History Main / BluebirdOfHappiness

** In ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonLightOfHope'', you receive the blue feather for free from a bluebird that is [[spoiler:the (blue-haired) Harvest Goddess in bird form). It's stated that people literally can't get the feather by force.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* There was a ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' Sunday comic where Pig receives a visit from the Bluebird of Happiness, which makes Pig really happy since he never received a visit from such a bird. [[spoiler: Subverted afterwards, when it turns out that the Bluebird actually had the wrong address, because he held the directions upside-down, and was really looking for Joseph C. Skalabonsky, so he flies away, leaving Pig sad and alone once again.]]

* ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'' homages this during a (rather hilarious) scene where Tom is having a musical-like fantasy of victorious happiness after [[spoiler: the first time he has sex with Summer]]. People in the street smile and shake his hand as they congratulate him, dancing in joyous celebration, and a little animated bluebird lands on his finger.

* In ''Film/KPax'', the [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane mental patient/possible extraterrestrial]] prōt (Creator/KevinSpacey) tasks his obsessive-compulsive fellow patient Howie with "finding the Bluebird of Happiness". Rather than his usual routines, Howie sits quietly in front of the windows for days, watching the trees. [[spoiler: When the Institute is unexpectedly visited by a blue jay, he erupts into an ecstatic frenzy, and his joy is contagious to the rest of the patients and even the staff.]]

* Zigzagged in ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'' with Beatrice. She helps [[SiblingTeam Wirt and Greg]] find their way to [[BigGood Adelaide]] and the way home, but is [[LittleMissSnarker relentlessly sarcastic ]] about nearly everything. [[spoiler: She, alongside her family, was also transformed into a bluebird after throwing a rock at one, and is leading the two to the villainous Adelaide in exchange for the reversal of the curse.]] She eventually warms up to the kids, and [[spoiler: defeats Adelaide and later helps Wirt rescue Greg from [[BigBad the Beast]]]]. Discussed when a tavern-keeper tries to kick Beatrice out when she sees her as bad luck.

* There was a hit song in 1934 called "The Bluebird of Happiness" which, according to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, is probably the origin of the American phrase (though the concept is much older in Europe).

* {{Inverted}} with ''extreme'' prejudice in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cybersix}}'' "The Bluebirds of Horror," with bluebirds being prominent among the [[FeatheredFiend Feathered Fiends]] pulling a WholePlotReference to ''Film/TheBirds'', up to and including the MonsterOfTheWeek, which resembles a giant, anthropomorphic, monster bluebird.

* {{Inverted}} with ''extreme'' prejudice in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cybersix}}'' "The Bluebirds of Horror," with bluebirds being prominent among the [[FeatheredFiend Feathered Fiends]] pulling a WholePlotReference to ''Film/TheBirds'', up to and including the MonsterOfTheWeek, which resembles a giant, anthropomorphic monster bluebird.

* {{Inverted}} with ''extreme'' prejudice in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cybersix}}'' "The Bluebirds of Horror," with bluebirds being prominent among the FeatheredFiends pulling a WholeEpisodeReference to ''Film/TheBirds'', up to and including the MonsterOfTheWeek, which resembles a giant, anthropomorphic monster bluebird.

* {{Inverted}} with ''extreme'' prejudice in the ''WesternAnimation/Cybersix'' "The Bluebirds of Horror," with bluebirds being prominent among the FeatheredFiends pulling a WholeEpisodeReference to ''Film/TheBirds'', up to and including the MonsterOfTheWeek, which resembles a giant, anthropomorphic monster bluebird.

* [[{{Inverted}}]] with ''extreme'' prejudice in the ''WesternAnimation/Cybersix'' "The Bluebirds of Horror," with bluebirds being prominent among the FeatheredFiends pulling a WholeEpisodeReference to ''Film/TheBirds'', up to and including the MonsterOfTheWeek, which resembles a giant, anthropomorphic monster bluebird.

Contrast CagedBirdMetaphor. Compare DovesMeanPeace.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' theme song "[[ThePollyanna Pollyanna]]" has the following verse:

** The ''Endwalker'' expansion introduces the character Meteion, a girl with MercurysWings on her head, tail feathers down her back and talons for feet as well as [[ColorMotif blue clothes]], [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair blue hair]] and [[InnocentBlueEyes blue eyes]] coupled with the ability to transform into an actual blue bird. She's also TheEmpath and was tasked by her creator with finding out what other people out there in the universe live for, what gives their lives meaning and what fills their lives with hope and happiness. [[spoiler:The realization that the premise of the question is flawed and the vast majority of the universe is in fact "inhabited" by the ruins and remains of civilizations that were unable or outright ''unwilling'' to keep living breaks her so badly that her color scheme is replaced with one of {{gloomy gray}} and [[DespairEventHorizon black despair]] and turns her into a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds.]]

* The lyrics of the Music/TheyMightBeGiants song "Birdhouse in Your Soul" from ''Music/{{Flood}}'', by John Linnell and about a night light shaped like a blue canary, include the phrase "blue bird of friendliness."

Contrast CagedBirdMetaphor.

* Subverted with "My Blue Tears" from ''Music/DollyParton's ''Music/CoatOfManyColors'', where Dolly tells said bird to fly away as she can't be cheered up.

* Parodied in ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'', when the Cheerful Fairy manifests with the Blue Bird of Happiness on her shoulder. It's a blue ''chicken''.

