The… Read Full Bio ↴Villagers are an Irish band from Dublin fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.
They have performed at several music festivals and toured with Tracy Chapman, Bell X1 and Tindersticks. They have one EP, titled Hollow Kind (2009). Their debut album Becoming a Jackal was released in 2010 and was shortlisted for that year's Mercury Prize and their second album {Awayland} was released in 2013.
Conor O'Brien formed Villagers after the break-up of his previous band The Immediate. The very next day, O'Brien wrote the first song after waking up with a hangover. O'Brien's time as a guitarist in Cathy Davey's band was also critical to the development of his style as he had never before performed alongside anyone outside of The Immediate. Villagers gave their first live performance as a support act with The Chapters at a show in Whelan's in November 2008. At that point the band had previously only rehearsed together on two occasions. They had only seven songs, written by O'Brien and passed on to the rest of the band to learn.
Villagers performed on the seventh series of RTÉ Two's Other Voices television programme in 2009. The band's debut EP, titled Hollow Kind, was released in February 2009. It contained four tracks, all of which were written by O'Brien and performed by him too. The EP brought comparisons with Bright Eyes and Sparklehorse. Villagers then went on tour. They were a support act for Neil Young and toured across Europe with Tracy Chapman.
Villagers appeared at several festivals in 2009. They supported Bell X1 when they performed at Live at the Marquee in Cork on June 26, 2009. They performed at several music festivals in Ireland, including on the Sunday of Oxegen 2009, at Indie-pendence on August 2 and at Electric Picnic 2009, as well as at Latitude Festival in the UK. The Irish Times's Jim Carroll recommended their performance in the Body Soul Arena at Electric Picnic 2009 as "A must-see for those who dig ragged pop, eerie folk and heartfelt, emotional songs and sounds". They headlined Hard Working Class Heroes in 2009, with O'Brien attracting the ire of the audience when he requested some quiet during the performance. They gave a live performance at The Music Show in Dublin's RDS in October 2009.
The debut single of Villagers was "On a Sunlit Stage" and was released in October 2009.
On January 15, 2010, Villagers represented Ireland at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, the Netherlands. They were involved in efforts to raise funds in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. They embarked on a tour with Tindersticks in March 2010 and released the single "Becoming a Jackal" on April 17, 2010. A debut album Becoming a Jackal was released in Ireland on 14 May 2010, with a UK release in May and a US release due on 8 June 2010. The album immediately went to number one on both the Irish Albums Chart and the Irish Indie Albums Chart. It proceeded to continuously top the indie chart.
Said by Conor J. O’Brien himself:
- “Ultimately, I’ve learned that a song is not an isolated thing. You have to wash the dishes before you write a song. It should never be taken too seriously. It must be treated with joy and humour, regardless of the subject matter,” muses Conor, as he strokes his hairless chin.
- “The aim is to feel the songs out. If I don’t surprise myself, then it is a worthless endeavour. Indeed, I would apply this attitude to all aspects of this project. The songs are quite decisive, but I have no idea what I am doing, or where I am going.” Again, he strokes his chin, this time with a look of resigned confusion. “Once the songs took shape, I asked some friends of mine to help me play them to people. When they kindly agreed, I decided that we would present ourselves as ‘Villagers’ – I don’t really know why. I think I like the name because it doesn’t offend the songs.” With this, he puts his clothes back on and bids me farewell. On returning to my office, I slip on a banana peel and subsequently die.
Becoming a Jackal
Villagers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every implement was leading to you
And your homely sense of disarray
Never once the same
Always rearranged
But things would never change
In the seam between the window frame
Where the jackals preyed on every soul
And stripped you of your clothes
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
And each time they found fresh meat to chew
I would turn away and return to you
You would offer me your unmade bed
Feed me till I'm fed
And read me 'til I'm read
But when the morning came
You would catch me at the window again
In an eyes-wide-open sleeping state
Staring into space
With no look upon my face
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
And when I got older
When I grew bolder
Out onto the streets I flew
Released from your shackles
I danced with the jackals
And learned a new way to move
So before you take this song as truth
You should wonder what I'm taking from you
How I benefit from you being here
Lending me your ears
While I'm selling you my fears
I was a dreamer (I'm selling you my fears)
Staring out windows (I'm selling you my fears)
Out onto the main street (I'm selling you my fears)
'Cause that's where the dream goes (I'm selling you)
I was a dreamer
Staring out windows
Out onto the main street
'Cause that's where the dream goes
In Villagers' song "Becoming a Jackal," the lyrics paint a picture of a familiar room that's full of disarray and constantly rearranged, but ultimately unchanging. The room is a safe haven from the outside world where "jackals" prey on people's souls, and where the singer finds comfort through the love of someone else. However, as he grows older, he becomes increasingly curious about the world outside and eventually frees himself from the "shackles" of his safe space. The song ends with a warning to the listener to consider what the singer might be taking from them as he sells them his fears.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but it seems that the song is about leaving behind the safety of childhood and venturing out into the unpredictable world. The jackals represent the dangers and uncertainties of the world outside, while the singer's previous safe space represents the comfort and security of childhood. The song's title, "Becoming a Jackal," suggests that the singer must adopt some of the qualities of the jackals in order to survive in the world outside, which might include being aggressive, cunning, or opportunistic.
