Simon Cowell's Bird Problem On American Idol

Better leave the sparrows and blackbirds in the back yard when you come to perform on American Idol. According to judge Simon Cowell, songs about blackbirds are not appropriate at this level of the competition, and it is quite a feat to make him like a song about sparrows.

Earlier this season Carly Smithson performed the Beatles' classic "Blackbird." Simon seemed to have no particular problem with her performance, but he took issue with selecting a song about blackbirds to sing. Unfortunately, no one was whispering in his ear the level of acclaim "Blackbird" has received through the years. The song was written by Paul McCartney not about blackbirds, but as an analogy to the US civil rights movement of the 1960's. Beatles fans regularly mention the song as among their all-time favorites by the band.

Even a cursory look at the lyrics for Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow," performed last night by David Cook, reveals the meaning of the song having nothing to do specifically with sparrows. It is another example of Parton's towering songwriting skills using imagery of the sparrow to describe the plight of women abandoned by men in broken relationships. Kudos to David Cook for bringing this gem in Dolly Parton's catalog to a wider audience.

• Watch Carly Smithson sing "Blackbird"
• Watch David Cook sing "Little Sparrow"

_{Photo by Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images}