What Are Some Famous Songs Inspired By The Phoenix Bird?

Question

As a fantasy lover hunting for mythical creature themes in music, could you share iconic songs celebrating the legendary Phoenix in rock or symphonic metal?

Bürning Calapardo · Answer

A few off the top of my head are ‘Bird of Paradise’ by Sweet, ‘Firebird’ by Owl City, and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ song ‘Music of the Night’ by Sarah Brightman. Using a phoenix in songs tends to happen in a variety of genres when artists want to convey a message of rebirth. As the central theme of the fantasy novel ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ (where the protagonist has literally been re-born), the mythical bird helps unravel the hidden royal bloodlines of the main character and also helps him learn long-forgotten magic. It is the major concept driving the entire plot of the book.

Lillian · Answer

Music and the phoenix is a really interesting combination as there are so many different interpretations. ‘Ashes’ by Celine Dion from the ‘Deadpool 2’ soundtrack is a good example of music that conveys the fiery rebirth of the phoenix, but with an added layer of emotion. It’s a really raw and powerful song, and I think the lyrics of ‘Ashes’ really invite you to think about what you’ve been through and how it can be a part of your journey and how you grow from it. Of course, the journey from ashes often involves struggle, and I think that’s really clear in ‘Ashes’.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the very modern, edgy ‘Phoenix’ by Lil Wayne. This song portrays a very assertive rapper overcoming obstacles in his life in bold and confident lyrics. A fan of rap ballads, I can appreciate a great song, and ‘Phoenix’ is an excellent song that incorporates the mythological bird into very contemporary music that seeks to relate to a particular audience (young people) who are trying to get through life in a difficult world, persevering through the “hustle” and “grind” of their daily lives in order to rise above their troubles through sheer force of will.

All of the songs talk about resurgence in different ways but ultimately convey the feeling of a timeless theme that everyone can relate to.

Simon · Answer

You wouldn’t necessarily think to compare the influence of the phoenix in music to songs like “Helena” by My Chemical Romance. The song is predominantly about loss but the song does manage to convey a feeling of new life and that’s essentially what the phoenix is all about – rising from the ashes to begin again after having gone through pain. The whole process of coming to terms with pain in order to move on is, to me, very phoenix-like.

And even more oddly, there are huge, epic, dramatic songs with complete phoenix references, and the occasional happy, dancing pop song like this one from Katy Perry. While there are no direct references to the phoenix in ‘Firework’, it’s an anthem for people looking to shine to stand out from the crowd, and the explosive, colorful fireworks compare nicely to the bird bursting into flame. It’s inspiring.

Tate · Answer

The legend of the phoenix has inspired a number of songs, including ‘Firebird’ by the wonderful Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky. The piece has a vibrant, life-revivifying quality which captures the essence of the mythical creature: rebirth and transformation. The way the music ebbs and flows is reminiscent of flickering flames and of dramatic upward movements as the bird rises from the ashes in a spectacular revival. Often such a composition will recall a long-forgotten story or even literature. Here it is the phoenix which is literally brought to life by the music.

Recently, songs like “Rise Like a Phoenix” by Conchita Wurst (from 2014) have appeared on the charts. In that song, the legendary myth of the bird, rising from the ashes is perfectly linked to a message of human empowerment and the rebirth of the person in search of a better life. Many times, this powerful song helped me to pull up from a downspurt and, again, its powerful vocals bring a deep and marvellous emotional value to the music, while the music message of rebirth is classically human.

The songs also make me think of the mythological connection between art and myth. The songs mentioned above, especially the Fall Out Boy song ‘Phoenix’ are good examples of how one can make songs out of personal growth and draw upon symbols of hope and transformation like the phoenix does. The bird is not just a bird – it’s a powerful symbol that brings back lots of memories.

tung tung · Answer

I would love to know more about songs that detail failed attempts at resurrections and get trapped in cycles instead. “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails or Johnny Cash is about stagnation in the ashes, unable to rise. “The Sound of Silence” is a song about emptiness that cannot be filled, a spiritual void that never gets solved. These would be considered the ‘anti-phoenix’ songs, as opposed to the typical song of resurrection and ascension that we more commonly hear. While the phoenix myth tells us of inevitable renewal, these songs weigh heavily on the alternative, that the fire may simply die. It’s this kind of depth to the typical metaphor of rebirth that makes songs that do manage to successfully resurrect so much more moving and powerful. They are the shadow to these typical songs of rebirth, reminding us that rising from the ashes is not a given, and thus these other songs are hard-won, not some bland cliche.

