abstract
| - %22The Cuckoo%22 (Roud 413) is a traditional English folk song. It has been covered by many musicians in several different styles. An early notable recorded version was performed by Appalachian folk musician Clarence Ashley with a unique banjo tuning.The title of the song has multiple variations, including The Coo-Coo, The Coo-Coo Bird, The Cuckoo Bird, and The Cuckoo Is A Pretty Bird.Lyrics usually include the line (or a slight variation):The cuckoo is a pretty bird, she sings as she flies; she brings us glad tidings, and she tells us no lies.According to Thomas Goldsmith of The Raleigh News & Observer, %22The Cuckoo%22 is reportedly descended from an old folk ballad; it's an interior monologue where the singer %22relates his desires — to gamble, to win, to regain love's affection.%22The song is featured in the E.L. Doctorow book, The March. A soldier suffering from a metal spike stuck in his head sings verses from the song.
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