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.
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Villagers Lyrics
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Rolls over your steering wheel
I'm closing my eyes just for a while
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
The house
The first thing I see
Surrounded by city and by sea
Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
Will you wake me when we're almost halfway
I don't wanna take this trip alone
A saint is chasing a snake
For everybody's sake
And so they go burning cars
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
The mother prepares the weapon
Before handing it to son
Who watches his daddy runs
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
Will you wake me when we're almost halfway
I don't wanna take this trip alone
Cause I'd never reach my home
The flames wander through the city
And set fire to the sea
Then out of the blaze appears a face
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
A girl with a look in her eyes
As if to say, "I despise
Such poisonous family ties"
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
But a poison as sweet as nectar
Could never forget or neglect her
It carries her home and closes her eyes
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
So she goes back under
Swallows the water
Fixes her face like a good little daughter
And follows her family
Who follow a saint and a snake
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
Will you wake me when we're almost halfway
I don't wanna take this trip alone
Cause I'd never reach my home
No I'd never reach my home
No I'd never reach my home
Home
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
The song "Home" by Villagers seems to tell the story of a journey, with vivid and surrealistic imagery. The first verse describes a nighttime drive with closed eyes, perhaps indicating a sense of surrender and vulnerability. The repeated refrain of "Can you call me when we're almost halfway?" suggests a desire for a companion or someone to check in with during the journey.
The second verse paints a picture of a house surrounded by both the city and the sea, giving the impression of being somewhat isolated and disconnected. However, the sense of family fills the home, and there is a surreal image of a saint chasing a snake, with burning cars in the background.
The final verse adds even more surreal and violent imagery, with a mother preparing a weapon for her son, and the family following a saint and a snake. Despite the violence, there is a sense of poisoned sweetness and a poisonous family tie. The song ends with the desire to not take the journey alone, as the singer fears they will never reach their home.
Overall, the lyrics of "Home" seem to explore themes of isolation, family, violence, and the desire for companionship during a difficult journey.
Line by Line Meaning
The night's synthetic half-light
The artificial glow of the night obscures reality
Rolls over your steering wheel
As you drive through the night, the eerie light distorts your surroundings
I'm closing my eyes just for a while
I need a break from the disorienting atmosphere
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
I'm requesting to be don't travel this journey alone
The house
The focal point of my desired destination
The first thing I see
My eyes are laser-focused on this goal
Filled up with a family
A sense of belonging and love is key to my perception of home
Surrounded by city and by sea
The environment matters less than the feeling of being home with loved ones
Will you wake me when we're almost halfway
I need a supportive companion to enable me to reach my goal
A saint is chasing a snake
The struggle between good and evil is ever-present
For everybody's sake
This battle affects us all
And so they go burning cars
In the midst of chaos, people act irrationally
The mother prepares the weapon
In this hostile environment, everyone must be on guard
Before handing it to son
The next generation must be prepared to defend themselves
Who watches his daddy runs
Children are forced to grow up quickly in turbulent times
Cause I'd never reach my home
This journey seems impossible without help
The flames wander through the city
Destruction is everywhere
And set fire to the sea
Everything is affected by the turmoil
Then out of the blaze appears a face
Amidst the chaos there is a glimpse of hope
A girl with a look in her eyes
Someone else understands my struggles
As if to say, 'I despise
There is disgust for the situation at hand
Such poisonous family ties'
The family dynamic can be toxic in difficult times
But a poison as sweet as nectar
The idea of family, while complicated, is still alluring
Could never forget or neglect her
The importance of one's roots remains
It carries her home and closes her eyes
The idea of home and family is a source of comfort
So she goes back under
She emerges from the chaos to return home
Swallows the water
The figurative drowning in the turmoil is over
Fixes her face like a good little daughter
Returning home means fitting into the expected family role
And follows her family
The desire to be with family trumps all else
No I'd never reach my home
Without support, my goal seems insurmountable
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
I'm still asking for assistance to reach my destination
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
I'm reaching out for someone to share the journey with
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
Please don't let me miss my chance to reach my goal
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
I need someone to confirm we are making progress
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
I'm still afraid I won't reach the ultimate destination
(Can you call me when we're almost halfway)
I need a partner to help me achieve my goal
(Wake me when we're almost halfway)
I need assurance to make it through this journey
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CONNIE RAE HARRINGTON, MICHAEL O'BRIEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
james evans
Quite frankly incredible... He's so good
honeyrosen
When he said, "Thank you, I've been Villagers, thanks everyone, bye!" I literally said, "Awww!" He's just far too precious.
keyshawnou
I saw Conor perform around that time in the back of a small bar in Pigalle a few hours after a gig at La Cigale. This was so beautiful and touching, I still rembember that set like it was yesterday almost 7 years later.
pugggs
glad i stumbled on this guy's stuff... fantastic lyrics.
JB
this guy is mad good.enjoy his tones.. truly. hope i can find more of this guy
Hassan Qayyum
Amazing lyrics
mizzomiz
Wow thanks for all the passion expressed and captured here :)
Milena Quinteros
Oh My FREAKIN' God, this is amazing!
Missy Mee
Amazingly talented...wow! :@}
Calamaistr
rising star imo, great instrumentalist, great ideas, great harmonies. :)