Context

This is from the poem "Bluebird" by Charles Bukowski (1992).

Time magazine once called Charles Bukowski "a laureate of American lowlife." Lots of his poems are about loneliness and drinking and drudgery and despair. That's why his readers might be surprised to find that inside his heart of hearts there's a little bluebird who just wants to get out and sing a sweet little song. Aww! Bukowski is just like Snow White! Except with a whole lot more booze.

This line kind of captures the essence of modern masculinity. The poet knows he has feelings and emotions that he doesn't show to the world. He buries it all under a layer of toughness, but he and the bluebird know he's living a lie. Hey, it's not so wrong to sing your song every once in a while. Fly away, bluebird! Fly!

Where you've heard it

This quote is all about hiding, so you can bet you'll hear it when there's more to someone than meets the eye.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

The first rule of bluebirds is you don't talk about bluebirds. So maybe your next dinner party isn't exactly the best time to start going on about the song inside your heart, just waiting to get out.