Don't Kill the Birds

Sheet Music

• Tune from Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909, by Unknown Composer.
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  • Copyright: Public Domain
  • Contributer: Veramet

Tunes

• Tune from Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909, no. 163, by Unknown Composer.
  • Copyright: public domain
• Tune from A Collection of Hymns and Songs for Little Saints, 1900, p. 13, by Unknown Composer
  • Copyright: public domain

Publications

• no. 163 in Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909

Lyrics

• Poet: Unknown Poet
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Poetic Meter: 6 6 6 6 D

Lyrics from Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909, no. 163

1. Don't kill the little birds,
That sing on bush and tree,
All thro' the summer days,
Their sweetest melody.
Don't shoot the little birds!
The earth is God's estate,
And He provideth food
For small as well as great.

2. Don't kill the little birds,
Their plumage wings the air,
Their trill at early morn
Makes music ev'rywhere,
What tho' the cherries fall
Half eaten from the stem?
And berries disappear,
In garden, field and glen?

3. Still, like the widow's cruse,
There's always plenty left;
How sad a world were this,
Of little birds bereft!
Think of the good they do
In all the orchards round;
No hurtful insects thrive
Where robins most abound.

4. Don't kill the little birds,
That sing on bush and tree,
All thro' the summer days,
Their sweetest melody,
In this great world of ours,
If we can trust His Word,
There's food enough for all;
—Don't kill a single bird!

Lyrics from Gems of Poetry, for Girls and Boys, 1850

• This may not be by the same author as the song at hand.
• Poet: One source says J. Colesworth wrote a version very similar to this.
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Poetic Meter: 8 6 8 6

DON'T KILL THE BIRDS.

1. Don't kill the birds!--the little birds,
That sing about your door,
soon as the joyous spring has come,
And chilling storms are o'er.

2. The little birds!--how sweet they sing!
O! let them joyous live;
And do not seek to take their life,
Which you can never give.

3. Don't kill the birds!--the pretty birds
That play among the trees!
'T would make the earth a cheerless place,
Should we dispense with these.

4. The little birds! how fond they play!
Do not disturb their sport;
But let them warble forth their songs,
Till winter cuts them short.

5. Don't kill the birds!--the happy birds
That bless the field and grove:
Such harmless things to look upon,
They claim our warmest love.