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.
I Saw the Dead
Villagers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you easily mad
Let me show you the back room
Where I saw the dead
Dancing like children
On a midsummer morn
And they asked me to join
They asked me to join
Wouldn't let me give in
So I offered a good deed
In return for a sin
Now they've got me where they want me
In this daily parade
And I walk unafraid
I walk unafraid
But the crowd's are all laughing
At my every mistake
And its making my neck hurt
And I feel like a fake
How can I even stand here
Like I've something to say
I got nothing to say
I got nothing to say
And it feels like I'm changing
Keep forgetting my way
So I asked an old stranger
And he led me astray
It's something we're missing darling
So let's wander instead
And I'll show you the back room
Where I saw the dead
And we will be thankful
And we will be fed
You take the torso
And I'll take the head
It's something we're missing darling
So let's wander instead
And I'll show you the back room
Where I saw the dead
The lyrics of Villagers' song "I Saw the Dead" seem to describe a surreal experience that the singer had, possibly a dream or hallucination. The first stanza introduces the strange setting of a back room where the singer witnesses the dead dancing like children on a midsummer morning. They invite the singer to join, but their body is stubborn and won't let them give in. Instead, the singer offers a good deed in return for a sin, indicating that they feel stuck in some sort of moral dilemma.
The second stanza continues with the singer feeling trapped in a daily parade, walking unafraid but with the crowds laughing at every mistake. They feel like a fake and have nothing to say, and they're changing and forgetting their way. In desperation, they seek the help of an old stranger who ultimately leads them astray. The final stanza hints at some sort of dark ritual or sacrifice, as the singer and their companion take the torso and head of the dead, promising to be thankful and fed.
Overall, the song seems to be an exploration of themes such as mortality, morality, and the unknown. The lyrics are poetic and open to interpretation, but they invoke a sense of unease that matches the eerie atmosphere of the music.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you got just a minute
Do you have a brief moment of time to spare?
Are you easily mad
Do you quickly become angry or irritable?
Let me show you the back room
Allow me to take you to the rear area.
Where I saw the dead
Where I witnessed deceased individuals.
Dancing like children
Engaging in movements similar to those of youthful individuals.
On a midsummer morn
On a morning in the middle of the summer season.
And they asked me to join
And they invited me to participate.
But my body was stubborn
However, my physical being was unyielding.
Wouldn't let me give in
Preventing me from submitting or capitulating.
So I offered a good deed
Therefore, I proposed a positive action.
In return for a sin
In exchange for a wrongdoing or misdeed.
Now they've got me where they want me
Currently, they possess me exactly where they desire.
In this daily parade
Within this repetitive procession.
And I walk unafraid
And I proceed without any fear.
But the crowds are all laughing
But the masses are all expressing laughter.
At my every mistake
Toward each and every error I make.
And its making my neck hurt
And it is causing my neck to ache.
And I feel like a fake
And I sense like a false or counterfeit individual.
How can I even stand here
In what way am I capable of remaining here?
Like I've something to say
As if I possess something to express.
I got nothing to say
I possess nothing to communicate.
And it feels like I'm changing
And it gives the impression that I am transforming.
Keep forgetting my way
Continuously failing to recall my direction or path.
So I asked an old stranger
Therefore, I inquired of an elderly individual unknown to me.
And he led me astray
And he guided me in the wrong direction or manner.
It's something we're missing, darling
There is something we are lacking, my beloved.
So let's wander instead
Therefore, let us roam aimlessly instead.
And I'll show you the back room
And I will bring you to the rear area.
Where I saw the dead
Where I witnessed deceased individuals.
And we will be thankful
And we will exhibit gratitude.
And we will be fed
And we will consume food.
You take the torso
You acquire the body's central portion.
And I'll take the head
And I will obtain the structure's uppermost component.
It's something we're missing, darling
There is something we are lacking, my beloved.
So let's wander instead
Therefore, let us roam aimlessly instead.
And I'll show you the back room
And I will bring you to the rear area.
Where I saw the dead
Where I witnessed deceased individuals.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind