Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 23 - 01:29 PM

i think the song great speckled bird should be sung more in schools because of what i heard on this thread. i know that the tune was so famous after 1952 i fink the schools and colleges should sing this song more often. i like the song so much and like to hear that the words are about god. my dad was very in to bird watching but never heard of the song. i wish i could let him sung by roy acuff today but it is sad that he is no longer with us. from joe.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 23 - 01:29 PM

i think the song great speckled bird should be sung more in schools because of what i heard on this thread. i know that the tune was so famous after 1952 i fink the schools and colleges should sing this song more often. i like the song so much and like to hear that the words are about god. my dad was very in to bird watching but never heard of the song. i wish i could let him sung by roy acuff today but it is sad that he is no longer with us. from joe.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: cnd
Date: 28 Sep 22 - 12:15 PM

Worth linking: the Toomey recording has been discussed before -- see here

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 28 Sep 22 - 01:29 AM

And then there's my favorite "version," by David Allan Coe:

I'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes
Concerning the great speckled bird
I didn't know God made honky-tonk angels
And went back to the wild side of life

;)

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Sep 22 - 08:09 AM

The Great Speckled Bird is a hymn written in 1936 by Reverend Guy Smith. He was a church choir minister and one heard his song but the tune is from an old folk song called Thrills I Can't Forget written and first recorded by Welby Toomey in 1936/. Guy Smith born in Pittsburgh had thought the hymn and loved it and it has bean covered so much. It's good hearing what folk were saying about it and don't think the song of Jeramiah is the the Wild Side Of Life. Thanks from Joe (I first heard this on an American Roots album).

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 07:21 PM

https://www.countrythangdaily.com/roy-acuff-and-the-great-speckled-bird/

A history of the song, TGSB. When it was first released as a 45 by Acuff, the song had ten stanzas which the record company split five a side.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Haruo
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 11:27 PM

Looks like this may be (more or less) the official text sung in the Church of God of Prophecy...

THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD

What a beautiful thought I am thinking
concerning The Great Speckled Bird.
Remember Her name is recorded,
on the pages of God’s Holy Word.
All the other birds flocking around Her,
and She is despised by the squad.
And The Great Speckled Bird in the Bible
Represents you The Great Church of God.

With all other churches against Her,
they envy Her Glory and Fame.
They hate Her because She is Chosen,
and has never denied His dear name.
Desiring to lower Her Standard
they watch every move that She makes.
They love to find fault with Her teaching
but really they find no mistakes.

In the presence of all Her despisers
with songs never uttered before,
She’ll arise and be gone in a moment
till the great tribulations are over.
I am glad that I learned of Her meekness.
I am glad that my name inion Her Book
for I want to be one never fearing
on the face of our Savior to look.

Her wings shelter men of all nations,
of earth’s every color and race.
She has gathered them all in Her keeping
to present to the Lord face to face.
When Christ cometh descending from Heaven
on a cloud as He writes in His Word,
I’ll be joyfully carried to meet Him
on The Wings Of The Great Speckled Bird.

She is spreading Her wings for a journey
She is going to take by and by.
When the great trumpet sounds in the morning
She will meet Her dear Lord in the sky.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Haruo
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 11:01 PM

For reasons unknown, hymnary.org has it as "The great spotless bird", and ascribes it to a G. T. Browyer or Brouayer. Link.

I'm interested in the origins of the interracial stanza; I don't remember where I got it, but I included it in one of my Evergreen Hymn Sings about a decade ago. As you can see, I attributed it to Guy Smith, but I'm not sure on what authority.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Oct 19 - 01:09 AM

Here's one version of the verse in question.

New International Version
Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.
==========
As a birdwatcher, I have seen small birds attacking birds of prey, but never one bird of prey attacking another.

My father used to say of an airplane that "It took off like a great speckled bird!"

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Oct 19 - 01:04 AM

The website biblehub.com opens a whole nother ball game.

"Authorities differ as to whether the term tzabua in (Jeremiah 12:9) means a "hyaena" or a "speckled bird.""

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Megan L
Date: 13 Oct 19 - 02:51 AM

I always thought this was about America. The great speckled bird referencing both the Eagle and the diversity of peoples in the country.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 12 Oct 19 - 06:30 PM

Good two-minute read on Wikipedia about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Speckled_Bird_(song)

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Oct 19 - 12:21 PM

I saved 'most' of Rose the Record Lady's songs years ago, and just found the one Gene posted on 19 March 2001... "The Child's Side of Life"... same tune exactly, and a pitiful tear-jerker it is.

