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.
Ship of Promises
Villagers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you wake and you go outside
And you put it on
And they treat you in a different way
But you can't understand what they say
After you've put it on
So a change is never an end
And it's been days since I left
On this ship of promises
Another day, another denial
Every longing's up on trial
So you learn to put it on
As the captain calls everyone in
To the dance hall and the night begins
You have to put it on
All these visions of a welcoming party, pretty party
Have been lost, cause it's the same since I left
On this ship of promises
All the churches I remember well
Clocking in and out to the sound of the bell
We just put it on
It takes you in, it scrubs you clean, it sanitizes every dream
And you put it on
You just put it on
But I'll meet you in between
What I say and what I mean
And we will make our own mess
On this ship of promises
Cause it's the same since we left
On this ship of promises
We just could not care less
On this ship of promises
Don't look back
The song 'Ship of Promises' by Villagers describes a society where people wear masks to be treated differently or to fit in. The singer wakes up and puts on a mask to understand what is happening around him, and as he interacts with the society, he realizes that this is a never-ending cycle of change. He has left many things behind, including visions of welcoming parties, pretty parties but everything seems the same on this ship of promises. He describes different churches where people clock in and out to the sound of the bell, where they put on masks to scrub and sanitize every dream. The singer realizes that he needs to meet someone between what he says and what he means, and he wants to create his own mess rather than being a part of this society.
The lyrics narrate the idea of a society where people conform as per the expectations of the world around them. Villagers conveys the message about the pitfalls of following others without thinking about the consequences in the long run. The ship of promises signifies the empty promises and the false dreams that people blindly chase, which don't lead them anywhere substantial. The call to not look back can be interpreted in different ways, but it could mean that one must keep moving forward and not dwell in the trap of futile dreams and promises. The song has a touch of melancholic yet soothing melody, which gives a unique depth and insight into the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
You see a mask from your window at night
You observe a disguise outside your window in the darkness.
So you wake and you go outside
Therefore, you awaken and walk outside.
And you put it on
You put the disguise on yourself.
And they treat you in a different way
As a result, they treat you differently than before.
But you can't understand what they say
Although, you cannot comprehend their words.
After you've put it on
Subsequent to placing on the disguise.
So a change is never an end
Therefore, a transformation never signifies a conclusion.
Cause this is happening all over again
As this recurs continuously.
And it's been days since I left
Furthermore, several days have passed since my departure.
On this ship of promises
On this vessel of commitments.
Another day, another denial
Each day connotes another instance of rejection.
Every longing's up on trial
Each desire faces a challenge.
So you learn to put it on
Thus, you learn to wear the disguise.
As the captain calls everyone in
When the captain summons everyone inside.
To the dance hall and the night begins
To start the party and the night time festivities.
You have to put it on
You are obliged to wear the disguise.
All these visions of a welcoming party, pretty party
All the fantasies of a jovial gathering.
Have been lost, cause it's the same since I left
Have disappeared due to the predictable nature of events.
On this ship of promises
On this craft of pledges.
All the churches I remember well
I have vivid recollections of all the churches.
Clocking in and out to the sound of the bell
Clocking in and out based on the chime of the bell.
We just put it on
We solely don an outfit in such places.
It takes you in, it scrubs you clean, it sanitizes every dream
It reels you in, it purifies your thoughts, it cleanses every aspiration.
And you put it on
And you wear the mask.
But I'll meet you in between
I will meet you halfway.
What I say and what I mean
Precisely what I express and intend.
And we will make our own mess
We shall create our own confusing state of affairs.
On this ship of promises
On this craft of commitments.
Cause it's the same since we left
As everything remains identical since we departed.
On this ship of promises
On this craft of commitments.
We just could not care less
We could not be more apathetic.
On this ship of promises
On this craft of commitments.
Don't look back
Do not examine the past.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ciaran Crowther
Love villagers and the genius of Conor j o brien. Definitely one of the best Irish bands at the moment, maybe of all time
Larry2707
such a brilliant song, Villagers deserve a much bigger audience.
THE YEAR BEHIND MUSIC BLOG
7 comments (now 8!) and <10k views; such an underrated track that really needs more exposure! I love the journey that this track takes you on. It's a particular favourite of mine.
Breda Boyle
❤️
Calamaistr
this video makes no sense whatsoever to me, its weird how i have a completely different idea about this song having heard it for a long time on my mp3 and now seeing this for the first time. I mean is this about past girlfriends? (going by the video)
Ciaran Crowther
Well he's gay, so maybe it's about how his experience with these girls in the past helped affirm his belief he's gay and that he doesn't trust girls in an intimate relationship like he can trust a man. I don't know, I'm probably really wrong.
Aimar Sánchez
Flo morrissey <3