Lyrics omitted. The annotations below are reproduced by permission of David Dodd; the song lyrics themselves are copyrighted and are not reproduced here. Read them at the official source: dead.net/songs.
First performance: February 19, 1971, at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. "Bird Song" appeared in the third spot in the second set, following "Johnny B. Goode," and preceding "Easy Wind." Also premiered in the show was "Deal." The song remained in the repertoire steadily through September of 1973, then was dropped until September of 1980, after which it remained in steady rotation.
Hunter includes the dedication "...for Janis" with the lyric as it appears in Box of Rain. He also lists the title as "Birdsong" (all one word).