Morning Is Broken
Lloyd Cole Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You used to be mean
You used to be cruel
But you were laughing then
And it was no accident
Where did the mean man go
Is he chasing his shadow
Is he unhappy to report
That the gentleman he found is a terrible bore

You know it all
You've got all the answers
But if that's the case
What's with the long face
It's very easy to be brave
With your good foot in the grave
It's very easy to be cold
When there's no one in the world you want to know
It's very easy to be suave
When you're on your guard
Like you always are

The sun goes down and now the shadows arise
And morning is broken as you mourn your life
You smile at your neighbors as you lock your doors
You face up the mirror, mister pimp or whore

Is it hard to let go
At the foot of the rainbow
Just to be informed
That the chase was your reward
Here have a crock of gold
Keep it for when you're old
Like a week on Tuesday
Hey wise man say
It's very easy to be brave
With your good foot in the grave
It's very easy to be cold
When there's nowhere in the world you want to go
It's very easy to be suave
When you're on your guard
Like you always are

The sun goes down and now the shadows arise
And morning is broken as you mourn your life
You smile at your neighbors as you lock your doors
You face up the mirror, mister pimp or whore
The sun goes down and now the shadows arise
And morning is broken as you mourn your life
You smile at your neighbors as you lock your doors
The morning is broken, mister pimp or whore

Put me in the ground
Put me in the ground
Come on put me in the ground
The morning is broken
(The morning is broken as you mourn your life)
Come on put me in the ground
(The sun goes down and now the shadows arise)
Come on come on put me in the ground
(The morning is broken as you mourn your life)
The morning is broken




The sun goes down and now the shadows arise
And morning is broken as you mourn your life

Overall Meaning

The song "Morning is Broken" by Lloyd Cole presents a reflection on life and death, on the choices we make and the paths we choose to follow. The lyrics suggest that the "mean man" has vanished, leaving behind a "gentleman" who turns out to be a "terrible bore." The song asks what is the value of being right and having all the answers, and yet still feeling empty and unsatisfied. It’s easy to put up a brave face and be suave when you're on guard, but when you have nowhere to go and no one to know, what's the point?


The song also explores the meaning of reward and success. It questions whether chasing the rainbow and the crock of gold at its foot is worth it in the end. When you do catch up and acquire all that was sought, it may turn out to be empty or unsatisfying. The song refers to a sense of mourning for a life that may have been lived differently but also subtly suggests all is not lost.


Cole uses metaphors such as "morning is broken," "shadows arise," and "put me in the ground" to suggest a sense of finality and loss. These metaphors give the song an eerie and melancholy tone, underscoring the idea that the pursuit of happiness may ultimately be futile.


Line by Line Meaning

You used to be mean
In the past, you were unkind


You used to be cruel
In the past, you were harsh and hurtful


But you were laughing then
Despite your previous behavior, you found pleasure in it


And it was no accident
Your behavior wasn't unintentional


Where did the mean man go
What happened to the person who was unkind before


Is he chasing his shadow
Is he trying to catch up with his past


Is he unhappy to report
Is he dissatisfied with the person he has become


That the gentleman he found is a terrible bore
The person he has become is dull and uninteresting


You know it all
You believe you have all the knowledge


You've got all the answers
You think you have a solution to every problem


But if that's the case
If you have all the answers


What's with the long face
Why are you so sad if you have all the answers


It's very easy to be brave
It's simple to be courageous


With your good foot in the grave
When you're facing your death


It's very easy to be cold
It's effortless to show no emotion


When there's no one in the world you want to know
When you have no one close to you


It's very easy to be suave
It's easy to be charming


When you're on your guard
When you're being cautious


Like you always are
As you typically are


The sun goes down and now the shadows arise
As the day ends, darkness emerges


And morning is broken as you mourn your life
As you realize your existence, you're grieving


You smile at your neighbors as you lock your doors
You act friendly, but you're retreating


You face up the mirror, mister pimp or whore
You confront yourself, the flashy or immoral person you have become


Is it hard to let go
Is it difficult to move on


At the foot of the rainbow
At the base of a miraculous find


Just to be informed
Only to discover


That the chase was your reward
The pursuit was the prize


Here have a crock of gold
Here's a pot of gold


Keep it for when you're old
Save it for later


Like a week on Tuesday
Like something that never happens


Hey wise man say
As a knowledgeable person once said


Come on put me in the ground
Bury me already to end this misery


The morning is broken
Life has taken a painful turn




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Jean Vùvù

🎼

Hi Lloyd,

I was thinking that :

- "Bad Vibes" is the "Salvator Mundi" of Lloyd Cole ...

Take care, Maestro
Kind Regards,

From France,
One of your fans,
Salim ~

🎸



All comments from YouTube:

Song Shed

Fantastic song. Why is this guy not more widely known and celebrated?

Marcelo Volcato

Because he's too good for the pop music scene.

Alan Schulz

He has had persistent trouble getting and keeping an American distributor.

1 More Replies...

Ste.

Lloyd has been incredibly consistent over his entire career... Thanks for posting...

pantherlogic

Most underrated artist of the 20th Century

wnt2cmor

This made my day! I have been listening to Lloyd Cole since '87 and had no idea these videos even existed.

GDS

the same for me it all started in fab 80's

Dun Can

I know, this is like a hidden gem from 1993.

nitedreamer23

same here!

MusicSkyHigh

Neither had I , I love this song

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