At Break of Day
Bonnie "Prince" Billy Lyrics
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I close my eyes anyway
My mouth is dry and the sheets are cold
And will be still come break of day
You called me up just to surprise me
To hear my voice, see what I'd say
I only whispered, and then hung up
At break of day I'm ending all of it
And so don't say you've had a ball
Dawn is mine, but I will share it
With whatever bird will wear it
On her body bare and pink
Now what do you think of break of day
I locked my door, I should unlock it
What if you should come this way
And in and have a drink and dancing
Dancing till the break of day
And then to bed we'd dance towards
And tiredly kiss and roll in hay
But waking in the evening I see
You left after break of day
At break of day I'm ending all of it
And so don't say you've had a ball
Dawn is mine, but I will share it
With whatever bird will wear it
On her body bare and pink
Now what do you think of break of day
At break of day I'm ending all of it
And so don't say you've had a ball
Dawn is mine, but I will share it
With whatever bird will wear it
On her body bare and pink
Now what do you think of break of day
I hate myself when I'm alone
It's just with you I feel okay
And so tomorrow you'll fell sorrow
When I am gone at break of day
The lyrics of "At Break of Day" by Bonnie "Prince" Billy depict the contemplation of ending one's life with an allusion to a new beginning, a dawn. The first stanza portrays the singer's reluctance and numbness towards the forthcoming daybreak, implying that they might be in a depressive state, or maybe hungover from the previous night. The second stanza indicates that the singer recently had a conversation with someone who might be their significant other or a close friend. The conversation was brief, and the singer didn't reveal much, just muttered "wait till break of day," which could be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps the singer wanted to delay the conversation, perhaps by promising to call again after the daybreak, or it could be a hint to the conversation's gravity as leaving it to be resolved at the metaphorical break of day.
The third stanza gives the impression that the singer is entering a nihilistic state and has decided to take their life at break of day. The last line of this verse is particularly haunting, "Now what do you think of break of day?," suggesting that the singer doesn't expect anyone to share their view of dawn being an end rather than a beginning. The fourth verse realizes the impossibility of truly separating from others, even in death, as the dawn will be shared with "whatever bird will wear it." The last stanza is perhaps the most poignant in the lyrics, where the singer admits their emotional dependency on their beloved and how futile it is to find solace in other things. The internal rhyme and the repeated ending of "at break of day" throughout the entire song conjures a sense of cyclical, inescapable fate.
Line by Line Meaning
I know the sun's about to come up
I'm aware of the coming sunrise
I close my eyes anyway
Despite knowing the time, I choose to sleep
My mouth is dry and the sheets are cold
I'm feeling a physical discomfort as I lay in bed
And will be still come break of day
I will persist in this state until morning
You called me up just to surprise me
You contacted me just to cause a shock
To hear my voice, see what I'd say
You were curious for my reaction
I only whispered, and then hung up
I responded briefly before ending the call
Whispered "wait till break of day"
I gave no further explanation before ending the call
At break of day I'm ending all of it
I plan to end my existence at daybreak
And so don't say you've had a ball
Don't celebrate my departure
Dawn is mine, but I will share it
I claim the morning, but I'm willing to let someone else enjoy it
With whatever bird will wear it
I'll give nature's beauty to any bird who wants it
On her body bare and pink
I picture the bird wearing the sunrise colors on her skin
Now what do you think of break of day
Do you appreciate the beauty of the sunrise?
I locked my door, I should unlock it
I neglected to leave my door unlocked for an expected visitor
What if you should come this way
I'm uncertain of your intentions if you do arrive
And in and have a drink and dancing
If you do come, we could enjoy a beverage and dance
Dancing till the break of day
We could dance until the sunrise
And then to bed we'd dance towards
Eventually, we would dance our way towards bed
And tiredly kiss and roll in hay
We'd share an affectionate moment before resting
But waking in the evening I see
Later that day, I realize that you left
You left after break of day
You departed after the morning sunrise
I hate myself when I'm alone
I have negative feelings when I am by myself
It's just with you I feel okay
Only your company brings me comfort
And so tomorrow you'll feel sorrow
Your reaction to my suicide will be one of sadness
When I am gone at break of day
I will no longer be alive as the morning comes
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Meow Francess
i know the suns about to come up
i close my eyes anyway
my mouth is dry and the sheets are cold
and will be still come break of day
you called me up just to surprise me
to hear my voice, see what i had to say
i only whispered then hung up
i whispered, "wait till break of day."
at the break of day im ending all of it
and so dont say youve had a ball
dawn is mine but i will share it
with whatever bird will wear it
on her body bare and pink
now what do you think of break of day?
i locked my door, i should unlock it
what if you should come this way?
and in and have a drink and dancing
dancing till the break of day
and then to bed we danced towards
and tiredly kiss and roll in hay
but waking in the evening i see
you left after break of day
at the break of day im ending all of it
and so dont say youve had a ball
dawn is mine but i will share it
with whatever bird will wear it
on her body bare and pink
now what do you think of break of day?
at the break of day im ending all of it
and so dont say youve had a ball
dawn is mine but i will share it
with whatever bird will wear it
on her body bare and pink
now what do you think of break of day?
i hate myself when im alone
its just with you i feel ok
so tomorrow youll feel sorrow
when i am gone at break of day
david pike
Inside Man brought me here, great series, what a brilliant song, not heard of this guy before
Diane Mulley
Me too!
Chryss with a Y
Me threee❤️❤️❤️
Christopher Hadin
I used to listen to this song when I would get up with my daughter at the "Break of Day." These memories are among the most treasured of my life.
A Superior Cat
That's a little odd, seeing as this song is about suicide...
AdoBiy
This is the most beautiful song I've ever heard
Bud Little
definitely gonna be the opening song for my funeral.
tomkat69pc
"ease down the road" is a masterpiece ..
Meow Francess
i know the suns about to come up
i close my eyes anyway
my mouth is dry and the sheets are cold
and will be still come break of day
you called me up just to surprise me
to hear my voice, see what i had to say
i only whispered then hung up
i whispered, "wait till break of day."
at the break of day im ending all of it
and so dont say youve had a ball
dawn is mine but i will share it
with whatever bird will wear it
on her body bare and pink
now what do you think of break of day?
i locked my door, i should unlock it
what if you should come this way?
and in and have a drink and dancing
dancing till the break of day
and then to bed we danced towards
and tiredly kiss and roll in hay
but waking in the evening i see
you left after break of day
at the break of day im ending all of it
and so dont say youve had a ball
dawn is mine but i will share it
with whatever bird will wear it
on her body bare and pink
now what do you think of break of day?
at the break of day im ending all of it
and so dont say youve had a ball
dawn is mine but i will share it
with whatever bird will wear it
on her body bare and pink
now what do you think of break of day?
i hate myself when im alone
its just with you i feel ok
so tomorrow youll feel sorrow
when i am gone at break of day
David Evans
Really good song- where can it be found (on what CD or record?