Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Time: 6:15 PM
Song: The Train Kept-A-Rollin’
Artist: The Yardbirds
Mode of Consumption: Listening to the Yardbirds Featuring Performances by Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page on Vinyl.
Link to song: https://open.spotify.com/track/6pW2lKORQaIC6JR4qBNG9e?si=58463d6a9bda47ff
“So, is there a bird called a yardbird, or is it some sort of slang?” Jodi asks.
“I don’t know?” I answer.
The Yardbirds are a band that I always have a confused memory about. I remember that Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were all members, but not all at the same time. I can never remember who came first or how much overlap there was.
I know that when Page left, it basically ended the group, and there are those who resent the formation of Led Zeppelin by Page and Robert Plant. I’ve never quite remember or grasp that connection, and even when I look it up, I usually forget pretty quickly.
But back to the real question: What is a Yardbird?
The lazy search to Wiki reveals two possibilities. One might be from Jack Kerouac’s novel “On the Road,” where he refers to railroad yard hobos as yardbirds. They may also have borrowed it from jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker, who was nicknamed “Yardbird.”
Other slang meanings for Yardbird:
In the military, a yardbird is a recruit assigned to tasks like cleaning the grounds or other menial jobs, often as punishment or due to inexperience.
In a prison context, it can refer to a prisoner or convict.
In the American South, it is common slang term for a chicken, especially one that is free ranging.
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