Just listened to "Yellow Bird" sung by Irving Burgie on an Angel 1996 cd (not mine).

The words bear no relation to those in the DT or posted near the top of this thread.
Only the first two lines are similar; the song is a 'remember when,' a man remembering when he was a boy and asking questions like-
I would like to know
What makes breezes blow,
etc.
He sings in a choppy fashion and I couldn't catch much of it; it would require repeated hearings.

Angel CDC7243 8 52222 2 1, "Island in the Sun, the Songs of Irving Burgie." I think the cd is still available.