Rufus Wainwright told Jam! Music this is his favorite song to play live. He explained: "It's a positive song and it talks about both my mother and my daughter. I'm a family guy."
Montauk
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you will see your dad wearing a kimono
And see your other dad pruning roses
Hope you won’t turn around and go
One day you will come to Montauk
And see your dad playing the piano
And see your other dad wearing glasses
Hope that you will want to stay
Don’t worry, I know you'll have to go
One day you will come to Montauk
And see your dad trying to be funny
And see your other dad seeing through me
Hope that you will protect your dad
One day you will come to Montauk
And see your dad trying to be evil
And see your other dad feeling lonely
Hope that you will protect him
You have stayed
Don’t worry, I know you have to go
One day years ago in Montauk
Lived a woman, now a shadow
But she does wait for us in the ocean
And although you want to stay
For a while
Don’t worry, we all have to go
One day you will come to Montauk
Montauk is a poignant and tender song about a father's relationship with his daughter, as well as the beauty and the transience of life. The song is filled with deeply evocative imagery that speaks to the passing of time and the fleeting nature of our experiences.
The song imagines a future moment in which the daughter comes to visit her fathers in Montauk, a small seaside town on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. The fathers are presented in a series of vignettes: one wearing a kimono while the other prunes roses, one playing the piano while the other wears glasses. These images are imbued with a sense of quiet, domestic intimacy, and they suggest a relationship that is loving and nurturing.
But the song is also haunted by a sense of absence and loss. The fathers are described in moments of vulnerability and sadness: one trying to be funny but falling short, the other feeling lonely. The daughter is called upon to protect them in these moments, to be a source of comfort and strength. And the song also speaks to the inevitability of aging and death, with the evocation of a woman who now lives as a shadow in the ocean, waiting for us all.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you will come to Montauk
Someday, you will visit Montauk
And you will see your dad wearing a kimono
You will see one of your fathers wearing a Japanese traditional attire
And see your other dad pruning roses
You will see your other father tending to some rose plants
Hope you won’t turn around and go
I hope you won’t be discouraged to stay after seeing something you might not expect
And see your dad playing the piano
You will see one of your fathers playing the piano
And see your other dad wearing glasses
You will see your other father wearing glasses
Hope that you will want to stay
I hope you will be motivated to spend some time there
For a while
Even if it's just for a short period
Don’t worry, I know you'll have to go
I understand that you might not be able to stay for long
And see your dad trying to be funny
You will see one of your fathers trying to be amusing
And see your other dad seeing through me
You will see your other father sensing that I'm troubled
Hope that you will protect your dad
I hope you'll be able to guard one of your fathers from harm
And see your dad trying to be evil
You will see one of your fathers trying to act malicious
And see your other dad feeling lonely
You will see your other father feeling lonesome
Hope that you will protect him
I hope you'll be able to keep your other dad safe and secure
You have stayed
You stayed for a while
Don’t worry, I know you have to go
I know you have other matters to attend to
One day years ago in Montauk
Several years ago, in Montauk
Lived a woman, now a shadow
There was a woman who once resided there, now gone
But she does wait for us in the ocean
But her memory still lingers in the sea
And although you want to stay
Even though you may be eager to stay
We all have to go
We all have to depart eventually
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
claudette mousseau
A genius. A delicate and sensitive soul. Insanely talented. This song is such a beautiful valentine to his daughter, mother and husband. Love you, Rufus.
Luke Taylor Music
I cannot even begin to describe how difficult this song is to play, let alone sing at the same time!…And how ridiculously simple he makes it look! Genius.
Rhett S
@Rick Vinqvist in general, it is random musings about a town on the Southeastern tip on Long Island. Quite a unique place in the world, Montauk. Rufus is fan of the east end. I've seen him walking around Sag Harbor.
Rick Vinqvist
I wish I had a clue what this song might be about
Luke Taylor Music
Gravisaca Yeah you’re right. It was an old comment that I made 6 years ago. It is actually fairly easy to play.
Gravisaca
no it's not, even me who is a basic piano player can do it. It may seems for someone who doesn't know ... I know some songs of his who are way more difficult to play!
Moira Russell
That is one unearthly voice.
KP Delaney
Very nice! I like "Another Believer" a lot, and now this is a new addition to my playlist. I love the melody
Catalina Busla
Musica incredibile! Testo meraviglioso! Fantastico Rufus! Thank you Amazing Rufus!
Robin Chanteuse Dylan
Awesome is Rufus! He's got the Philip Glass thing going. In fact, it is said that Mr. Glass likes this song. I'd get hand cramps if I tried this kind of playing an entire song.