Yurrian San · Answer

Music for games is designed to be respawned over and over again, thus ‘phoenix’ themes are extremely prevalent in music for the medium. The music that plays on the ‘Continue?’ screen from older games can be notoriously stressful but will always generally include some kind of little electronic spark to guide the player to ‘get up and carry on’. The transformation of a character in a role-playing game is often accompanied by very fitting and extreme fanfare. Music for a game’s main theme could be an ‘adventure’ call to aid the player to their ultimate destiny. In contrast, a game like Dark Souls uses the soothing music of the Firelink Shrine as a somber but very safe place to store all of the player’s loot and then, reluctantly, to return to the grueling task of completing the game, again and again. Game soundtracks are written to motivate persistence – the ‘interactive’ version of the phoenix cycle. And the player is the phoenix itself – rising up from the ashes of their failure time and time again. And they are not alone – for the music from the game is always there to companion the player.

mamat · Answer

The opening and ending sequences of anime are a treasure trove of phoenix symbolism. The track ‘Again’ by Yui, for example, is the Ending for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The video features many scenes of a character getting back up after falling down. The Endings track ‘Silhouette’ by KANA-BOON is for the Naruto Shippuden series, and as you might expect, it’s a song that focuses on the burning will of fire. Interestingly, the Openings track for the series One Punch Man is ‘The Hero!!’ – a somewhat ironic take on the typical hero anime. This theme fits well with the core theme of shonen anime: ‘never give up’. Many of the tracks are designed to pump you up for the power-up and come back of a particular character, and so are typically J-rock with fast guitars and a strong, determined lead vocal. These songs motivate the listener to be able to rise from the couch and tackle their own daily struggles.

Latasha Grimsley · Answer

I had never heard of Sarah Brightman’s ‘Figlio Perduto’ until someone recently brought it to my attention. Although based on a work by Schubert, it deals with loss and return, a more subtle theme. There’s a song called ‘The Phoenix’ from the rock opera ‘The Mythic’ by ‘The Mythic’ band written and performed in rock opera style. The song ‘Awakening’ by power metal band Unleash The Archers is also a great example of a phoenix origin story. The whole of symphonic metal and power metal deal with songs of eternal struggle and of overcoming the odds, and so use the image of the phoenix time and time again. You can even find the odd song or album by bands such as Nightwish, Epica and Ancient Bards that use the phoenix as a motif in their artwork, lyrics and song titles.

Joshua Shay · Answer

Songs where the phoenix is a character: “The Tale of the Phoenix” is an instrumental piece from the soundtrack for the Disney movie Mulan. It is a beautiful and traditional Chinese piece. The piece personifies the ancestral guardian in a very elegant and powerful manner. The music for the Hydra battle in Disney’s Hercules has a phoenix like increase in intensity as more and more heads grow back. For a darker take on the phoenix, “The Phoenix” from the soundtrack for the movie Dark Phoenix by Hans Zimmer is a dark, chaotic, and powerful piece that actually tells the story of the bird itself. Instead of being a metaphor for the listener, this piece of music is a sonic biography of the creature. A really cool take on the myth.

Blackcrust · Answer

Most of the biggest Broadway moments are written to be these crescendos of music that accommodate the theatricality of a character’s rise from the ashes. Broadly speaking, these ‘epiphany songs’ are the quietest moment of a character’s largest emotional coup – their moment of phoenix-esque rebirth – staged with grandiose lighting that might manifest as a giant beam of light slowly creeping up to form a giant ray of sunlight from above, or even a mini conflagration. It’s biggest of the big moments, the climax of the character’s story thus far, where the music grows and changes key to allow for the full impact of their new-found realisation, a moment of catharsis for the audience, a shared ritual of watching someone rise from the dead. These songs are the engine that drives the biggest part of a character’s journey and in virtually every case of the biggest number of a show it is a singular epiphany moment of a character’s life, a true ‘ah ha’ moment, where they discover something massive about themselves and begin to rise from the floor, singing of their newfound realisation.

uhipue kiri · Answer

For the sake of this list, I can only focus on the great 80s power ballads, so for example, “The Final Countdown” by Europe is not about a phoenix, but it’s a very triumphant and fiery song to launch off into something. The synth riff is so iconic. For a song literally called “Phoenix,” then there’s “Phoenix” by Asia, a super AOR song that is about renewal. Then there’s “Fly Like an Eagle” by Steve Miller Band (the eagle can certainly rise up above, after all). Occasionally a song can evoke the exact feeling and inspiration you need for a phoenix song and “Hearts on Fire” from the Rockey IV soundtrack is training montage music to help Rocky rise to the challenge in front of him to meet his adversary. It’s all about feeling like you can rise up and be unstoppable after having been through the wringer.

What Are Some Famous Songs Inspired By The Phoenix Bird?

11 Answers

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