There was a house halfway 'round the world
And I was invited in for a small taste of gin
There was a hallway a thousand birds long
But the biggest one of all was in a
Cage too small

I asked the caretaker cause he owns an acre
Looked at me and laughed took another sip from his glass and said
Open up your ears and heart
You put a big bird in a small cage it'll sing you a song

That we all love to sing along
To the sound of the bird that longs

Well we rolled into town, into sweet New Orleans
To the Apple Bell bar there was a hole in the wall
The ceilings weren't tall, the floors were the ground
but the sound that you would make would just warm your heart

Well it was quarter to twelve when the boys walked in
They got their black suits on and the songs would begin
You open up your ears and heart
You put a big bird in a small cage it'll sing you a song

That we all love to sing along
To the sound of the bird that longs

(To the sound of the bird that longs) X3
(You put a big bird in a small cage it'll sing you a song) X5