It was performed and recorded by many musicians and groups in the mid and late 1960s, and was influential on the folk rock genre.

The song's first published recording was by Judy Henske, as the B-side of her late 1963 Elektra single "Charlotte Town",[1] and then as the title track of her second album in 1964.

Critic Richie Unterberger described the song as having "an arresting minor-key melody and brooding lyrics contrasting the freedom of a bird to the singer's earthbound misery.

[2] The song was recorded by several other influential musicians and bands in the mid and late 1960s, some of whom amended the lyrics to place greater emphasis on the freedom of the flying bird.

Gallagher was listening to the song, which appeared on Jefferson Airplane's Early Flight, when he decided to "borrow" the title.