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Cuckoo Bird

By:Traditional · Source Recording: The Osborne Brothers (1963) · 2 versions

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Oh the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
'Til the fourth day of July

It is often that I wonder
Why women love men
And I look back and I wonder
Why men are men

Gonna build me another castle
On a mountain so high
So that I can see my true love
As she passes by

Jack of diamonds, Jack of diamonds
I've knowed you of old
You have robbed my poor pockets
Of silver and of gold

✱ 2nd chorus: 5th day of July; 3rd chorus: 6th day of July; 4th chorus: 7th day of July

Tempo BPM
Key B Time 4/4
Chorus and Verse
B / /B /
/B / /B /
Abm / /Abm /
/Abm / /Abm /
E / /E /
/E / /E /
F# / /F# /
/F# / /F# /
B / /B /
/B / /B /
Abm / /Abm /
/Abm / /Abm /
E / /E /
/E / /E /
F# / /F# /
/F# / /F# /
Chorus and Verse
B
/
B
/
B
/
B
/
Abm
/
Abm
/
Abm
/
Abm
/
E
/
E
/
E
/
E
/
F#
/
F#
/
F#
/
F#
/
B
/
B
/
B
/
B
/
Abm
/
Abm
/
Abm
/
Abm
/
E
/
E
/
E
/
E
/
F#
/
F#
/
F#
/
F#
/

Song Details

Also Known As
Cuckoo, The Cuckoo Bird, The Coo-Coo Bird, The Cuckoo Is a Pretty Bird, Cuckoo Bird
Songwriter
Traditional
First Release
Clarence Ashley (1929)
Genres
Traditional Old-Time Traditional Bluegrass
Themes
Animals
Jam Popularity

History

Further reading: Secondhand Songs

Source Recording

Artist
The Osborne Brothers
Album
Single (The Cuckoo Bird / Bluegrass Express) cover Single (The Cuckoo Bird / Bluegrass Express) (1963)
Key B Time Boom-Chuck Tempo 132 BPM Length 2:17
Musicians

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