Riccio, Richard (19 June 1992). "'Diva' is simply divine". St. Petersburg Times. Craig S. Semon from Telegram & Gazette described it as "punchy" and "bittersweet", adding that "Lennox's vocals soar as she fantasizes about being a free-flying, cheerful bird. The song's pain comes from Lennox realizing that such freedom and happiness are unattainable for her."Semon, Craig S.(7 June 1992). "Annie Lennox strikes up the bland with 'Diva'". Telegram & Gazette.

In a 2009 review, Mike Ragogna from HuffPost wrote that in the song, "Lennox observes the creature's freedom as it glides across the sky. Though the song starts out with self-doubt, she concludes, ...this little bird's fallen out of that nest now...so I've just got to put these wings to test, and both she and the collection soar from that point on."{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Ragogna|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/huffpost-reviews-emthe-an_b_169374?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH0eCt99L8AMYXDcWtwSY-mhGaU9ISafWEIdnE0g1QrjRaG94HwQooQNber7gxBxwa-udBvfv4la82Y8LYgoiVaYOmwraWMqnmBH9K0n2qMLj__H-yHsoBKuPAEUtpJaj4rc7kSpNRe3CQfRQGCj8-4sfkCORzOm5YjjLPZ3G0cn|title=HuffPost Reviews : The Annie Lennox Collection|website=HuffPost|date=27 March 2009|accessdate=28 February 2020}} In a 2015 review, Pop Rescue noted that it "has a wonderful electro-pop feel to it – the beat and swirling synth helps the song grow wonderfully as Annie sings over the top."{{cite web|url=https://poprescue.com/2015/08/12/pop-rescue-diva-by-annie-lennox-cd-1992/|title=Review: "Diva" by Annie Lennox (CD, 1992)|publisher=Pop Rescue|date=12 August 2015|accessdate=29 March 2020}}

"Little Bird" / "Love Song for a Vampire" was successful on the charts on several continents, peaking at number one on both the RPM Dance chart in Canada and the Billboard Dance Club Play chart in the US. In Europe, it entered the top 10 in Italy,{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-05-08.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=19|date=8 May 1993|page=24|access-date=24 November 2019}} Ireland, Portugal,{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-03-13.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=11|date=13 March 1993|page=24|access-date=20 March 2018}} Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it reached number five in March 1993.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-03-20.pdf|title=Hits of the World|magazine=Billboard|volume=105|issue=12|page=55|date=20 March 1993|access-date=2 November 2016}} In the UK, the single peaked at number three during its first week on the UK Singles Chart, on 7 February 1993. It stayed for four weeks at that position and spent a total of 12 consecutive weeks within the UK top 100. On the Music Week Dance Singles chart, the song peaked at number two.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-02-13.pdf|title=Top 60 Dance Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=18|date= 13 February 1993|access-date=8 April 2021}} Additionally, "Little Bird" was a top-30 hit in Germany and Iceland and a top-40 hit in Switzerland. In North America, it also peaked at numbers 49 and 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, respectively, in the US, as well as number seven on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart in Canada.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1993/CB-1993-03-13.pdf|title=Top 100 Pop Singles|magazine=Cash Box|volume=LVI|issue=27|date=13 March 1993|page=2|access-date=20 April 2024}}

"Little Bird" earned a silver record in the UK, after 200,000 singles were sold. In 2012, after Lennox performed the song during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, it charted as a solo single for the first time, reaching number 96 on the UK Singles Chart.

The accompanying music video for "Little Bird" was directed by British director Sophie Muller and features eight Lennox lookalikes dressed as the many different personas that Lennox has used in her videos (both solo and as part of Eurythmics) over the past decade, with Lennox herself in a Cabaret-esque setting acting as ringmaster. Gradually, the personas begin to squabble for the spotlight, pushing aside one another and Lennox herself as she fights to maintain control.

The music videos referenced by the personas include:

• "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
• "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)"
• "Thorn in My Side"
• "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
• "I Need a Man"
• "Why"
• "Walking on Broken Glass"
• The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

Lennox was in late stages of pregnancy with her second daughter Tali during the filming of the video. The "ringmaster" persona, played by Lennox, wears a black dress designed to give the illusion of being close-fitting, with a fully sequinned front and a flowing matte back panel that together partially conceal her baby bump. The music video was later made available by VEVO on YouTube in 2009, having generated almost 13 million views as of early 2024 on the platform.

All tracks were written by Annie Lennox unless otherwise noted.

CD – Arista (US)

{{Track listing

|title1 = Little Bird

|note1 = Edit

|length1 = 4:32

|title2 = Love Song for a Vampire

|note2 = from Bram Stoker's Dracula

|length2 = 4:16

|title3 = Why

|length3 = 5:04

|title4 = The Gift

|writer4 = Lennox/Buchanan, Bell, Moore

|length4 = 4:36*

|title5 = You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart

|writer5 = Lennox/Stewart

|length5 = 4:06*

}}

• The final three tracks were recorded live for MTV Unplugged at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, 3 July 1992.

CD – BMG (UK)

{{Track listing

|title1 = Little Bird

|length1 = 4:39

|title2 = Love Song for a Vampire

|note2 = from Bram Stoker's Dracula

|length2 = 4:17

|title3 = Little Bird

|note3 = Utah Saints Version

|length3 = 6:35

|title4 = Little Bird

|note4 = N-Joi Version

|length4 = 4:46

}}

12-inch – Arista (US)

{{Track listing

|title1 = Little Bird

|note1 = House of Gypsies Version

|length1 = 6:59

|title2 = Little Bird

|note2 = House of Gypsies Radio Version

|length2 = 4:18

|title3 = Little Bird

|note3 = House of Annie Version

|length3 = 4:19

|title4 = Little Bird

|note4 = Single Version

|length4 = 4:32

|title5 = Little Bird

|note5 = Utah Saints Version

|length5 = 6:38

|title6 = Little Bird

|note6 = N-Joi Version

|length6 = 4:52

}}

• House of Gypsies mixes by Todd Terry

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{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Annie Lennox|title=Little Bird / Song for a Vampire|award=Silver|certyear=1993|relyear=1993|id=3875-2688-1|access-date=30 October 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

• List of number-one dance singles of 1993 (U.S.)
• List of RPM number-one dance singles of 1993

{{Reflist}}

{{Annie Lennox}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little Bird (Annie Lennox Song)}}

Category:1992 songs

Category:1993 singles

Category:Annie Lennox songs

Category:Arista Records singles

Category:Bertelsmann Music Group singles

Category:Music videos directed by Sophie Muller

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson

Category:Songs written by Annie Lennox