It's a lot of work to find the songs by name, as they were just listed by a number.. A-11 78k--- and she didn't use the 01,02... etc. system, but began with 1, so a list has the #7 at the beginning of the 70s.
   I re-numbered 'most' of mine at some point to correlate with the alphabetical listings, but it's been awhile..... having just played "The Child's Side of Life" by Wayne Rainey, I still don't know exactly which # it was originally listed as. I suppose I ought to finish the job and get a final list sorted both by Rose's # and song title.

In my copious spare time. (78k is probably not correct)

Subject: Lyr Add: GREAT SPECKLE BIRD (Roy Acuff)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Oct 19 - 12:34 AM

You can hear this at the Internet Archive:


GREAT SPECKLE BIRD (sic)
As recorded by Roy Acuff and his Crazy Tennesseans, 1936. (Conqueror 8740, Okeh 04252)

What a beautiful thought I am thinking
Concerning a great speckle bird.
Remember her name is recorded
On the pages of God's holy word.

With all the other birds flocking round her,
She is so despised by the swan.
The great speckle bird in the Bible,
Representing the great church of God

Desiring to lower her standards,
They watch every move that she makes.
They long to find fault with her teachings,
But really they find no mistake.

I am glad I have learned of her meekness.
I am proud that my name is on her book,
For I want to be one never fearing
On the face of my savior to look.

When he cometh descending from heaven
On the clouds, as he writes in his word,
I'll be joyfully carried to meet him
On the wings of that great speckle bird.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jan 18 - 03:09 PM

This certainly is an interesting song to explore. I hate the lyrics, but I have to admit they're interesting - and the song has a great tune.

It's clear that the "great speckled bird"..."on the pages of God's Holy Word" - is a reference to Jeremiah, Chapter 12, Verse 9 (Jer 12:9). The entire passage is here (click). If you look in any concordance, you'll find that this passage in Jeremiah is the only mention of speckled birds in the entire Bible.

But it's also clear that Jeremiah and the songwriter were talking about different things. A common theme among the prophets was the apostasy of the Hebrew people, that God's Chosen People were hedging their bets and worshipping the gods of all the neighboring peoples, and not relying completely on their own God. The prophets also spoke of a "remnant," a minority who would remain faithful to the Hebrew God alone - Jeremiah used the metaphor of a speckled bird among all the others. Seems to me that Jeremiah's metaphor can be compared to the Hans Christian Andersen Ugly Duckling story.

But it's also clear to me that the song is a diatribe against liberalism and secularism. Most of the gospel songs of the era were written by very conservative people, but this is one song that takes a direct stance against progressive influences in the churches. And that's why I don't like the song. I take it personally. It sounds like the many voices I hear that tell me I don't belong in my church because I support immigrants and blacks and homosexuals and homeless people. "That Old-Time Religion" has the same message, except perhaps not quite as harsh. But it's clear to me that "Great Speckled Bird" is a harsh condemnation of all those who do not adhere to fundamentalist Christianity. Phil did a good job of putting the song into its historical context - it was written in the early 20th century, at the time of the rise of fundamentalism.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Greg F.
Date: 18 Jan 18 - 09:47 AM

Tell us about the theological liberalism movement at the time Jeremiah was written, Phil.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jan 18 - 01:27 PM

Jeremiah 12:9

Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 13 Aug 17 - 07:01 PM

A little more context:

Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy - Wikipedia

The biggest fuss, mostly scripted, was the Scopes Trial with Clarence Darrow for evolution and William Jennings Bryant for creationism.

"Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story, unless you can't think of anything better. Twain

And yes Smith has completely transformed the Old Testament context.

Jeremiah's speckled bird is the bird that keeps the other birds awake at night. The bird that knocks.

Smith's speckled bird is sent from God to carry the faithful to heaven on judgement day. Nice birdie.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 12 Aug 17 - 07:45 AM

PS: The "speckled bird" equivalent of a roaring lion would be a raptor. eg: Falcon.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 12 Aug 17 - 06:49 AM

John Ferguson's real name was Welby Toomey (1897 – 1989) from central Kentucky.

Jeremiah 12:8-10 (verse 12 is on keeping faith when others around you have lost theirs / are attacking yours.)

"Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore I have hated it.

Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness."

Heritage = the Bride of Christ, the old school fundamentalist American Presbyterian Church.

Many pastors = theological liberalism.

Guy Smith (aka - Uncle George of the Goodwill Family, KWTO-AM, Sprinfield, MO) was a fundamentalist. His side lost the 1920s 'big debate.'