* In ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'', the birds flitting about Rapunzel after her descent were bluebirds.

* ''Disney/SnowWhite'' sings to one.

* A scene in ''Disney/TheRescuers'' uses the bluebird as a symbol of "faith... you see from afar."

* Parodied/subverted on ''Series/OnceUponATime'' to illustrate Snow White's amnesia-induced TookALevelInJerkass phase; she's sweeping and humming [[Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs "With a Smile and a Song"]], invites a bluebird to land on her finger, sets it down, and [[MoodWhiplash starts swinging her broom at it]].

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' games have you propose to your spouse with a blue feather. While many games simply have you buy the feather from the store (apparently the grocer knows ''everyone's'' business and knows when he needs to start stocking feathers) or have the Mayor give it to you, some mention the bird by name and at least one makes you climb a mountain in order to find the bird and pick up [[PerpetualMoult a feather it's moulted]].

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

As true bluebirds (actually members of the thrush family) are only native to North America, any instance of them showing up in Europe is MisplacedWildlife. However, some mentions of "blue birds" in popular fiction and poetry, such as the French play ''L'Oiseau Bleu'', predate the discovery of American bluebird; they are thought to be references to a different bird known as the [[http://www.empken.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Blue_Rock-Thrush blue rock-thrush]].

* ''Somewhere over the Rainbow'' from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' mentions bluebirds.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In {{ComicBook/Monstress}}, one briefly lands on a Cumaea leader's finger in a tender moment, before she [[KickTheDog crushes]] [[SubvertedTrope it.]]

[[folder: Film -- Animated ]]

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' parodies this, having Fiona sing to one... causing it to ''explode''.
* A scene in "Disney/TheRescuers" uses the bluebird as a symbol of "faith ... you see from afar."

[[folder: Film -- Live Action ]]

--> "Oof! That happy little bluebird has left a happy little doo-doo on your hand."

* ''Somewhere Over The Rainbow'' from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' mentions bluebirds.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Klinger from ''[[Series/{{Mash}} M*A*S*H]]'' once went for it in FloweryInsults: "May the Bluebird of Happiness leave a surprise in your orange juice!"

[[folder: Music ]]

* DaveMatthewsBand has the song, "Black and Blue Bird".

[[folder: Newspaper Comic ]]

* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' had one strip where a man is abandoned by the Bluebird of Happiness, and is instead visited by the Chicken of Depression.
* There was a ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' Sunday comic where Pig receives a visit from the Bluebird of Happiness, which makes Pig really happy since he never received a visit from such a bird. [[spoiler: Subverted afterwards, when it turns out that the Bluebird actually had the wrong address, because he held the directions upside-down, and was really looking for Joseph C. Skalabonsky, so he flies away, leaving Pig sad and alone once again.]]
* In ''NewspaperComic/PricklyCity'', a bluebird came up to and sang to a moping Carmen -- she observes: "No anguish goes unchallenged."
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Frazz}}'', a girl's bad mood is underscored by her ignoring a bluebird flying by.

[[folder: Theater ]]

* Theatre/TheBlueBird revolves about the search for one.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

-->I believe there'll come a day
-->Maybe it will be tomorrow.
-->When the blue bird flies away
-->All we have to do is follow (it).
-->I believe a dream can still come true,
-->Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?
* Inverted nastily in ''VideoGame/{{Odin Sphere}}''. While the bluebird SpiritAdvisor which gives voice to all of Gwendolyn's self-doubt repeatedly throughout Book 1 is never named, it might as well be called the Bluebird of Unhappiness given how viciously it mocks and berates her. [[spoiler:It's actually the spirit of her dead sister Griselda.]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Zigzagged in ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'' with Beatrice. She helps [[SiblingTeam Wirt and Greg]] find their way to [[BigGood Adelaide]] and the way home, but is [[LittleMissSnarker relentlessly sarcastic ]] about nearly everything. [[spoiler: She, alongside her family, was also transformed into a bluebird after throwing a rock at one, and is leading the two to the villainous Adelaide in exchange for the reversal of the curse.]] She eventually warms up to the kids, and [[spoiler: defeats Adelaide and later helps Wirt rescue Greg from [[BigBad the Beast]]]].
** Discussed when a tavern-keeper tries to kick Beatrice out when she sees her as bad luck.
-->'''Beatrice:''' Bluebirds are good luck! We bring joy and happiness!
-->'''Tavern-Keeper:''' (''hits her with a broom'') Good luck, bad luck, I don't need any of it!

As true bluebirds (actually members of the thrush family) are only native to North America, any of them showing up in Europe is MisplacedWildlife. However, some mentions of "blue birds" in popular fiction and poetry, such as the French play ''L'Oiseau Bleu'', predate the discovery of American bluebird; they are thought to be references to a different bird known as the [[http://www.empken.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Blue_Rock-Thrush blue rock-thrush]].

As true bluebirds (actually members of the thrush family) are only native to North America, any of them showing up in Europe is MisplacedWildlife. However, some mentions of "blue birds" in popular fiction and poetry, such as the French play ''Theatre/LOiseauBleu'', predate the discovery of American bluebird; they are thought to be references to a different bird known as the [[http://www.empken.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Blue_Rock-Thrush blue rock-thrush]].

As true bluebirds are only native to North America, any of them showing up in Europe is MisplacedWildlife.

* The Series/SesameStreet film ''Follow That Bird'' subverts this. The captured Big Bird, painted blue by the Sleaze Brothers, is anything but happy.