How to: make a little birdhouse in your soul

Like a confusing song lyric? So do we! Read on to learn more

Let’s take a step back in time. It’s 1989. You’ve been to Woolies for your pick ‘n’ mix and to spend your pocket money. And you’ve bought the single by They Might Be Giants, ‘Make a Little Birdhouse in your Soul’... And after 12 plays, you’re none the wiser as to what the hell this song is all about.

In fact, after 30 years, you’re still none the wiser. To celebrate national bird box week, which starts today, we’re unpicking the mystery for you and helping you make a little birdhouse in your soul.

The first thing you need to know is that this is a story told from the perspective of a nightlight. Yes. A nightlight:

“Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you”

You’re probably a child because the nightlight’s job is to comfort you in the dark, and the nightlight is shaped like a blue canary  (apparently this was an Actual Thing). The nightlight is in your bedroom so it’s a bit like a night time friend, glowing over there by the plug socket.

“I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am”

So it’s not a ‘real’ friend, but it’s a friend to you in that it lights your bedroom in the dark. But it’s not sure… Or is it sure? Still with us? Hold tight.

Opposite the blue canary is a picture of a lighthouse:

“There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores
And kept the beaches shipwreck-free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off
And countless screaming Argonauts”

The little nightlight knows he’d be rubbish at the job of being a lighthouse; but fortunately his job is here, watching over you at night time. He values the role and your friendship so much, in fact, he wants you to make a little birdhouse in your soul for him to live in. Not only that, he also suggests you:

“Leave the nightlight on
Inside the birdhouse in your soul”

… so you’ll be extra cosy, maybe? So you’ll have a warm glow in your heart? So he can live in your soul? Maybe don’t think about this too hard…

There are many and various theories on the meaning of the song, from it being about Greek mythology to being sung by a demon. The song’s writer, John Linnell, however, said: "'Birdhouse In Your Soul' is a song about a night light. That's it. It's written from the perspective of a night light serenading the occupant of its room. The thing is, there are so many syllables in the songs that we had to come up with something to fill the spaces. So it ends up being kind of Gilbert and Sullivany." Illuminating. Almost as illuminating as a night light.

It’s a beautifully weird and weirdly beautiful little song though. There can’t be many songs that made the top 10 that are told from the perspective of a night light. In fact, we’d hazard a guess that this is the only one. Worth making space in your soul for.

And now you’re feeling inspired to make a little birdhouse, and it being National Nest Box week, read our feature in the February issue on birdhouses and make a little birdhouse in your garden, too.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from the February issue…

More ways to love wildlife…

The Stuff of Life: Home Tour Inspiration

White walls in the home are smart, modern and a blank canvas, but have you ever hankered after something a little more dramatic? If you’ve read the home tour in our current issue, you too might be tempted to move over to the darker side of the paint chart.

Peter Win’s Shoreditch flat has won us over: dark and moody grey with startling pops of colour, texture and beautiful decorative objects. Inspired by this beautiful home we’ve shopped The Stuff of Life to get the look. It’s time to get bold indoors.  You can read the full feature and see more images of Peter’s flat in the November issue of The Simple Things, available now.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Images from top, left to right: Summery Quilts by Lisa Watson, from £245.00 | Black & Gold Brass Bowl by Home Address, £24.00 | Edible Botany Calendar by Alfie’s Studio, £12.50 | Gold Wall Clock by Home Address, £65.00 | Rose Bowl Vase by Home Address, £20.00 | Everyday Mug by Emma Lacey, £27.00 | Quick Brown Fox Wallpaper by Identity Papers, £65.00 per 10m roll | Sunflower Oblong Cushion by Stuff of Dreams, £30.00 | Wild England Limited Edition Print by Occipinti, from £28.00 | Belly Basket by Olli Ella, £25.00 | Faux Fur Throw by The Glam Camping Company, £230.00 | Red Vintage Lampshade by ByMarie, £25.00.

Sponsored post: Five ways to make your bed cosier

Believe it or not, we spend a third of our lives sleeping and while most of us may be thinking that our 7-hours-a-day is the best we will ever get, there are some small changes that can make a big impact on the quality of your sleep.

