Birds of Paradise (Peter, Sue & Marc)

The following song was written and recorded by a Swiss band called Peter, Sue & Marc. They are noteworthy for performing four times at the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland in four different languages (French, German, English, Italian) plus one attempt for Germany (not qualified for finals).

Lyrics were written by Rolf Zuckowski, music by Peter Reber.

I first heard this song when I was growing up, and it touched me. Came back to the lyrics many years later. They may not sound too profound at first, as this seems a light, popular song.

Flying home
Flying home to the land that you once have known
To the peace that once was true for a little girl like you.

So a lady who supposedly feels entangled in the duties of adult life is longing for the “paradise of childhood”.

Why not take a second look from a spiritual perspective?

Suggesting a spiritual interpretation of Birds of Paradise

The singer asks questions, the Birds of Paradise answer. The seeker has reached the borders of her everyday life. She has realized that she cannot find the goal of her inner longing anywhere in her known territory. Now she can perceive her soul’s voice, who is ready to guide her, and she entrusts herself more and more to her.

But she finds it hard to understand what is going on on this trip. And how could she – the realm of the soul is outside of everything the seeker can grab with her senses. She asks by means of her rational mind, but this is an unsuitable tool here.

Any such path starts with self-knowledge:

Who are you, who am I,
Is it real? Do we touch the sky?

Know thyself (Gnothi seauton) was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. It seems somewhat less popular how this inscription was continued: “… and thou shalt know the universe and God.”

The (rational) mind is bound to the illusory world, it does not know anything different:

Nothing’s real – all disguise
Said the birds of paradise.

This answer is not exactly comforting:

I’m afraid
Can’t you see
Tell me where do you carry me?

The soul may invigorate the seeker, but it cannot explain the path to the rational mind in such a way that it can truly understand. So the answers are not satisfactory:

You will soon realize
Said the birds of paradise.

The chorus goes:

Flying home, flying home,
To the land that you once had known
To the peace that once was true
For a little girl like you.

Children are often closer to their spiritual core than grown-ups. Seen from a larger perspective: The divine spark has always been within the immortal part of the human system, for much longer than the time of the current incarnation. He knows his native land, a sphere of harmony without opposites. And he permanently tries to convey his longing to the human. Children are often particularly susceptible to this.

Flying home, flying home,
From a world that is made of stone
Till your heart is light and free
Like it once was meant to be.

These lines state clearly that this is not about a holiday trip to a far-away island, but something much greater: It is about a definite farewell from the material world. The voyage is not carried out in time and space; it aims at changing the vibrational state, at becoming a different being. When the heart lets go of old bindings, it liberates itself from earthly worries and becomes more and more susceptible to impulses of the soul.

Such a radical farewell is not easily accomplished:

How can I go ahead
When my eyes are becoming wet?
Save your tears, dry your eyes,
Said the birds of paradise.

The realm of the divine-spark-within lies outside time, in the eternal now. This exceeds the capacity of the mind, which still wants to measure the journey in terms of time.

But the time’s passing by
Say how long do we have to fly?
Moon will set, sun will rise
Said the birds of paradise.

Everyday life continues while the soul grows and matures in secret – at least as long as the seeker remains true to the path, in spite of an inevitable lack of understanding.

Finally, the soul is able to completely guide life. Now, she can communicate with the seeker much more clearly. Even if it still cannot be captured with definitions of the world of senses: the seeker who reaches this state has gained first-hand experiences which help dispel her doubts.

Hear the sound, see the light
Now I know that our way was right!
Morning sun can make you wise
Said the birds of paradise.

Below is a version by Rolf Zuckowski (who wrote the lyrics), featuring his daughter Anushka. The band is called “Rolf Zuckowski and his big friends”.