The Coral is a rock band that formed in 1996 in Hoylake, Wirral Peninsula, … Read Full Bio ↴The Coral is a rock band that formed in 1996 in Hoylake, Wirral Peninsula, England. The band consists of James Skelly (vocals, guitar), Lee Southall (guitar), Paul Duffy (bass), Nick Power (keyboards) and Ian Skelly (drums).

The band's music is a mixture of 1960s-style psychedelia and folk-rock with old-fashioned country and modern alternative rock influences. The Coral have released nine albums (The Coral, Magic and Medicine, Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker, The Invisible Invasion, Roots & Echoes, The Singles Collection/Magic & Mysteries, Butterfly House, The Curse of Love, and Distance Inbetween). Their self-titled debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Music Prize and later voted the fourth best album of the year by NME Magazine. It was announced on 9 January 2008 that Bill Ryder-Jones would be leaving, but the band would continue as a 5-piece.

She Sings the Mourning
The Coral Lyrics

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Down to the glen where the roses twine
Lie in the grass watch the time go by
The hum drum mid-afternoon sun
Only his mothers only son

Black Jack tarmac dirt dust trap
Sister certain wrapped in rags
Whispers words of unwished schemes

Steals a smile from the scorpions dream

She sings the mourning
She sings the mourning
She sings the mourning
In the quiet night
She said don't worry
She said don't worry
She said don't worry
We're out of sight
She sings the mourning
In the quiet night

Blood red love not temptress eyes
Cuts right through the family ties
Lighthouse lights the locust nest
Salem's site invites incest

Back to the glen where the roses twine
Treacle tarts and turpentine
Patron saint of guillotines
A secret's safe when no-one sees

She sings the mourning
She sings the mourning
She sings the mourning
In the quiet night
She said don't worry
She said don't worry
She said don't worry
We're out of sight

She sings the mourning
In the quiet night

Overall Meaning

The Coral’s song “She Sings the Morning” is a darkly poetic track that paints a picture of a desolate, almost apocalyptic world. The lyrics evoke a sense of melancholy and loneliness, with the opening lines “Down to the glen where the roses twine, Lie in the grass watch the time go by”. The image of a solitary figure lying in the grass, watching time pass by, sets the mood for the rest of the song.

The second verse introduces a character named “Sister Certain” who is wrapped in rags and whispers words of unwished schemes. The tone shifts from melancholy to foreboding. The chorus repeats the phrase “She sings the morning” in a haunting melody, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the song. The verse “Blood red love not temptress eyes, Cuts right through the family ties” seems to suggest a tragedy has occurred between family members, with “Lighthouse lights the locust nest, Salem's site invites incest” adding to the ominous tone.

The final verse returns to the glen where the roses twine and introduces the patron saint of guillotines who keeps secrets safe when no one sees. The repetition of the phrase “She sings the morning” becomes more urgent, as if pleading for relief from the desolate world the song portrays. The overall mood of the song is haunting yet captivating, with evocative imagery and poetic lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Down to the glen where the roses twine
We walked down to the valley where the roses tangle together

Lie in the grass watch the time go by
Lay down on the grass and watch the passage of time

The hum drum mid-afternoon sun
The usual, boring sun at mid-afternoon

Only his mothers only son
The only son of his mother

Black Jack tarmac dirt dust trap
The trap of black tarmac, dirt and dust

Sister certain wrapped in rags
The sister wrapped in certain rags

Whispers words of unwished schemes
Whispers the words of unwanted plans

Steals a smile from the scorpions dream
Takes a smile from the dream of a scorpion

She sings the mourning
She sings the song of mourning

She said don't worry
She said not to worry

We're out of sight
We're hidden and not visible