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Jackaroodave
Date: 11 Aug 17 - 06:13 PM

Oops, take its back about finding the lyrics to "Thrills That I can't Forget." At least I couldn't.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Jackaroodave
Date: 11 Aug 17 - 06:08 PM

Thank you, Joe.

Looking for John Ferguson, I found instead a 78 recording on you tube. It's a very old 78, and you can watch it being played, but its condition was so bad, for me, it was mainly of historical interest, and a chance to pay my respects to the creator who brought variously so much pleasure to so many people. I'd recommend looking at the lyrics first to follow the song at all.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lWAdasjovaA

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Joe
Date: 11 Aug 17 - 03:51 PM

What people should know about this song: The tune has been known as a bit of a lie and a mix-up. The Carter Family weren't the first to come up with this tune all together. The first song that came into public in the recording industry was called Thrills I Can't Forget recorded by John Ferguson who if you want to look you won't be able to find anything on but you'll still find the song on the list of songs that were set to this tune.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Deacon
Date: 05 Dec 16 - 01:50 PM

The Great Speckled Bird is the Church

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 13 - 06:33 PM

I always thought the speckled bird refferance was about some sort of anphetimine, Speckled birdies was a common street name for doctor prescribed diet pills ( speeders, uppers, etc)which during the time he recorded this song was one of the most widely prescibed medication in the united states.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 10 Dec 12 - 03:39 AM

No, it's a greater spotted woodpecker Al

Dave H

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Dec 12 - 02:22 AM

I always envisage it as a big mistle thrush.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 08 Dec 12 - 08:07 PM

We had an underground newspaper here in the 60's and 70's. The Great Speckled Bird.
=(:-( ))

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Arkie
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 12:43 PM

Had not thought of the similarity of the tune with The Prisoner's Song and glad to have that brought to our attention.

On the meanings of the Great Speckled Bird, fortunately, people keep singing the song and do so because it strikes some chord of appeal and has done so for many generations.

A couple of observations. Several species of birds are "speckled" when they are young. Bluebirds and Robins come to mind. The Ugly Duckling tale is based upon rejection based upon the difference in appearance. Neither of these concepts are related to 'meaning' but both might involve a sense of recognition.

The song does relate to a specific passage from the Bible, but it is also based upon imagery and analogy and neither requires a literal interpretation. The suggestion is that the people of God are different from those around them and there is persecution because of the difference. The historical context suggests the people are the nation of Israel, but that is only one level of interpretation. The basic underlying truth is that people who are different do risk ill treatment.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 12 Sep 12 - 05:56 PM

It should be noted that The Prisoner's Song is also set to essentially the same melody.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,greg
Date: 08 Aug 11 - 04:17 PM

Some of the lines from the song show the real and hidden meaning of
the scripture passage. This song portrays the church world even in todays setting,but it's not as bad now as it was 40 to 50 years ago.
As the church advances we seem to stray from old biblical teachings.
The song states that others that were apart of her on rank talk about her because she holds the standard of God's word while the others want to change and stray from true teachings " Let's make Living for God easier and a less time consuming" But she held the standad and was picked upon for her Love of the TRUTH of GOD's WORD
by her very own and they formed an allance against the true Word.
I raise chikens and if you place a speckled chicken in to the flock
they will peck them some times to death just because of they look different than the rest ,

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 02:19 PM

I live in Chattanooga Tennessee. There is an old church in a nearby community, Reliance, Tennessee. There is a plaque at the church with the inscription that the song was written by someone in that church (whose name I can't recall). Reliance is on the Hiwassee River. I think that the movie deliverance was partially filmed there.
Wilco in Tennessee

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 01:09 PM

I'm not sure it's useful to look for a lot of Biblical or theological meaning when the song (GSB no. 2) says "The great speckled bird in the Bible is one with the Great Church of God." Who knows what the composer (Acuff in this case) was thinking. Remember that people have constructed an entire set of worship practices from the Biblical phrase "and they shall take up serpents."

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 10:19 AM

I don't think it refers to the Bible, More a symolic and as explained in the lyrics, to refer to a bird, or person that doesn't fit in with the crowd, the other birds/people are jealous and feel threatened by it's difference, trying to force it to become more like them i.e 'desiring to lower it's standards. It pretty much relayes to things like racish, homophobia, all sorts of idioms where those who deviate from the 'norm' are 'great speckled birds' The ironic thing of course is that while it originally refers to religion, or believers in God, It's Religion that is the most Racist, phobic, divisive part of life

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 10:25 PM

"Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her"

When small birds see a large one, which they take to be a predator, they will mob it. They dive at it from above, attacking its eyes. All the big bird can do is keep flying, because it lacks the maneuverability (sp) of the small birds.

