Behind the Meaning of Miranda Lambert’s Ode to Hope, “Bluebird”

Miranda Lambert‘s “Bluebird” is one of her most powerful songs to date. Written with Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, this track urges the listener to keep their head held high amid their struggles. Uncover the meaning behind this rousing anthem, below.

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Behind the Meaning

“Bluebird” is about holding on to your hope, even in the darkest of times. Lambert was coming out the other end of a divorce while writing this song. Her previous album, The Weight of These Wings, reckoned with that turmoil as well as other issues she was going through in her everyday life. Though the accompanying album to “Bluebird,” Wildcard, feels a little less weighty, she drudges up her struggles one more time on this song.

“Luke had texted me and said something about keeping a bluebird in your heart,” Lambert once told The Boot. “He said, ‘I wanna write that with you, because I feel like that’s what you did. And it’s what I feel like we all do.’”

Yeah, I’m a turner
I turn pages all the time
Don’t like where I’m at
34 was bad, so I just turn to 35

In the opening lines, Lambert describes herself as a page-turner. 34 was bad, so I just turn to 35, she playfully sings. These lines help to set the scene for the affecting chorus.

And if the house just keeps on winning
I got a wildcard up my sleeve
And if love keeps giving me lemons
I’ll just mix ’em in my drink
And if the whole wide world stops singing
And all the stars go dark
I’ll keep a light on in my soul
Keep bluebird in my heart

In the chorus, Lambert doubles down on the idea of being able to roll with the punches. She uses poker metaphors, familiar adages, and references to her fame to help drive that sentiment home.

The listener feels similarly impassioned when listening to this song. Lambert herself said she feels hopeful while listening to “Bluebird.”

“When we got in the room to write it, it felt really magical, because, I don’t know — something about a bluebird is hopeful, even through blue times,” Lambert continued in the same interview. “When I sing this song, I feel a little flutter. I feel every single word of what it means.”

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)