About The Song
“Snowbird” is a delicate folk-country ballad by Anne Murray, released in June 1970 as the lead single from her Capitol Records album This Way Is My Way. Written by Gene MacLellan, it soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart for six weeks, also hitting No. 1 in Canada on the RPM Top Singles chart. Certified gold in the US for over one million sales, the 2:10 track captures a yearning for freedom and escape from heartache, inspired by a flock of snowbirds: “Beneath its snowy mantle cold and clean / The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green.” Murray’s crystalline vocals, gentle yet emotive, convey a wistful longing, as Billboard praised: “Anne’s voice is pure magic, like a breeze over snow.” Murray told CMT in 2005, “Gene’s song felt like my story—wanting to fly away but knowing I’d return.” The song earned a 1970 Juno Award for Best Female Vocal Performance and launched Murray’s international career.
Recorded in 1969 at Bay Studios in Toronto, the track was produced by Brian Ahern, with uncredited Canadian musicians likely including Buddy Cage on pedal steel and Brad Campbell on bass, per Discogs. The minimalist arrangement—soft acoustic guitar, subtle strings, and light percussion—highlights Murray’s voice, as AllMusic notes: “It’s a perfect blend of folk simplicity and country warmth.” The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 45 on the Billboard 200. The C-G-Am chord progression and “spread your tiny wings and fly away” refrain, per Chordify, gave it radio and jukebox appeal. A 2007 remaster on Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, featuring a duet with Sarah Brightman, and its use in the 2013 film Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues kept it relevant, per Spotify.
Anne Murray, born June 20, 1945, in Springhill, Nova Scotia, transitioned from a physical education teacher to a global star with 32 studio albums and hits like “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” (No. 1 Country, 1984). Known as Canada’s “Songbird,” she won four Grammys and 24 Juno Awards, per Wikipedia. “Snowbird” was a live favorite, performed on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour in 1970 and at her 1980 Massey Hall concerts, with a YouTube clip showcasing her serene presence. Covers include Elvis Presley (1971), Loretta Lynn (1970), and Bing Crosby (1972), among 60 versions, per SecondHandSongs. Reddit fans on r/country in 2024 called it “a timeless gem,” with an X post praising its “ethereal vibe.”
The song appeared in Anchorman 2 and TV shows like Mad Men (2014), thriving on streaming platforms, with Shazam users tagging its iconic melody. No controversies surround it—just Murray’s gift for heartfelt clarity, as No Depression notes: “Anne made ‘Snowbird’ soar like the bird itself.” Murray, retired since 2008, left a legacy of cross-genre elegance, and “Snowbird” remains a cherished ode to freedom and renewal.
Video
Lyric
Beneath its snowy mantle cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in springWhen I was young my heart was young then too
Anything that it would tell me, that’s the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life’s the thing that I can’t winSpread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would fly away with youThe breeze along the river seems to say
That he’ll only break my heart again should I decide to stay
So, little snowbird, take me with you when you go
To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flowSpread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would fly away with you