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.
Fool
Villagers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I choose what I can see
From any infomercial to the bodies on the street
And for now I keep my head down
But one day I will precede
My reputation
'Cause I'm a fool, love
Of the promise of eternal life in heaven
Of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
To where there's no need to worry
And the world is passin' by you
But you'll miss it if you blink
And the future has been written
But the pen ran out ink
And the dopamine is dripping back
Into the kitchen sink
Send your location
'Cause I'm a fool, love
For the burden
Of the promise of eternal life in heaven
Of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
To where there's no need to worry
So here is my bleeding heart
Will you be my falling star?
Will you take the pain away?
There's money in the morning
And I'm looking at my screen
Failing to accept that there's a problem to the scene, too
There's a problem
'Cause I'm a fool, love
For the burden
Of the promise of eternal life in heaven
Of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
To where there's no need to worry
I'm a fool, love
For the burden
Of the promise of eternal life in heaven
Of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
To where there's no need to worry
The song "Fool" by Villagers is a reflection of the complexities and contradictions that are inherent in modern life. The opening lines "Like any modern dog, I choose what I can see" suggest a sense of detachment and indifference that is characteristic of contemporary times. The reference to "infomercials" and "bodies on the street" serves to highlight the stark contrast between the images of consumerism and the harsh reality of human suffering.
The central theme of the song revolves around the idea of being a "fool" for the promise of eternal life in heaven. The lyrics, "For the burden of the promise of eternal life in heaven, of the kind of anesthetic for the journey to where there's no need to worry" reflect the yearning for an escape from the troubled world we inhabit. The lyrics conjure up images of a paradise, free from pain, suffering, and worldly troubles. The repetition of the phrase "I'm a fool, love" underscores the vulnerability and desperation that underlie this desire and reinforces the idea that this yearning is perhaps misguided.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift from the abstract to the personal. The lines "So here is my bleeding heart, will you be my falling star? Will you take the pain away?" are a plea for comfort and relief from the struggles of life. The final lines of the song, "There's money in the morning and I'm looking at my screen, failing to accept that there's a problem to the scene, too" suggest a sense of resignation and despair in the face of an uncaring world.
Overall, "Fool" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that challenges the listener to confront the contradictions and complexities of modern life.
Line by Line Meaning
Like any modern dog
Similar to a typical dog in today's world
I choose what I can see
I only see what I desire
From any infomercial to the bodies on the street
From commercials to the harsh struggles of life
And for now I keep my head down
For the time being, I avoid facing reality
But one day I will precede
One day I will rise above it all
My reputation
My character will reflect who I truly am
'Cause I'm a fool, love
Because I am naive, my dear
For the burden
For the struggle
Of the promise of eternal life in heaven
Of an immortal existence in the afterlife
Of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
Of a pain-relieving substance for the journey
To where there's no need to worry
To a place where anxiety does not exist
And the world is passin' by you
As the world continues to move forward
But you'll miss it if you blink
You could easily miss it with a simple blink of an eye
And the future has been written
The future has already been predetermined
But the pen ran out ink
But the means of recording have been exhausted
And the dopamine is dripping back
The pleasure hormone is slowly dissipating
Into the kitchen sink
It is going down the drain
Send your location
Share your current whereabouts
So here is my bleeding heart
Here is my vulnerable self
Will you be my falling star?
Will you be my light in the dark?
Will you take the pain away?
Will you relieve me of my suffering?
There's money in the morning
There is profit to be made in the morning
And I'm looking at my screen
And I am obsessively gazing at my device
Failing to accept that there's a problem to the scene, too
Refusing to acknowledge that there is also an issue with this way of living
There's a problem
There is a problem that needs to be addressed
'Cause I'm a fool, love
Because I am foolish, my dear
For the burden
For the weight of it all
I'm a fool, love
I am a fool, my dear
Of the promise of eternal life in heaven
Of the commitment to an everlasting afterlife
Of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
Of the pain-relieving method for this journey
To where there's no need to worry
To a state of being without anxiety
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Conor Joseph O'Brien
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MegaBizk
LYRICS:
Like any modern dog, I choose what I can see,
From any infomercial to the bodies on the street,
and for now I keep my head down
But one day I will proceed/precede
My reputation
{Chorus}
'Cause I'm a fool, love
For the burden
of the promise of eternal life in heaven
of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
to where there's no need to worry
And the world is passin' by you, but you'll miss it if you blink
And the future has been written, but the pen ran out ink
And the dopamine is dripping back
into the kitchen sink
send your location
{Chorus}
'Cause I'm a fool, love
For the burden
of the promise of eternal life in heaven
of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
to where there's no need to worry
{Bridge}
So here is my bleeding heart
Will you be my falling star?
Will you take the pain away?
There's money in the morning
And I'm looking at my screen
And fail to accept that there's a problem to be seen
(to)
There's a problem
{Chorus}
'Cause I'm a fool, love
For the burden
of the promise of eternal life in heaven
of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
to where there's no need to worry
I'm a fool, love
For the burden
of the promise of eternal life in heaven
of the kind of anesthetic for the journey
to where there's no need to worry
Oliver Paleti
Always the sentimental/melancholic/full-of-heart-and-thoughts that I love. I liked the song, the lyrics are actual and the video is cool. Did not disappoint. 😘
Ben Jones
This album summarises how I feel about life at this very moment in time
lisasfanno1
perfection as always Conor. thank you for putting your new art out again!
Ashley Francis
Can't wait for the album to drop Connor. Superb effort again and a real RnB feel again with this and trick of the light - the bass is really coming to the fore.
SHAYDJ08
Brilliant ,this could be a huge hit it need plenty push n plug radio support as it's very radio friendly melodic and catchy ,a great offering
veilcerpintaxtless
Villagers bring magic back into my life
Stephen Ward
Really fantastic song and Video well done!
DownWithTheViper
Great vid and catchy song! Love it.
Tony Hulse
Just seen this performed on 'Later'. Soulful and melodic. Moved me...
sedantez24
Heart warming tune ❤️