One interesting fact about the song is that it won the Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2011, which is one of the most prestigious songwriting awards in the United Kingdom. Another interesting fact is that the band's lead singer, Conor O'Brien, has said in interviews that the song was inspired by a dream he had about being chased by jackals. The song's lyrics are also notable for their vivid imagery, which includes references to tied-up victims, unmade beds, and a sense of disarray. Additionally, the song's music is characterized by its sparse instrumentation and O'Brien's haunting vocals.
The chords for Villagers' "Becoming a Jackal" are as follows:
Verse: G, Bm, C, G
Chorus: D, G, Bm, C
Note: The chords may differ based on the interpretation of the artist or cover version.
Line by Line Meaning
The most familiar room
The room that I am most accustomed to
Every implement was leading to you
Every object or tool in the room was associated with you in my mind
And your homely sense of disarray
Your comfortable and familiar messiness
Never once the same
Always changing
Always rearranged
Never staying in the same position
But things would never change
Despite the constant movement, the room would always remain the same
In the seam between the window frame
The small space where the window meets the wall
Where the jackals preyed on every soul
A place of danger and violence, where those who were vulnerable were attacked
Where they tied you to a pole
A horrific act of violence
And stripped you of your clothes
Taking away all dignity and ownership of oneself
I was a dreamer
I spent my time lost in my own thoughts and imagination
Staring out windows
Looking out into the world outside
Out onto the main street
Looking onto the busiest and most active part of town
'Cause that's where the dream goes
Where the possibilities and potentials lie
And each time they found fresh meat to chew
Each time someone else was attacked and harmed by the jackals
I would turn away and return to you
I would try to escape from the reality of the violence
You would offer me your unmade bed
You would provide me with comfort and shelter
Feed me till I'm fed
You would provide me with sustenance
And read me 'til I'm read
You would entertain me with books and stories
But when the morning came
When it was time to face the day and the world outside
You would catch me at the window again
I couldn't resist the pull of the outside world and the dreams it offered
In an eyes-wide-open sleeping state
Lost in thought, but still awake
Staring into space
Lost in daydreams and imagination
With no look upon my face
Not showing any visible emotions or expressions
And when I got older
As time went on and I grew up
When I grew bolder
When I gained confidence and courage
Out onto the streets I flew
I left the safety of the familiar room and ventured out into the world
Released from your shackles
No longer bound to the comfort and shelter you provided
I danced with the jackals
I became implicated in the same violence that once scared me
And learned a new way to move
I adapted to the harsh and dangerous reality of the world outside
So before you take this song as truth
Don't take everything I say at face value
You should wonder what I'm taking from you
Question what I am hoping to gain from this interaction
How I benefit from you being here
What am I gaining from our relationship
Lending me your ears
Listening to what I have to say
While I'm selling you my fears
As I try to convince you of my world view
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Conor O'Brien
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dominorecordco
Villagers’ new album ‘The Art of Pretending to Swim’ will be released 21st August 2018 on Domino Record Co. Pre-order here: http://smarturl.it/ArtOfPretendingMart
More from Villagers on YouTube: http://smarturl.it/BestOfVillagers
@vaishika3846
A trick of the Light is an amazing song from that album <3
@iamchillydogg
Please post the Jools Holland version of this.
@Arlotheweiner
One of my favourite songs this past 20years. Awesome band live. Best irish band about
@pitselehfanny
2019 still lovin' Villagers!
@Matthew9818
I never used to like this song , heard it yesterday and my heart just melted . So beautiful and poetic .
@formerllama16
this is one of those songs that makes you just wanna drive into the sunset with this playing in the background forever.
@icanabelieveit
This is absolutely brilliant. Congratulations to all involved in the music and the film. Best thing to come out of Ireland in many years.
@svalver
This guy is a genius.
@ondrejbocek5513
+Sergi Valverde U mean band.. right ??