I've seen gulls, hawks and crows being attacked in this fashion. I've also seen crows mobbing a red-tailed hawk.

The Jews stood apart from all other groups because they alone were monotheists. I believe the prophet is saying that the Jews are being persecuted by pagan of various sorts. Or it could be that the Jews are being attacked by others acting in consort, simply as another in the many wars of the middle east.

=====================
My father (born 1914) would sometimes talk about an airplane taking off, and he would say "And it was off like a great speckled bird!" The saying was not symbolic at all.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Seth
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 12:48 PM

If you really read the Jeremiah passage carefully, in Old Testament context, and to line up with the rest of the Bible, you will find that "The Great Speckled Bird" really represents the Children of Israel, NOT "the great Church of God." It's ridiculous when people call their group "Israel" when the Bible is, in fact, literally talking about ISRAEL when it is talking about Israel. It should be obvious now, with the reestablishing of the nation of Israel, that the biblical concept of this nation is not obsolete and there is no need that any "church" replaces Israel. Israel and the Church are two entirely different concepts.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 11 - 06:33 AM

the great speckled bird was a song written in the 1930s by guy smith. i believe that smith wrote it about jeremy and some of the verses were about john but no one knows if that's true. i think that an earlier song called on the wings of a dove might have bene written in the 1890s which means that the carter family were not the first to write their tune of 'i'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes in 1929'. i also think this song about the bird should be sung more times and more well remembered thaat the 1952 song the wild side of life is. when i look at the singers who are from britain the things they say is we like to sing that kind of music. a scottish singer from glasgow named lena martell who sings country music likes the wild side because in the interview she said that i do sing hymns but i have never heard of the song about the bird. the first time i heard the song was by roy acuff and i could not believe that that tune was made into a more memorable song and looking at the recordings of this song of the bird i could not beleve that more folk songs were set to this tune, and if you write that type of music with new words i thought that doing a chart of many songs that have been known as different titles including the great speckled bird.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: Amos
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 11:43 AM

ANd just to round the collection out:

Wild Side of Life

    Recorded by Hank Thompson
    [key of C moderate 4/4 time]

[C] You wouldn't read my letter if I [F] wrote you
You [G7] asked me not to call you on the [C] phone.
But there's something I'm wanting to [F] tell you
So I [G7] wrote it in the words of this [C] song.

(chorus)
I didn't know God made honky tonk [F] angels
I [G7] should have known you'd never make a [C] wife
You gave up the only one that ever [F] loved you
And went [G7] back to the wild side of [C] life.

The glamor of the gay night life has [F] lured you
To the [G7] places where the wine and liquor [C] flows.
There you wait to be anybody's [F] baby
And for [G7] get the only love you'll ever [C] know.

Kitty Wells' version:

You wouldn't read my letter if I wrote you
You asked me not to call you on the phone
But there's something I'm wanting to tell you
So I wrote it in the words of this song

I didn't know God made honky tonk angels
I might have known you'd never make a wife
You gave up the only one that ever loved you
And went back to the wild side of life

As I sit here tonight the jukebox's playing
The tune about the wild side of life
As I listen to the words you are saying
It brings mem'ries when I was a trustin' wife

It wasn't God who made honky tonk angels
As you said in the words of your song
Too many times married men think they're still single
That has caused many-a good girl to go wrong

It's a shame that all the blame is on us women
It's not true that only you men feel the same
From the start most every heart that's ever broken
Was because there always was a man to blame

It wasn't God who made who made honky tonk angels
As you said in the words of your song
Too many times married men think they're still single
That has caused many-a good girl to go wrong

I didn't know God made honky tonk angels
I might have known you'd never make a wife
You gave up the only one that ever loved you
And went back to the wild side of life
And went back to the wild side of life

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 11 Feb 11 - 06:11 PM

The most amazing thing about this song is the myriad number of country songers who have been attracted to it. Its very mystifying if you come to country music fairly late in life - you really wonder if its some sort of club. And you search for the metaphor - but even wonderful expositions like Jeanie's do not explain quite why this song has such resonance and meaning for country music artists.

