Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no way to hold my head, that didn't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast
Wasn't bad so I had one more for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face and combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day
I'd smoked my brain the night before
With cigarettes and songs that I've been pickin'
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Cussin' at a can that he was kicking
Then I crossed the empty street
And caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin' chicken
And it took me back to somethin'
That I'd lost somehow somewhere along the way
On the Sunday morning sidewalks
Wishing lord that I was stoned
'Cause there is something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothin' short of dyin'
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleepin' city side walks
Sunday mornin' comin' down
In the park I saw a daddy
With a laughing little girl who he was swingin'
And I stopped beside a Sunday school
And listened to the song that they were singin'
Then I headed back for home and
Somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin'
And it echoed thru the canyon like
The disappearing dreams of yesterday.
On the Sunday morning sidewalks
Wishing lord that I was stoned
'Cause there is something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothin' short of dyin'
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleepin' city side walks
Sunday mornin' comin' down.
Marissa Nadler's cover of the Kris Kristofferson classic, "Sunday Morning Coming Down," tells the story of a lonely, hungover man wandering the city streets on a Sunday morning. As he walks around, he reflects on lost dreams and missed opportunities, and he realizes how disconnected he feels from those around him.
The opening lines of the song immediately set the tone for a lamenting tale. The singer is in physical and emotional pain from drinking too much and is desperately trying to piece together his memories of the previous evening. He has stumbled around his home, searching for clean clothes, and eventually makes his way outside, where he is met with the smells of food cooking and the sounds of children playing.
Throughout the song, the singer experiences a mix of emotions, from feeling "half as lonesome as the sound on the sleeping city sidewalks" to being humbled by the simple joys of watching a father play with his daughter in the park. As the song builds to its final lines, it becomes clear that the singer is struggling to regain a sense of direction in his life and is haunted by the notion that he may have missed out on something important.
Overall, Marissa Nadler's version of "Sunday Morning Coming Down" captures the melancholic spirit of Kris Kristofferson's original while adding her own unique spin to the lyrics. The song offers a moving portrait of a man trying to make sense of his life on a quiet Sunday morning.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I woke up Sunday morning
The singer woke up early morning on a Sunday feeling down and lost.
With no way to hold my head, that didn't hurt
The singer is struggling with a hangover.
And the beer I had for breakfast
The singer drank beer for breakfast.
Wasn't bad so I had one more for dessert
The artist's first beer wasn't terrible, so they decided to have another.
Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes
The artist searched for something to wear, but couldn't decide.
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
The singer found a clean, yet worn shirt to wear.
And I shaved my face and combed my hair
The singer prepared themselves for the day by grooming.
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day
The artist was groggy and not fully alert as they began their day.
I'd smoked my brain the night before
The artist smoked and drank heavily the night before.
With cigarettes and songs that I've been pickin'
The artist spent the night smoking and playing music.
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
The singer lit a cigarette and watched a child kick a can.
Cussin' at a can that he was kicking
The child was swearing at the can they were kicking.
Then I crossed the empty street
The singer walked across a deserted street.
And caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin' chicken
The singer smelled someone cooking chicken, reminding them of Sundays from their past.
And it took me back to somethin'
The smell triggered a flashback for the singer.
That I'd lost somehow somewhere along the way
The memory of the past had been forgotten or lost by the artist.
On the Sunday morning sidewalks
The artist walks down the empty sidewalks on a Sunday.
Wishing lord that I was stoned
The singer wishes that they were stoned or high to escape their loneliness.
'Cause there is something in a sunday
Sundays make the singer feel a certain way.
That makes a body feel alone
The artist feels lonely on Sundays.
And there's nothin' short of dyin'
Nothing is more lonely than the feeling the artist experiences on a Sunday.
Half as lonesome as the sound
The sound of empty sidewalks is somehow comforting to the artist.
On the sleepin' city side walks
The singer is walking through a city that feels like it's asleep on a Sunday.
Sunday mornin' comin' down
The artist is feeling down on a Sunday morning.
In the park I saw a daddy
The singer spots a father pushing his daughter on a swing.
With a laughing little girl who he was swingin'
The father is making his daughter happy and she is laughing.
And I stopped beside a Sunday school
The singer stops by a Sunday school.
And listened to the song that they were singin'
The artist listens to the churchgoers singing a song.
Then I headed back for home and
The artist begins on their way back home.
Somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin'
The sound of a ringing bell reminds the singer of the passing of time.
And it echoed thru the canyon like
The sound bounced off of the canyon walls.
The disappearing dreams of yesterday.
The ringing bell symbolizes the passing of time and the disappearance of past dreams and memories.
Contributed by Alexis N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.