Robyn Raymond Hitchcock (born 3rd March 1953) is an English singer-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Robyn Raymond Hitchcock (born 3rd March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and psych folk guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. Many of Hitchcock's album covers bear his paintings or drawings, and his albums' liner notes sometimes include a printed short story. His live concerts usually include a considerable amount of story-telling, imaginative and surreal ad-libbed monologues in his lyrical style. He is the son of novelist Raymond Hitchcock and the brother of artist Lal Hitchcock.

He regularly does solo work, and returns again and again to bands he has formed like The Soft Boys and The Egyptians. Hitchcock is an avid and able collaborator with people like director Jonathan Demme, actor Alan Rickman, country/folk duo (and longtime Hitchcock fans) Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, The Venus 3, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows' frontman Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge of XTC, Nick Lowe, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Jon Brion, and Grant-Lee Phillips, as well as Ministry's Bill Rieflin.

Hitchcock's musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by his appreciation of Bob Dylan, Gregory Corso, The Byrds, Country Joe & The Fish, and Syd Barrett.

Hitchcock's lyrics are an essential component of his work, and tend to include surrealism, comedic songs, characterisations of English eccentrics, plant roots, insects, trains, dreams, and melancholy depictions of everyday life. His themes include what many psychologists view as the roots of modern neurosis - namely, death, sex, and eating. (As if in recognition of these themes, he released an EP in 2007 called "Sex, Food, Death and Tarantulas".)

End of Time
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics

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Sunrise doesn't give a damn
About who I am or what I'm doing anyway

Day breaks like an egg
Gotta say a negative's a postive to me

Take me take me
I'm ready for the end of time time goes

Up in a balloon i'll go with it soon
Into the shadow of myself

Macy's opens up at six
You can get some
Sixty-second feelings for yourself

Take me take me
I'm ready for the end of time take me
Take me i'm ready for the end of time

All of the glory
None of the real hard labour
It's been wonderful

Take me yeah, take me
I'm ready for the end of time take me
Take me i'm ready for the end of time
The end of time the end of time
The end of time the end of time

The end of time, yeah the end of time, yeah
The end of time, yeah the end of time, yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "End of Time" by Robyn Hitchcock can be interpreted as a meditation on the insignificance of human existence in the grand scheme of things. The singer reflects on the indifference of the sunrise, symbolizing the immensity of the universe that remains unaffected by individual lives and actions. The line "Day breaks like an egg" suggests the fragility and transience of life, while also hinting at the potential for new beginnings.

The singer finds solace in embracing the concept of time coming to an end. Instead of fearing the inevitable, they embrace the idea of escaping the constraints of time and entering a new phase of existence. The repetition of "take me" expresses a readiness to let go and move on from the limitations and responsibilities of the current reality. The mention of Macy's opening at six, with its reference to immediate gratification, juxtaposes the fleeting nature of temporary pleasures against the desire for something more profound and timeless.

Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of surrender, acceptance, and a longing for transcendence. The singer is ready for a world where there is no time, no obligations, and no toil. It's a reflection on the ephemeral nature of existence and the craving for something beyond the mundane.

Line by Line Meaning

Sunrise doesn't give a damn
The morning sun is indifferent to my existence

About who I am or what I'm doing anyway
It doesn't matter to the sun who I am or what I'm currently engaged in

Day breaks like an egg
The dawn arrives abruptly, resembling the cracking of an egg

Gotta say a negative's a positive to me
I find positivity even in negative circumstances

Take me take me
Please, take me along

I'm ready for the end of time time goes
I am prepared for the eventual cessation of time's flow

Up in a balloon i'll go with it soon
I will ascend in a balloon and accompany time's passage before long

Into the shadow of myself
Towards the hidden, darker aspects of my own being

Macy's opens up at six
The department store Macy's commences its operations at six o'clock

You can get some sixty-second feelings for yourself
You can indulge in brief, fleeting emotions for your own satisfaction

All of the glory
All the splendor and magnificence