The Village in the Morning
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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Outside the rain is coming down
Inside it's warm and dry
You'll never find a cab uptown
So why not stay the night?
Why don't you call in sick tomorrow
Let's sleep the day away
I've got pyjamas you can borrow
Let's take a holiday
(C): You can't leave the village in the the morning
When the radio writes poetry for Avenue Pi
You get tangled in the wheels of old queen river
And you can't find the breath to whisper
Goodbye
Whisper goodbye
Why don't you stay until the weekend
It should clear up by then
As your resolve begins to weaken
We'll become such good friends
And you could stay until the summer
And we can sleep through spring
And I can telephone my dummer
And have her get your things
(C)
Why don't you stay until we're old
And fall in love with life
Why don't you stay untl we're ghosts




We'll only seem to die
(C)

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song "The Village in the Morning" is a melancholic ode to the feeling of not wanting to let someone go. The song's setting is in a cozy apartment during a rainy night in the city, but the lyrics suggest staying longer and "taking a holiday" rather than braving the wet streets. The first stanza sets up the contrast between the cold, wet outside and the warm, dry inside, making us want to stay in with our partner. The second stanza builds on this, suggesting that the singer call in sick to work and sleep the day away. Then comes the chorus, which paints a picture of the city as an overwhelming place with rivers, traffic, and poetry on the radio that tangles people up and makes it hard to say goodbye. The chorus suggests that these obstacles make it impossible to leave the village in the morning.


The third stanza continues to build on the idea of staying longer, with the singer suggesting they stay until the weekend, then the summer, then until they're old and fall in love with life, and finally until they're ghosts, who don't seem to die. The repetition of "Why don't you stay" reinforces the sense of longing for the other person's company, and the repetition of the chorus suggests that leaving is always going to be difficult. The song's melancholic tone creates a sense of unease, as if the singer knows deep down that their desire to keep the other person close is futile, but they can't help but hope.


Overall, "The Village in the Morning" is a beautifully written song that captures the feeling of wanting to hold on to someone even when it's time to let go. The contrast between the cozy apartment and the overwhelming city creates a sense of tension and unease, and the repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that leaving is never easy.


Line by Line Meaning

Outside the rain is coming down
It's raining outside


Inside it's warm and dry
It's comfortable and cozy inside


You'll never find a cab uptown
It's difficult to find a taxi in this area


So why not stay the night?
It's better to spend the night here than trying to go out in the rain


Why don't you call in sick tomorrow
Take a day off from work tomorrow


Let's sleep the day away
We can spend the day sleeping


I've got pyjamas you can borrow
I have pajamas you can use


Let's take a holiday
Let's have a vacation


You can't leave the village in the morning
It's not easy to leave this place


When the radio writes poetry for Avenue Pi
There's something poetic and mysterious about this place


You get tangled in the wheels of old queen river
You'll get caught up in the beauty and charm of this place


And you can't find the breath to whisper Goodbye
You'll be so immersed in this place that you won't want to leave


Whisper goodbye
Saying goodbye will be difficult


Why don't you stay until the weekend
Stay here until the weekend is over


It should clear up by then
The weather will be better by then


As your resolve begins to weaken
As you start to consider staying longer


We'll become such good friends
We'll get really close


And you could stay until the summer
Stay here until summertime


And we can sleep through spring
Spend the spring here sleeping and relaxing


And I can telephone my dummer
I'll call my friend to help you pack your things


And have her get your things
My friend can help you gather your belongings


Why don't you stay until we're old
Stay here until we're both old


And fall in love with life
We can both learn to appreciate life here


We'll only seem to die
We'll feel like this place is timeless




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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