To 'I'm Like a Bird': You're Beautiful, That's For Sure
A rebuttal by Dan Casarella
You never know when your writing or point of view might strike a chord with someone. Little did I know that an opinion of mine in a piece I wrote on Nelly Furtado would have such an affect on someone, that they would feel compelled to write a rebuttal, which you’re about to read.
When describing my friend Dan Casarella, I usually begin with “He’s a cool guy, he has a podcast.” Well actually, he’s the host of two podcasts: Out of Love and Per Amore (listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify). On Out of Love Dan spoke with friends, experts and people he had just met (including me) about love and relationships as he prepared to officiate his sister’s wedding. I had the distinct honor and pleasure of being a guest on the pod, which you can listen to here. He then created Per Amore, a miniseries about his father’s experience growing up in Bisaccia, Italy and immigrating to America in the ‘70s. Dan also previously worked for The Kimmel Show as a producer (he can probably tell you what you really want to know about your favorite celebrity). You can follow both Dan and his podcast(s) on Instagram.
Dan felt strongly about defending Nelly Furtado’s hit song “I’m Like a Bird” - so yes, you’re getting a double whammy in your inbox this week.
I’d like to start out by saying Camille Mola is a dear friend. She has an infectious laugh, a sympathetic heart, and her knowledge of Philadelphia hot spots is unmatched. So much so, that I refer to her as “the mayor” every time I see her.
And like all dear friends, we have our difference of opinions. Camille loves mozzarella sticks, I think they’re hot garbage. Camille went to Penn State, Nittany lions continue to haunt my dating life. But she had one opinion on a recent blog that I simply couldn’t let go uncontested:
“[Nelly Furtado’s] debut album titled Whoa, Nelly! (incredible name) featured Grammy award-winning song I’m Like A Bird. To be totally transparent, I strongly disliked that song. I re-listened to it for this post, and I still couldn’t quite get through it.”
“I’m Like a Bird” is an excellent song. Certainly not one that’s difficult to get through with its breezy melody, dreamy languor, and relatable bruised optimism. It’s the rare type of pop song that can harmlessly be in the background on a long drive or send you into an introspective state of reflection. It satisfies all needs from a listening experience and all under 4 minutes.
The song starts with Furtado singing “you’re beautiful, that’s for sure.” Imagine how lucky you would be to be greeted with that sentiment in real life and Nelly Furtado sings it to you to be used infinitely, whenever you need to hear it. But the romance won't last. Because despite her unbounding love, eventually and instinctually, she's going to have to leave. Fortunately for us, we can always restart the song to re-experience that affectionate welcome.
Throughout the song Furtado grapples with the premise of being loved. We don't know who she's singing about or what they're like, but it doesn't matter. For Nelly, the mere idea of losing someone she’s deeply connected with, who she loves is too much to shoulder on her wings. So, to make it painless, she needs to fly away and not get involved.
21 years after its release, it strikes me that this song seems more relevant than ever. Millennials are the least satisfied generation in modern history. Everything we do never seems like it’s enough. Everyone seems to struggle with at least some component of stability, be a professional, financial, romantic, or just simply their self-identity. How many of have sought out a new job or career change at such a young age? Or feel compelled to move when we feel we’ve worn out our city’s welcome? Like a bird, like Nelly Furtado, we fly away and move on, in hopes of satisfying ourselves, landing somewhere and with someone we love.
Perhaps the song is too personal for me to have an unbiased opinion on. As someone who’s had five zip codes in five years, moving across the country twice from city to city, maybe I don’t know where my home is. And I certainly don’t know where to begin to look for a soul. But “I’m Like a Bird” offers a comfort for the restless, that we aren’t alone in our endless pursuit. For the rest of us, it’s the rare throwback jam that takes us back to a simpler time and still holds up. Give it a listen and fly away.