Mother No More
The Residents Lyrics


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I will never hear you in the morning, no
I will never hear your voice again
You will never say that you love the little cakes
That I bake so early in the morning, no
I will never hear it again

She'll never hear him in the evening, no,
She will never hear his voice again
He will never say "It's my favorite time of day,"
When the sun is setting in the evening, no,
She will never hear it again

But I know I'll hear you when it's late at night
And you're sleeping in your room again
You will dream of the faraway wickedness of war
And I'll hear you sobbing after midnight, no,
You will not say "mother" again





No, you won't say "mother" again

Overall Meaning

The Residents' song Mother No More is a poignant portrayal of grief and loss, exploring the pain and emotional upheaval that follows the death of a loved one. The lyrics depict the sense of finality and irrevocability that comes with death, with the singer lamenting how they will never hear their mother's voice again or listen to her expressing fondness for their favorite breakfast. The lines "I will never hear it again" and "She will never hear it again" underline the permanence of death, leading to a sense of desolation and despair that permeates throughout the song.


The song's imagery carries a deep sense of longing, with the singer expressing their hopes that they will hear their mother's voice in their dreams at night. However, this hope is dashed by the realization that they will never again hear her say "mother." This finality points to the reality that death brings a sense of irrevocable finality, and that the grieving process is one of acceptance and coming to terms with the finality of death.


Overall, Mother No More is a deeply moving and expressive portrayal of loss and grief. Through its poignant lyrics and profound sense of emotional depth, the song captures the turmoil and pain of losing someone we love, urging us to connect with our feelings of loss and to find a way to move forward in the face of unimaginable pain.


Line by Line Meaning

I will never hear you in the morning, no
I will never again hear your voice in the morning


I will never hear your voice again
I will never again hear your voice


You will never say that you love the little cakes
You will never again say that you love the little cakes that I make in the morning


That I bake so early in the morning, no
That I bake so early in the morning, I will never hear you say that again


I will never hear it again
I will never again hear you say that


She'll never hear him in the evening, no,
She will never again hear him in the evening


She will never hear his voice again
She will never again hear his voice


He will never say "It's my favorite time of day,"
He will never again say that it's his favorite time of day


When the sun is setting in the evening, no,
When the sun is setting in the evening, she will never hear him say that again


She will never hear it again
She will never again hear him say that


But I know I'll hear you when it's late at night
I know I will hear you when it's late at night


And you're sleeping in your room again
When you're sleeping in your room again


You will dream of the faraway wickedness of war
You will dream of the faraway wickedness of war


And I'll hear you sobbing after midnight, no,
I will hear you sobbing after midnight, I will never hear you call me mother again


You will not say "mother" again
You will never again call me mother




Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@dunke10

I will never hear you in the morning, no
I will never hear your voice again
You will never say that you love the little cakes
That I bake so early in the morning, no
I will never hear it again

She'll never hear him in the evening, no
She will never hear his voice again
He will never say "It's my favorite time of day,"
When the sun is setting in the evening, no
She will never hear it again

But I know I'll hear you when it's late at night
And you're sleeping in your room again
You will dream of the faraway wickedness of war
And I'll hear you sobbing after midnight, no
You will not say "mother" again

No, you won't say "mother" again

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