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.
Hot Scary Summer
Villagers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you thank me for my hard work
But you've had it up to there
'Cause this shouldn't be hard work
But I'll fight to care, if you'd care to fight
Thank you for your hard work
'Cause this shouldn't be hard work
At least not the kind that makes us
Half a person, half a monster
Stuck together in this hot, scary summer
Oh, Lord
Hot, scary summer
Oh
Remember kissing on the cobble stone
In the heat of the night
Then all the pretty young homophobes
Looking out for a fight
He got good at pretending
Then pretending got as good
He's always been up against it
But now it's sad to see
We're up against each other
In this hot, scary summer
Oh, Lord
Hot, scary summer
Oh
Oh
I live inside you and you live in me
And I live inside you and you live in me
Nothing's gonna change that, dear
Nothing's gonna change that, dear
Not even being apart
We travel right to the heart of this
Hot, scary summer
Oh, Lord
A hot, scary summer
Oh
So you thank me for my hard work
But we've had it up to here
'Cause this shouldn't be hard work
A least not, the kind that makes us
Half a person, half a monster
Stuck together in this hot, scary summer
The song "Hot Scary Summer" by Villagers is a powerful ballad that tackles themes of relationship turmoil and societal oppression. The opening lines suggest a conversation between two people, with one thanking the other for their hard work while acknowledging they are at their limit. The subsequent lines delve deeper into the root of their exhaustion: they are being forced to fight for their relationship to exist. This relationship is described as containing elements of both personhood and monstrosity, indicating a societal view that sees their love as deviant or unsafe.
The chorus brings up the title of the song, "hot scary summer", which is likely a metaphor for the oppressive environment in which the couple is living. The lines "remember kissing on the cobble stone in the heat of the night / then all the pretty young homophobes looking out for a fight" vividly conjure a scene of violence and fear. This is only heightened by the description of one partner as having learned to pretend, suggesting a need to hide their true selves in the face of danger.
The closing lines of the song imply a hope that their love will endure despite the challenges they face. It is a poignant and emotional song that speaks to the experiences of many marginalized communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Lord
An expression of exasperation or desperation, seeking help or guidance from a higher power.
So you thank me for my hard work
But you've had it up to there
'Cause this shouldn't be hard work
But I'll fight to care, if you'd care to fight
You acknowledge my efforts but have grown tired of our struggles. This should not be a difficult situation, but I am willing to make an effort to repair our relationship if you are willing to do the same.
Thank you for your hard work
But I've had it up to here
'Cause this shouldn't be hard work
At least not the kind that makes us
I appreciate your contributions, but I am at my limit with this challenging situation. Our relationship should not require this much effort, at least not to the point of losing parts of ourselves.
Half a person, half a monster
Stuck together in this hot, scary summer
Oh, Lord
Hot, scary summer
Oh
We are struggling to maintain our individual identities while also trying to maintain our relationship. This summer has been overwhelming and frightening, and we feel trapped in our current situation.
Remember kissing on the cobble stone
In the heat of the night
Then all the pretty young homophobes
Looking out for a fight
We reminisce about a time when we were free to express our love for each other but were often met with opposition and hostility from those who disagreed with our relationship.
He got good at pretending
Then pretending got as good
He's always been up against it
But now it's sad to see
One of us became skilled at putting on a facade to avoid judgement and scrutiny, but it has become a skill that is painful to witness.
We're up against each other
In this hot, scary summer
Oh, Lord
Hot, scary summer
Oh
We are pitted against each other in a situation that is both overwhelming and terrifying.
I live inside you and you live in me
And I live inside you and you live in me
Nothing's gonna change that, dear
Nothing's gonna change that, dear
Our relationship is intertwined to the point where we are a part of each other's lives in a permanent and unchanging way.
Not even being apart
We travel right to the heart of this
Hot, scary summer
Oh, Lord
A hot, scary summer
Oh
Even when we are physically separated, we are both still affected by the difficulties of this summer, which have penetrated to the core of our beings.
So you thank me for my hard work
But we've had it up to here
'Cause this shouldn't be hard work
A least not, the kind that makes us
You express gratitude for what I do, but we are both exhausted from the effort required to maintain our relationship. It should not have to be this hard, especially not to the point where it diminishes our identity.
Half a person, half a monster
Stuck together in this hot, scary summer
We feel divided and conflicted within ourselves and tied to each other during a challenging and intimidating summer.
Contributed by Mackenzie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jon LaBella
When I first heard this song, I was driving with some friends to the top of Glacier Point in Yosemite, the sun was going down, the mushrooms I ate started to hit me a little. I heard this and started to think how much better I could be treating people, especially those close to me. Started to cry a little and just fell into this tune. Loved it the second I heard it. And still do!!
Emilia Espinosa
love this song so much!!!
dzikieswinie - Motorcycle Club and Adventures
Wonderful talented performer - this song on Take Away Show shows his capabilities best!!!
Martha Fooks
Love this song so much!
Gisela Gati
love it <3
Veronica Rose
So very beautiful! All of it. WOW!
Cass
Miraculous genius work
francia3
First heard today on a random playlist. Checked the video. Nice work.
Emma Coffey
Love 💕💕
Luis Fernando
I love it, i don't know but i almost cry.