Milkman
CocoRosie Lyrics


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My brother
My only kin
I'm lost in tears in the mirror again
Lord knows I have no conscience
Put a doubt into my mind
Where your voice, it still remains
Lord knows I still need you
But you're far away
Lost in some playground
In Disneyland
Take me with you
We'll play to the end
Then fall off
the face of the earth

My brother
My long lost friend
We cut our hands to have more skin
All I found
Once I left this land
Is the desolation
Of humankind
Follow me will you wind this tape again




I'll be looking for you
Around the next bend

Overall Meaning

In "Milkman" by CocoRosie, the singer mournfully addresses their brother, who they've been separated from, possibly due to death or distance. The singer is overcome with grief and constantly cries in front of the mirror, missing their sibling. They express that while they lack a conscience, their brother's voice remains with them. The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer may have done things that they regret, indicating that they might require guidance from their loved one. Nevertheless, the brother remains far away, lost in some childlike amusement park, possibly signifying how the singer's brother is gone from this world, and that place in the heart where their sibling resided is lost to a youthful feeling of playfulness that they can never recover again.


The next verse suggests that the brother meant a great deal to the singer, even though they cut their hands to have more skin. While this line is enigmatic, it could imply that the siblings may have engaged in self-harm as an expression of their closeness or possibly to solidify their bond. The singer laments that after their departure, they found nothing but the emptiness of human existence. The singer requests their brother to accompany them once again, hinting that if they could unite, their friendship would once again bring color to their monochrome existence.


Line by Line Meaning

My brother
Addressing the singer's sibling


My only kin
The singer's only family member


I'm lost in tears in the mirror again
The singer is crying in front of a mirror


Lord knows I have no conscience
The artist may not have any moral compass


Put a doubt into my mind
Something has made the artist uncertain


Where your voice, it still remains
The memory of the sibling's voice remains


Lord knows I still need you
The singer still feels a need for their sibling


But you're far away
The sibling is out of reach


Lost in some playground
The sibling is lost in a playful environment


In Disneyland
The playful environment is likely Disneyland


Take me with you
The singer wants to join the sibling


We'll play to the end
The siblings will play together until the end


Then fall off
They will fall off from life's responsibilities


the face of the earth
Disappearing from the world


My brother
The singer is referring to their sibling again


My long lost friend
The sibling is also considered a long-lost friend


We cut our hands to have more skin
The siblings share a bond of blood and kinship


All I found
The singer has found something


Once I left this land
It was only after leaving the place where they grew up


Is the desolation
The world outside has been disappointing


Of humankind
The failings of humanity in general


Follow me will you wind this tape again
As one rewinds an old tape, the artist wants their sibling to come back


I'll be looking for you
The singer will actively search for their sibling


Around the next bend
The sibling may be found soon, just around the corner




Contributed by Violet L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Isaac Gruenbaum

mlerbeable well four years later here i come lol
- c major is the first chord
- the melody goes like this: g g e g a-asharp-b
- then chords a minor and g maj
- then back to c maj
- then theres that chord that consists of d, fsharp and b (which i will be calling the fsharp chord from now on but keep in mind that its not the right name lol)
- then back to c major
- e min
- fsharp chord i was talking about before
- c again



All comments from YouTube:

MilkyTeaPrincess

this is so freaking beautiful It makes me cry each time

Greg Bell

Honestly they have so much talent and have kept up with their magical inner child thru deaming...Have you?

Almond A

My brother My only kin I'm lost in tears in the mirror again Lord knows I have no conscience Put a doubt into my mind Where your voice, it still remains Lord knows I still need you But your far away Lost in some playground In Disneyland Take me with you We'll play to the end Then fall off of the face of the earth

Elvis Antonio

Thx a million!

Elvis Antonio

I love this song... That's elegant and sad song at the same time. Unfortunately, I can't find that one on Spotify and Tidal. I'd love to listen to it without needing to uso the YT.

adees9

This song made me cry, I don't think theres anything one could possible critisize about it. It's beauty shines.

Liz

love this playlist thanks!

Nelson Segura

this song gives me chills

Almond A

My brother My long lost friend We cut our hands to have more skin All I found Once I left this land Is the desolation Of humankind Follow me will you wined this tape again I'll be waiting for you Around the next bend

markhh99

yum, i love sierra's piano ballads

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