Subject: RE: Who/what is the Great Speckled Bird?
From: GUEST,C Brown
Date: 11 Feb 11 - 05:12 PM

I've been researching this subject and here is one paragraph I found:
Recorded in 1936 by Roy Acuff, the lyrics were apparently written by the Reverend Guy Smith. The image of the "speckled bird," most experts agree, is a reference to Jeremiah 12:9: Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her. The use of "heritage" here means the life one must lead as a consequence of the way one was "raised," but also the one determined by dint of personality: in contrast to an oral tradition, in which thought is spirit, from the outside (as from God), the song is an example of psyche, the experience of literacy, in which thought comes from within. Although the lyrics would suggest gospel music inspirations (they were written by a minister, after all), the music was inspired by a song from the secular realm, and as such the song would seem to be a fierce statement of self-reliance, perseverance, and the perils of the individual within a mass society. Most sources I've come across claim the melody is traditional, used first (in recorded history; it is no doubt much older) in "I Am Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes," a song recorded in the 1920s. The same melody was also used in Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life," and in Kitty Wells' answer song to "The Wild Side of Life," titled "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." To my knowledge, the fact that the four songs all used the same melody was first pointed out, in recorded form anyway, by David Allan Coe, on the best album he ever did, RIDES AGAIN (1977), and the song, "Punkin Center Barn Dance."

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 13 Mar 02 - 08:53 AM

I which case it's THE GREAT SPECKLING BIRD.

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: WyoWoman
Date: 13 Mar 02 - 08:40 AM

I don't know about all this, but I do think it lives in the tree above my parking spot.

ww

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: gnu
Date: 13 Mar 02 - 08:18 AM

Is it kin to the Great Bird of Diminishing Returns ? That which flies in ever smaller circles until it flies up it's own ass and disappears ? Oh, how I use to love airline economic studies !

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 13 Mar 02 - 06:35 AM

Brenda Wooton with freckles !

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: Cappuccino
Date: 13 Mar 02 - 04:43 AM

I think you're right. I think Acuff was sincere, but not entirely correct... as Dicho suggests,we can all get slightly theologically adrift in some of the songs we do.

And my favourite version of the song is by Mudcatter Norton1 and his mates, on the Frio Caballeros CD.

- Ian B

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: Jeanie
Date: 13 Mar 02 - 03:17 AM

I gathered material from many different Bible commentaries,Dicho. If you want to look into this in more detail,a starting point is the on-line commentary on www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jer/

Joe may want to add to this himself, but in his post where he quotes Jer. 12:9, he says "BUT in the SONG the church is like the great speckled bird."

There's no doubt that in the song, the "great speckled bird" is being used to represent the church (or a church/denomination/members thereof), and, moreover, in a positive light.

But the original question was : "Who/what is the great speckled bird?" For that, you go back to the source, the Bible, where the "great speckled bird" represents something very different.

As SharonA says, here is one example of very many, where a bible passage or concept has been misinterpreted and, over time, like a game of Chinese whispers, a whole false mythology has sprung up.I find that whole process fascinating.

- Jeanie

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Mar 02 - 06:41 PM

The interpretation by Redhorse is one Roy Acuff took from the song by Rev. Guy Smith, but see the posting by Joe Offer. Here he quotes the original Bible passage, and the original meaning seems to be the church.
Stewie, I may be wrong (can't help it not having all the data) but I thought all of the verses in version #2 (in DT) were actually used by Smith in his published poem before Acuff recorded it. I also have notes that Acuff's original recording had only four of the verses. He varied it through the years.
I think Joe is closer to the biblical meaning (his training and background). Neither Acuff (or myself) have the theological background to get at the true meaning.

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: SharonA
Date: 12 Mar 02 - 06:35 PM

Great work, Jeannie! (I still like catspaw's characterization of the Christian Church as a free-range emu, though...)

At one point, Jeannie, you say: "It seems to me that the songwriter has totally misinterpreted the Jeremiah passage in the first place." I'm wondering whether it was the songwriter who misinterpreted it, or whether he might have heard that misinterpretation from the pulpit. In other words, had the church (or any denomination thereof) referred to itself as The Great Speckled Bird at the time the song was written, or before then? It certainly wouldn't have been the first time that some enthusiastic preacher mixed his metaphors!

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: GUEST,redhorse
Date: 12 Mar 02 - 06:03 PM

A CD set I just got includes Great Speckled Bird by "Roy Acuff and his Crazy Tennesseeans" dated 1936, which has the second verse

With all the other birds flocking round her
She is so despised by the squad
The Great Speckled Bird is the Bible
Representing the great Church of God

Seems fairly explicit

Subject: RE: Who/what is THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?
From: TJO
Date: 12 Mar 02 - 02:50 PM

Somewhere back in the dim and distant I heard that "The Great Speckled Bird" came from a visual image of an open Bible. The open pages form wings on either side, and the letters make them look speckled. I can't vouch for any truth in that derivation, but I like it. And it seems more fitting for a country song than some scholarly glosses on the Book of Jeremiah. Certainly the Bible being identified with the church could have led to combining the images.