Magpie to the Morning
Neko Case Lyrics
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Drops a marble from the sky
Tin roof sounds alarming
"Wake up child"
"Let this be a warning"
Says the magpie to the morning
"Don't let this fading summer pass you by"
"Don't let this fading summer pass you by"
Come on sorrow
Take your own advice
This thundering and lightning gets you rain
I'm on a top secret mission
A Cousteau expedition
To find a diamond at the bottom of the drain
A diamond at the bottom of the drain
A diamond at the bottom of the drain
Mocking bird sings
Middle of the night
All his songs are stolen and he hides
He stole them from the Whippoorwills
And the yellow little light
He sings them for you special
He knows you're afraid of the dark
Come on sorrow
Take your own advice
Hide under the bed
Turn out the light
The stars this night in the sky are ringing out
You can almost hear them saying
"Close your eyes now kid"
"Close your eyes now kid"
"These old dreams are hid"
They are waiting
Waiting
They are waiting
The song "Magpie to the Morning" by Neko Case is a soulful ballad set against a backdrop of thunder, lightning and summer storms. The lyrics delve into the themes of fleeting time, missed opportunities, and the power of nature. The magpie is a symbol of warning, reminding us to pay attention to the passing of time and to seize the moment before it's gone. The song also features a mockingbird who sings at night, taking inspiration from the whippoorwill and the stars in the sky. The lyrics offer advice to those who are feeling lost: to take their own advice, to hide under the bed, and to turn out the light, trusting that their dreams will come to them if they're patient.
The opening stanza of the song showcases the magpie as a messenger bird, who drops a marble from the sky that sends a warning to the sleeping child to wake up and pay attention to the world around them. The song has an almost dreamlike quality to it, with the imagery used focused on the natural world and its power. There is a sense of urgency in the magpie's message not to let the summer pass by before it's too late. The second stanza features the singer heading out on a "top secret mission," to find a diamond at the bottom of a drain. This search is metaphorical for the search for something precious and rare, which may be elusive and hard to find.
Overall, the song speaks to the listener in a gentle and reassuring way, reminding us of the beauty of nature and the importance of making the most of every moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Magpie comes a calling
The magpie has arrived
Drops a marble from the sky
The magpie drops a small stone from above
Tin roof sounds alarming
The sound of the marble on the roof is startling
"Wake up child"
The magpie is trying to wake up the person
"Let this be a warning"
The magpie wants to give a warning
Says the magpie to the morning
The magpie speaks to the morning
"Don't let this fading summer pass you by"
The magpie advises not to miss out on the fleeting summer season
"Come on sorrow"
The singer addresses their own sadness
Take your own advice
Follow the advice you give to others
This thundering and lightning gets you rain
Stormy weather brings precipitation
I'm on a top secret mission
The singer is on a secret mission
A Cousteau expedition
The mission is like one of Jacques Cousteau's
To find a diamond at the bottom of the drain
The goal is to find something valuable in an unlikely place
Mocking bird sings
A mocking bird is singing
Middle of the night
It's nighttime
All his songs are stolen and he hides
The bird steals other birds' songs and hides
He stole them from the Whippoorwills
The mocking bird took the songs from eastern whip-poor-wills
And the yellow little light
The bird is attracted to a light
He sings them for you special
The bird sings the songs for the listener
He knows you're afraid of the dark
The bird is aware that the listener is scared of darkness
"Hide under the bed"
The singer tells their sadness to hide under the bed
Turn out the light
Turn off the light
The stars this night in the sky are ringing out
The stars are shining brightly tonight
You can almost hear them saying
The stars seem like they are speaking
"Close your eyes now kid"
The stars tell the listener to close their eyes
"These old dreams are hid"
The stars are hiding old dreams
They are waiting
The dreams are waiting
Waiting
Continuation of the previous line
They are waiting
Continuation of the previous line
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Neko Case, Paul Rigby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
shanec36
I love how she sings about birds and nature... she is so swift with her lyrics and vocals, like shes swooping down from above to visit us with her talent and then leaves us again at the end of each song.
nessesaryschoolthing
This might be the most beautiful song ever. Probably isn't, I mean, I haven't heard them all or anything but... wow.
Michelle Browne
The production on this album is so amazing. I don't usually notice production - or I used to not do so - but there's a lot of wonderful acoustic effects on it, and the strings work is wonderful (cello, violin, etc).
MasterJediElf
Yes, it is incredible. And the musicianship is fantastic
Daniel Giroux
her voice captures something so deep in me...plus the song wonderfully produced
Les Mills
Can't believe this amazing woman has flown under my radar until now! She's like a female Tim Buckley, which to me is the highest praise.
Bruno Moraes
Les Mills I always say that Neko has the lyrical skills which remind me of the troubador style of Tim Buckley. It's really nice to find out someone agrees.
Crow Cianciola
neko case everywhere would be the soundtrack to life I would live willingly by.
Doug Roling
like a fierce angel and yet the most humble artist ever for her talent middle cyclone puts me in another dimension
thinkuh
how could this be the first comment in two years? This song is seriously epic. A masterpiece!