The Bird (The Time song)

{{Infobox song

| name = The Bird

| cover = The_Time_Bird.jpg

| alt = "The Bird" U.S. 12-inch single

| caption = U.S. 12-inch single

| type = Single

| artist = the Time

| album = Ice Cream Castle

| A-side = The Bird

| B-side = "My Drawers"

| written = 1983

| published = 1984

| released = 1985

| recorded = October 4, 1983

| venue = First Avenue

| genre = Rock

| length = 7-inch edit: 3:41
album: 7:40
dance remix: 6:25

| label = Warner Bros.

| composer = Prince (as Jamie Starr), Morris Day, Jesse Johnson

| lyricist = Prince

| producer = Prince

| prev_title = Jungle Love

| prev_year = 1984

| title =

| next_title = Jerk Out

| next_year = 1990

| misc =

{{Extra chronology

| artist = Purple Rain singles

| type = soundtrack

| prev_title = "I Would Die 4 U"

| prev_year = 1984

| title = "The Bird"

| year = 1984

| next_title = "Take Me With U"

| next_year = 1984

}}

}}

"The Bird" is a song from the Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle. The song was initially recorded in the studio in 1983 with all instruments by Prince, except guitar, which was performed by Jesse Johnson.{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/222332511223/10152293702581224 |archive-date = 2022-04-30| url = https://www.facebook.com/JesseJohnsonfan/posts/10152293702581224 |title = Jesse Johnson on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}

This version was replaced by a live recording with the full band at the First Avenue on October 4, 1983. This is the first Time song to be released featuring the Time as a band, rather than primarily Prince with Morris Day on vocals.

Two more live versions have been released: one on Prince's Rave Un2 the Year 2000 DVD, and one recorded at the House of Blues in 1998 for Morris Day's 2004 album It's About Time.