The Lilac Time is a band from Birmingham, UK (though based in Malvern, Engl… Read Full Bio ↴The Lilac Time is a band from Birmingham, UK (though based in Malvern, England), formed by Stephen Duffy and his brother Nick Duffy in 1987. The name is taken from a line in the Nick Drake song River Man: "Gonna see the River Man/Gonna tell him all I can/About the plan/For Lilac Time".

The initial line-up for the debut album, entitled The Lilac Time, released in November 1987 was the two Duffys and keyboardist Michael Weston. Subsequent line-ups have revolved around the two brothers and included drummer Michael Giri, bassist Micky Harris, multi-instrumentalist Caroline Radcliffe, pianist Cara Tivey. Nick Duffy briefly left in 1990 and was replaced by guitarist Sagat Guirey. Later members post '91 split include backing vocalist & keyboardist Claire Worrall and pedal steel guitarist Melvin Duffy (no relation!).

The band's activity is intertwined with Stephen's solo career, waxing and waning as his time and attention permit. The longest gap between Lilac Time records was 8 years - 1991's Astronauts to 1999's Looking for a Day in the Night.

Now, Stephen Duffy is perhaps best known as the co-songwriter and producer for Robbie Williams, and after many years of obscurity, a series of reissues now means that the entire Lilac Time back catalogue is available to buy in the UK for the first time ever. His three later solo albums (1993's Music in Colors, 1995's Duffy & 1998's I Love My Friends) have also been reissued with extra tracks.

From 2003 to 2009 the band released records as Stephen Duffy & The Lilac Time and has stabilised with the permanent line-up of Stephen Duffy, Nick Duffy and Claire Worrall (who married Stephen Duffy in 2008). Michael Giri, Micky Harris and Melvin Duffy supplement the line-up on rare occasions they play live.

April 2015 sees the return of The Lilac Time name in the form of a new album, entitled No Sad Songs.

Morning Sun
The Lilac Time Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Have you been alone in the morning sun?
Have you ever felt your work is almost done?
Your contracts will expire
But the focus of desire remains true
What else can you do?

Have you walked alone in the morning sun?
Bathing in that pale light, the day has just begun

Today might be the day when you hear someone say:
"Don't go away, I need you to stay"

Did he try to capture the morning sun?
Take you to the beach and tell you to run?

Now everything gets lost
Or else ends up on the cross

Overall Meaning

The Lilac Time's song Morning Sun is a beautiful and melancholic ode to experiencing solitude and the struggle of finding purpose despite the seeming finality of contracts expiring indicating the end of an era. The lyrics are reflective, introspective, and full of melancholy. The song begins with two rhetorical questions about being alone in the morning sun and almost completing work. The singer goes on to mention that while contracts will expire, the focus of desire will remain true. The lyrics go on to ponder the question of what else can be done in this situation. The answer, of course, is to keep going and to hope and wait for better things.

The second verse switches the focus slightly, asking about going it alone in the morning sun and how it feels to bathe in that pale light. The singer talks about the importance of seizing the moment since today might be the day when someone says: "Don't go away, I need you to stay." The final verse is about a failed attempt to capture the morning sun and take someone to the beach, which results in everything getting lost, or else ending up on the cross. This last phrase could be interpreted to mean that everything that is worth having has to be fought for and earned, even if it comes at a price.

Overall, Morning Sun is a bittersweet reminder of the importance of introspection and taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around us, even while struggling with life's inevitable disappointments.

Line by Line Meaning

Have you been alone in the morning sun?
Have you ever had a quiet moment in the early morning light?

Have you ever felt your work is almost done?
Have you ever felt that you're almost finished with what you're doing?

Your contracts will expire
Your agreements will eventually end

But the focus of desire remains true
But your true desire stays unchanged

What else can you do?
What other choice do you have?

Have you walked alone in the morning sun?
Have you ever strolled by yourself in the gentle morning light?

Bathing in that pale light, the day has just begun
Immersed in that soft light of dawn, the day has just started

Today might be the day when you hear someone say:
Today could be the day when you hear someone telling you:

"Don't go away, I need you to stay"
"Please don't leave, I need you here with me"

Did he try to capture the morning sun?
Did he endeavor to seize that precious morning light?

Take you to the beach and tell you to run?
Bring you to the seaside and urge you to dash on?