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.
Old Man
Villagers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
And there's so much more
That makes me think of two.
Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
That don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Yeah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I'm all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Yeah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true.
Old man take a look at my life,
I'm a lot like you.
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Yeah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true
Old man look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
The lyrics to Villagers' song "Old Man" are a poignant reflection on the impermanence of life and the search for meaning amidst it. The singer addresses an older man, potentially a father figure, and states that they share remarkable similarities in their lives. They both exist in a paradise-like state, but the singer acknowledges that there is more to life than that. The past has not been kind to the singer, as they have lost love and suffered a great deal. They long for something that will not fade away, something that will not be "tossed" aside. The singer recognizes that they need someone to love them, someone who will be with them throughout the day. This person can look into the singer's eyes and know that they are searching for more than what they see.
The message of "Old Man" is deep and multi-faceted, highlighting the struggles and insecurities that we all face in life. The singer acknowledges that time passes quickly, and that despite their many accomplishments, they are still alone. The line "rolling home to you" in the chorus may refer to a desire to return to simpler times, before love was lost and life seemed so complicated. The song is a testament to the complexities of human emotions and the need for connection and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
The singer is asking an old man to observe their life and see that they share similarities with how the old man once was.
Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
And there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.
The singer describes their life at twenty-four and how they have so much ahead. They live in a paradise that makes them think of being with someone else.
Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
That don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.
The singer expresses the cost of losing love, and they seek things that won't get lost like a coin that won't be thrown away. They want to go back to their loved one.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Yeah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true.
The artist asks the old man to see that they are like him and they need someone to love them all day. Just by looking into their eyes, one can tell it's true.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.
The artist sings lullabies and looks into someone's eyes. Running around the same old town doesn't mean much to them, but it may mean more to the person they are with.
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I'm all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.
The singer has experienced being first and last, and they reflect on how time has passed. They are now alone and heading home to their loved one.
Old man look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
The singer repeats the earlier lines, asking the old man to see that they are like him and that their life is similar to how he once was.
Contributed by Michael P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
curiousgeorge555
It is so hard to do a good Neil cover. His songs are written from *his* feelings and experience. He doesn't try to write hits. He simply tries to tell the truth from his perspective and to be real in his songs. Add to that his incredibly unique voice and well....good luck! There are some excellent NY covers. I kinda like this one. My faves are by some of my YT buds and budettes.
S H
Nice job
Veronica Rose
do you know where I can buy the MP3 without buying the entire mag?
ThePageofBettie
Awesome sound for wee wee hours...
Topspeed325
Late night, relaxing album, however this guy ain't Neil Young,
Listre Gam
@nikstarter sorry no. =(