Villagers are an Irish band from Dublin fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.
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.

The Soul Serene
Villagers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When will it end? I can never tell
Keep spinning till the soul serene
Till I got no reason
I've got no reason to figure out what it means
And I find chameleon dreams in my mind

Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene

(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?

So I go walking on the shore
And I wonder what I'm walking for
All steady sunlight scene
But something tells me
Something tells me all is not as it seems
And I find chameleon dreams in my mind

Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene

(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?
(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?
(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?
(Step into the soul serene)

(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Villagers' "The Soul Serene" depict a search for meaning and purpose in life. The singer is walking along the shore, trying to figure out what it all means, and finding only "chameleon dreams" in their mind. They take a ride on a carousel but can never tell when it will end, continuing to spin until they find the "soul serene" and have no reason to figure out what it means. The repetition of the phrase "where have you been all my life" suggests that the singer has finally found what they've been searching for.

The chorus of the song, "step into the soul serene," is repeated throughout and serves as a mantra or invitation to the listener to join the singer in their quest. The use of the word "serene" suggests a state of calm and tranquility that can be achieved by stepping into this soulful realm.

Overall, the lyrics suggest a longing for something deeper and more meaningful than the surface-level experiences of daily life. The search for the "soul serene" is a personal journey but one that can be shared with others who are also seeking.

Line by Line Meaning

So I go walking on the shore
I stroll along the beach alone

And wonder what I am walking for
With a curious mind, I question the reason for my steps

Rain falling in the stream
The droplets from the sky land in the flowing water

As I try to figure
While I attempt to comprehend

I try to figure out what it all means
I struggle to make sense of my existence

And I find chameleon dreams in my mind
My thoughts shift and transform like a chameleon

Took a little ride on the carousel
I rode the spinning carnival attraction briefly

When will it end? I can never tell
I do not know the duration of the experience

Keep spinning till the soul serene
I continue the circular motion until I reach inner peace

Till I got no reason
Until I have no purpose or motive

I've got no reason to figure out what it means
I lack the motivation to decipher the meaning of life

Step into the soul serene
Enter an inner world of peace and tranquility

The soul serene
A state of calmness and stillness

Where have you been all my life?
Expressing surprise and delight at discovering the soul's serenity

All steady sunlight scene
The landscape appears tranquil with the sun shining bright

But something tells me
Despite the peaceful exterior, I detect a feeling

Something tells me all is not as it seems
I perceive that everything may not be what it appears to be

Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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01Courage4:47

02Everything I Am Is Yours3:30

03Dawning On Me3:19

04Hot Scary Summer4:20

05The Soul Serene4:10

PT4M10S

Villagers

06Darling Arithmetic3:42

07Little Bigot3:49

08No One To Blame3:35

09So Naïve4:58

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Katerina Ma

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So I go walking on the shore
And wonder what I am walking for
Rain falling in the stream
As I try to figure
I try to figure out what it all means
And I find chameleon dreams in my mind

Took a little ride on the carousel
When will it end? I can never tell
Keep spinning till the soul serene
Till I got no reason
I've got no reason to figure out what it means
And I find chameleon dreams in my mind

Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene

(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?

So I go walking on the shore
And I wonder what I'm walking for
All steady sunlight scene
But something tells me
Something tells me all is not as it seems
And I find chameleon dreams in my mind

Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene
Step into the soul serene
The soul serene

(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?
(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?
(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?
(Step into the soul serene)
(The soul serene)
Where have you been all my life?