Here are five ways to make your bed cosier.

1. Manage your sheets

Although tightly tucked sheets and blankets have long gone (replaced by the marshmallow loveliness of the duvet), sheets still have their place on the modern bed. And that place is on top of the mattress (and possibly the mattress topper, see below) not on top of you – top sheets that lie below the duvet may keep it clean but always, always, get tangled around your legs. But what sheets to choose? Thankfully the days of brushed nylon are over, replaced by easycare, no-iron cotton polyester but, really, breathable natural fibre is what you want. Cotton with a long staple such as Egyptian or Pima (grown in the US, Australia and Peru and sold under the name Supima) is considered best for strength and comfort. Sheets made from organic cotton, grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment, are becoming increasingly available and worth looking out for. But linen is the queen of bedlinen. Spun from the fibres of the flax plant and repeatedly laundered in the manufacturing process,it is especially soft and becomes more so, the more it is used. It is also stronger than cotton, stays cool in summer and requires no ironing – if you are happy to live with rumpled sheets, which is part of the appeal. The downside is its price, which can be prohibitive, although H&M sells a linen double duvet cover and pillow set for £60.

Martha Stewart, who gets her bed changed almost daily(!), recommends replacing cotton and linen sheets with flannel (brushed cotton) sheets as the nights get colder. We’re with her on that, though not on the daily change thing. A word about thread counts: all bedlinen comes with a thread count. This is the number of threads per square inch or centimetre, which indicate how closely woven a fabric is. Finer threads produce smoother or softer fabric so a higher thread count is considered better quality: luxury bedlinen can have a thread count of 350 to 500 or higher. PS: Don’t even think about satin sheets.

2. Don’t ignore your pillowcases

Square pillowcases (65x65cm) have begun to appear on more beds as the ‘boutique hotel’ effect is aped by an increasing number of us. Too bulky for actual sleeping on, they are mostly decorative and sit behind the more conventional pillowcases: the Housewife, a plain fabric envelope (50x75cm), and the Oxford, which has a wide fabric border. It’s easy to forget to change pillowcases but considering the amount of time we spend with our faces pressed up against them, it’s worth doing so every couple of weeks. If you don’t, you face the grim prospect of facial oil, dead skin and residue from shampoo and general grime, clogging up both pillowcase and facial pores. A pillow protector prevents all of this besmirching the actual pillow (Marks & Spencer has some quilted ones). Some people swear that silk pillowcases make hair shinier and less static and skin less creased, and it’s certainly true that are lovely to lie against. Worth giving a go.

3. Create a pile-up

Propping pillows against the bedhead, magazine-rack style, gives the bed an extra dimension and prevents it slumping into limp student grunginess. Chuck a few cushions in front and you’re pillowscaping. Consider square pillows, too – they look good piled up in front of your regular pillows – and come with the added benefit of being a reading-in-bed prop (a bolster is also good for this). Whatever you do, avoid pulling a bedspread over the pillows unless you want the unwary to think they’ve stumbled across a dead body. Bedspreads look best folded back to frame your pillowscaping work and reveal your lovely linen sheets.

4. Chuck on a throw

A throw or blanket in a co-ordinating colour or pattern, draped over the duvet, is an easy win in the bed-styling game. Keep it folded at the foot of the bed and it will also keep toes toasty, or higher up within grabbable distance for shoulder-wrapping warmth when TV-in-bed watching.

5. Go for extras

Anyone bitten by the bedlinen bug will know that it’s hard to stop buying it, once you start. Fortunately, there are no end of options to pimp your lie-in. Mattress toppers come filled with down, cotton fibre, topped with merino wool or made from memory foam, and add a layer of softness and ease to the bed (although an old duvet makes an adequate substitute). Bedspreads and quilts are handy for dragging over everything else when bed making really is too much to contemplate, and of course they bring colour and pattern. Valances, ra-ra skirts for divan bases, are good if you like flounce and can’t bear the sight of an undisguised bed base. And finally: if you have never considered an electric blanket, now might be the time to do so: a whole world of snuggly winter warmth and luxuriant comfort awaits you.

The design and sleep experts at Hästens can advise on the best bed buys that will have you waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed every day.