My record company guy sat me down and said
We really need a hit from you, you know
But more than that, what I mean to say is this:
No more songs about Van Gogh

So I sat and I worked and I worked and I sat
And then I went in and said “I got it”
And played him, twenty songs about Picasso
Eighteen songs about Matisse
Sixteen songs about my brand new easel
And one song about flying geese

“Flying geese,” he said, “I like that one
“What’s this about flying geese?”
“I guess,” I said, “They were flying overhead
“And it frees us from the painting motif”

“It does,” he said, “we oughta run with it
We’ll call your next record “ Flying Geese”
“It’s set for spring, but I’ll pull a couple strings
“For an early Canadian release”

We’re mixed, we’re mastered, they’re excited
We sampled a chicken for the drumming
The cover art you know, is by Vincent Van—Oh,
Never mind, I think I hear someone coming

Sometimes I worry that I’m selling out
Do I really care about flying geese that much
But Soundscan don’t lie, and we’re shooting for the sky
We’ve already got platinum in Dutch

Flying geese, flying geese
Flying geese, flying geese
Flying geese, flying geese, flying geese

(lyrics: Dan Bern)