The group takes its name from Shakespeare. In particular Hamlet's soliloquy To be, or not to be, where it refers to dying; "coil" is used in its archaic sense of "disturbance, trouble":
"What dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause."
Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1, line 67.
Late Night
This Mortal Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and you weren't there to play
then I wanted to be with you
when you showed me your eyes
whispered love at the skies
then I wanted to stay with you
inside me I feel alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
when I lay still at night
seeing stars high and light
then I wanted to be with you
when the rooftops shone dark
all alone saw a spark
spark of love just to stay with you
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
if I mention your name
turn around on a chain
then the sky opens up for you
when we grew very tall
when I saw you so small
then I wanted to stay with you
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
The lyrics of "Late Night" by This Mortal Coil evoke a sense of longing for a lost love. The singer wakes up alone, wishing to be reunited with their lover. When they see their lover's eyes and hear their whispered love, the singer wants nothing more than to stay with them. The feeling of being alone and unreal is evident, but the memory of the lover's kiss is a special and treasured thing.
The song is filled with imagery of the night sky and stars, suggesting a sense of vastness and loneliness. The rooftop spark igniting the love is a small and fragile thing, but still powerful enough to keep the singer wanting to stay with their lover. Even the mention of the lover's name is enough to open up the sky.
The lyrics may be interpreted as a representation of the fleeting nature of love and the painful longing that can come with lost connections. The singer's desire to stay with their lover is a representation of the feeling of wanting to hold onto something that is ultimately out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
when I woke up today
Upon my awakening this morning
and you weren't there to play
And upon not finding you for play
then I wanted to be with you
I desired to be in your presence
when you showed me your eyes
Upon your revelation of your eyes to me
whispered love at the skies
And upon whispering declarations of love to the heavens
then I wanted to stay with you
I desired to remain by your side
inside me I feel alone and unreal
I harbor feelings of loneliness and unreality within myself
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
However, your method of kissing me will always hold a special significance within me
when I lay still at night
As I lay motionless at night
seeing stars high and light
And witnessing the glimmering stars above
then I wanted to be with you
Once again I desired your company
when the rooftops shone dark
As the rooftops were consumed by darkness
all alone saw a spark
When I was alone and witnessed a spark of hope
spark of love just to stay with you
A spark of love that impelled me to remain with you
if I mention your name
If I happen to utter your name
turn around on a chain
You turn towards me as if pulled by a chain
then the sky opens up for you
The sky seems to open up exclusively for you
when we grew very tall
As we became increasingly tall
when I saw you so small
When I gazed upon you appearing so small in comparison
then I wanted to stay with you
Again, I desired to remain by your side
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
Once more, these feelings of loneliness and unreality persist within me
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
And yet again, your method of kissing holds a unique and special meaning to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SYD BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mnmlstellar
#LYRICS
When I woke up today
And you weren't there to play
Then I wanted to be with you
When you showed me your eyes
Whispered love at the skies
Then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel, alone and unreal
And the way you kiss will always be
A very special thing to me
@ebcom3
When I woke up today
And you weren't there to play
Then I wanted to be with you
When you showed me your eyes
Whispered love at the skies
Then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel, alone and unreal
And the way you kiss will always be
A very special thing to me
When I lay still at night
Seeing stars high and light
Then I wanted to be with you
When the rooftops shone dark
All alone saw a spark
Spark of love just to stay with you
Inside me I feel, alone and unreal
And the way you kiss will always be
A very special thing to me
If I mention your name
Turn around on a chain
Then the sky opens up for you
When we grew very tall
When I saw you so small
Then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel, alone and unreal
And the way you kiss will always be
A very special thing to me
Inside me I feel, alone and unreal
And the way you kiss will always be
A very special thing to me
@erinnagle6630
when I woke up today
and you weren't there to play
then I wanted to be with you
when you showed me your eyes
whispered love at the skies
then I wanted to stay with you/////
inside me I feel alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me///
when I lay still at night
seeing stars high and light
then I wanted to be with you
when the rooftops shone dark
all alone saw a spark
spark of love just to stay with you
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
if I mention your name
turn around on a chain
then the sky opens up for you
when we grew very tall
when I saw you so small
then I wanted to stay with you
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
inside me I feel, alone and unreal
and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me
@PaulSmith-pf2uq
"Late Night" - This Mortal Coil, 1991.
When I woke up today
and you weren't there to play
then I wanted to be with you
When you showed me your eyes
whispered love at the skies
then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel alone and unreal
and the way you kiss
will always be a very special thing to me
When I lay still at night
seeing stars high and light
then I wanted to be with you
When the rooftops shone dark
all alone saw a spark
spark of love just to stay with you
Inside me I feel alone and unreal
and the way you kiss
will always be a very special thing to me
If I mention your name
turn around on a chain
then the sky opens up for you
When we grew very tall
when I saw you so small
then I wanted to stay with you
Inside me I feel alone and unreal
and the way you kiss
will always be a very special thing to me
Inside me I feel alone and unreal
and the way you kiss
will always be a very special thing to me.
@stevenlawlor520
Bought this when it came out. Magic. Still.
@justdoomboy
Blood is the real masterpiece, one of the most beautiful albums
@roydaviescoleman1
Indeed
@halcyonickaiju
I love them both. Filigree & Shadow has a few good tracks too
@thomasfranche6770
@@halcyonickaiju A few good tracks ? I love all of F&S (except the clunker Horizon bleeds and sucks it's thumb). In fact, all three albums have one clunker like that, towards the end.
@apathyintheuk265
All of the TMC collection are fantastic.
@markmcarthy596
Shellyan Orphan is an All time favourite
@chriskennedyck
Caroline Crawley was physically shaking after laying down the vocal for this, asked why she replied "I just feel really good"....us too Caroline, us too!
@JohnERed
She’s a shining star in the universe. RIP
@cockatoomagnet583
Long live Caroline Crawley and Syd Barret.