Lennox wrote the song for her debut solo album, Diva, in 1992. Even now, 26 years later, it has stood the test of time and never sounds dated – the hallmark of a great song.
The star has so far enjoyed a career in show business spanning more than 40 years, and at the age of 63, she is producing some of the best music of her life. She has also become a leading philanthropist and campaigner in support of humanitarian causes.
She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2011 for her tireless campaigning for charity and as a noted supporter of Greenpeace and Amnesty International, she has also performed benefit concerts for people with AIDS, establishing The SING Campaign to support women and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
Photo Credit: Britt Berger | CC BY-SA 3.0
Early ambitions
Born in December 1954 in Aberdeen, Lennox always took a keen interest in music. Earning a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London in the early 1970s, she studied piano, flute and harpsichord.
As determined as she was to launch a career in music, in the two years after leaving the academy she had to work as a bartender, waitress and shop assistant to pay her way.
Remaining as ambitious as ever, in 1977 she formed a new wave band, The Tourists - her first collaboration with Dave Stewart. In a later interview, Lennox said she had always been fascinated by music but was in her early 20s when she first truly harboured the dream of becoming a singer, songwriter and recording artist.
She had no idea how to start and even after she realised her dreams, she still maintained there was no specific formula. Lennox believes you start with a gift, then devote yourself to it "with a passion", even when there's no guarantee your ambitions will ever be fulfilled.
Eurythmics
The Tourists enjoyed a moderate degree of success in the late 1970s during the British post-punk era but Lennox didn't begin to enjoy the superstardom she knows today until 1980, when she and Stewart formed their legendary duo, the Eurythmics.
The synthesiser pop band became one of the biggest groups of the decade, releasing a multitude of hit singles including Love is a Stranger, There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart), Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and Here Comes the Rain Again, to name but a few.
Lennox and Stewart collaborated to write their material and became one of the most prolific song writing duos of the 1980s. Lennox has won six Brit Awards for best British female artist, and Eurythmics received the award for their Outstanding Contribution to British Music in 1999.
Little Bird
Lennox's solo career began with the album, Diva, in 1992. It was loved by the fans and by the critics, winning the Best British Album Brit Award. The album spawned the hit single, Little Bird, written by Lennox and released in 1993.
The up-tempo dance song was described by reviewers as being "sensitively written" and "brilliantly produced", expressing emotions that many people could relate to.
The lyrics are generally interpreted as Lennox saying goodbye to one chapter in her life and starting another. They have been described as a "story of recovery and self-empowerment".
The song begins with the narrator watching a little bird flying across the sky, singing the "clearest melody", while in contrast, she walks through the city streets, "dark with rage and fear", thinking, "I wish that I could be that bird and fly away from here."
The narrator says the little bird has "fallen from the nest" but that it's time to "put these wings to the test", describing the feeling of starting on a new path in life and feeling nervous, but understanding that it's time to do so.
Olympic appearance
Little Bird was a huge hit for Lennox and firmly established her as a solo artist. It charted all over Europe and in Canada, New Zealand and the United States, where it was number one in the Dance Club Songs chart.
In August 2012, Lennox was invited to perform Little Bird at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, alongside other major stars such as Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, the Spice Girls, Madness, Pet Shop Boys and more.
Her performance was phenomenal, as she dazzled in a resplendent, red and black, showgirl-style costume against the backdrop of a bright set inside the mighty stadium. More than 50 dancers performed along with Lennox and made her appearance one of the highlights of the closing ceremony.
As one of the best dance tracks of the ‘90s, there have been several remixes of Little Bird - most notably by the Utah Saints, N-Joi and Todd Terry.
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