You can read the lyrics to “Birds”—Anouk’s ESC 2013 song—below. It’s really refreshing to hear a Eurovision singer who can enunciate in her second language. For the first time in a long time we didn’t struggle to transcribe the text! Let us know what you think of the song in our discussion post.

Isolated from the outside
Clouds have taken all the light
I have no control it seems my
Thoughts wander all of the time
When I try to
Live life without you

Birds falling down the rooftops
Out of the sky like raindrops
No air, no pride

If being myself is what I do wrong
Then I would rather not be right
Hopes turn into fear and with my
One wing I can’t fly with sunrise
Embrace my dreams tight and that’s why

Birds falling down the rooftops
Out of the sky like raindrops
No air, no pride
Birds

To a place without fear
With no moonlight
All I need are trees and flowers
And some sunlight
Where memories of being made aware
The old one dies
Where love ain’t lost

Birds falling down the rooftops
Out of the sky like raindrops
No air, no pride

Birds falling down the rooftops
Out of the sky like raindrops
No air, no pride

That’s why birds don’t fly

35 Comments
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hans-georg rudzinski
hans-georg rudzinski
10 years ago

yes – the real winner is this great and unique song from anouk 1

Margie
Margie
10 years ago

Where memories are being made AND WHERE the old one dies, where love ain’t lost
(quit essential a difference…feel the pain of heartbreak!)
It’s mesmerizing this song, the first time I heard it I thought it a bit odd, but the more you listen to it the more it gets under your skin, touching your soul. Beautifully performed by Anouk, she really has an outstanding voice!

sytze hilverda
sytze hilverda
10 years ago

beautiful delicate song. so much better than all the other trainwrecks crashing through. classy ‘birds’ should wing itself to the top like an albatros to leave the rest fighting for the crumbs.

ben
ben
10 years ago

the best song this year by far

ronnie
ronnie
10 years ago

Lana Del Ray impression…boring and unoriginal

Bosse
Bosse
10 years ago

12 points have to fall from the rooftops…best entry by far in 2013 and going to be an ESC-classic in no time 😉

Go Anouk and I´ll cross my fingers, that this masterpiece will lead to Amsterdam 2014!!!! Best wishes from Germany…

djSharkeY
10 years ago

A song with quality and a great voice. Wonderful bridge. I am very very curious how this will be performed live on stage!

Nathalie
11 years ago

LOL
And why does everyone say she’s different when she isn’t?

I’ll tell you what was different on eurovision…What’s really original…

Elnur and Samir for Azerbaijan
Dustin the Turkey for Ireland
Laka for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Elitsa Todorova for Bulgaria
Malcolm Lincoln for Estonia
Sebastien Tellier for France

Well that was unique…

Anouk is fine but is not unique or original. Deal with it.

Anouk4us
11 years ago

Anouk dares to be different. This is not the kind of song we are used to on Eurovision. But be honest, did you come and listen to Eurovision to hear very much the same songs as last year? So, give it a chance and listen what happens, let yourself lift into this dreamy love world. Get Anouk, vote Birds. http://www.facebook.com/anouk

Angelina
Angelina
11 years ago

What a beautiful song and her voice is stunning, goosebumps all over! She is absolutely one of the best this year.

Mariah
Mariah
11 years ago

BORING!!!!

yogafire
yogafire
11 years ago

Best dutch eurovision entry since I knew eurovision…

Diana
Diana
11 years ago

Lovely, magnificent, spendlid, gorgeous, stunning!

Karl
Karl
11 years ago

I love love love this and her voice – it is very Anouk which is important and in terms of musicality this is he only song that is better than Norway.
12 points all around

Zolan
Zolan
11 years ago

Huh, I completely overlooked these lines before:

Where memories ARE being made
AND WHERE the old one dies
Where love ain’t LIES

will
will
11 years ago

what a wonderfull song.nice voice

roy
roy
11 years ago

live she is evan better.best song this year

wendy
wendy
11 years ago

the absolute winner this year.

hans
hans
11 years ago

Here you can see i live performance, it’s really incredible. I think she is the best live performer this year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04l_bmp3y4Q
People must vote for the music and not for politics !!!

Jenna
Jenna
11 years ago

It’s the best song ever from Holland, I like her style and her songs.

M. M
M. M
11 years ago

Thank God that there’s another good entry that will make this year’s Eurovision watchable, lol.
If Anouk doesn’t advance to the final I will lost faith in Europe.

Ellen
Ellen
11 years ago

De inhoud van dit lied is heel herkenbaar….het raakt me in mijn ziel.
Anouk dank je wel voor deze mooie ballade, je bent voor mij DE winnaar…altijd geweest.
Love You

arthur
arthur
11 years ago

I love this song, great voice

noemi
noemi
11 years ago

Im with AnouK ALWAYS! Beautiful song full of emotions!
Go Holland
Kisses frim MAdrid

sebastian
sebastian
11 years ago

I thought somebody would link this to Lana del Ray. Can imagine that in this song, but Anouk is so much more than that

Helen
Helen
11 years ago

I love this number. Heard it already 50 times (it seems). The moment it ends I play it again. Wonderful song. Beautiful lyrics…. “thumb up for Anouk”

Gus Young
Gus Young
11 years ago

Is this the new James Bond? BEAUTIFUL!

Joyces
Joyces
11 years ago

These lyrics are just poetry, very beautiful!
I also think this song is very original, the music is a masterpiece.
Will eurovision be ready for some quality?
And when a song is slow, it does not have to mean it is boring, there is a lot happening in this music, did you hear the choire singing, the harp and the tikking clock at the end???

yentl
yentl
11 years ago

what a song,wonderfall lyrics,it realy the best song so far.this is music it suded be.what a voice

henne
henne
11 years ago

best eurosong ever.beautifal song and great vocals

Cihan
11 years ago

Lyrics are awesome!

Marion
11 years ago

An absolute winner !!
I think it’s awesome !!

Gavin
11 years ago

I like it, I dont love it.

Will be eager to watch it and hope it does well. Another song for the competition that im loving! ESC2013AWESOME!

Zolan
Zolan
11 years ago

corrections:
One wing I can’T fly
With no MOONlight

ronnie
ronnie
11 years ago

dutch Lana del ray?

tbh, it makes me want to fall asleep…