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Birdman Lyrics by Ralph McTell

Not Till Tomorrow

0

You can kill me if you can
But the last thing you need's another dead man
Writing with black ink on your page
And I swear that death won't kill my rage
For it'll take more to hold my tongue
Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns
For it'll take more to hold my tongue
Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns
I will not do what you say's wise
And I don't want no peace prize
I'm a birdman but there's no cage
That's strong enough to hold my rage
For it'll take more to hold my tongue
Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns
Now, John Henry told his captain
That a man ain't nothing but a man
But before I let this machine grind me down
I'll die with my hammer
I'll die with my hammer
I'll die with my hammer in my hand
You can kill me if you can
But the last thing you need's another dead man
Writing with black ink on your page
And I swear that death won't kill my rage
It'll take more to hold my tongue
Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns
Those bells do ring, ding dong ding
And I don't fear no guard
When freedom come maybe with a gun
Outside in the prison yard
Now, the birdman told his jailor
A man ain't nothing but a man
But before I let your system grind me down
I'll die with my gun
I'll die with my gun
I'll die with my gun in my hand
I'm a birdman, oh watch me fly
I'm a birdman, death, death
She can't hold me
Credits
Ralph McTell

Ralph McTell

About “Birdman” by Ralph McTell

Read the complete lyrics to "Birdman" by Ralph McTell from the album "Not Till Tomorrow". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Blues, Folk, Pop.

"Birdman" is performed by Ralph McTell. from the album "Not Till Tomorrow" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Birdman", explore more songs by Ralph McTell using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Birdman" is credited to Ralph McTell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Birdman" appears on "Not Till Tomorrow".

Visit the Ralph McTell artist page at /artist/ralph-mctell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.