Morning's Coming

Album: 44/876 (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This slow paced, horn-drenched, jaunty track references the sweet sounds of the nightingale.

    Sweet nightingale
    Why do you wake me so?
    Sweet nightingale
    You're telling me something I don't know


    Sting recounted the story behind the song to Genius:

    "I was walking in the woods in Tuscany, and I had this beat in my head, and I had this phrase,' "Sweet nightingale, why do you wake me so?' I think the nightingale's the only bird that sings at night, so what the hell is he singing? What are they singing about? Oh, he's just singing the obvious … morning's coming. So I thought that was a pretty optimistic and simple statement, that morning is coming. In the political sense, I think we have to assume that morning will come, even though it's getting pretty dark politically in the world.

    So it's a simple, childlike nursery rhyme, but it also has a political meaning. Then I played it to Shaggy. I said, 'Okay, give me your viewpoint on this theme,' and he went away and wrote his verses, and then we joined it together. So we have a kind of three-dimensional or two-dimensional conversation about this theme., written as a song of hope in turbulent times."
  • Despite the seemingly simple, jaunty lyrical content, there's a deeper meaning to the track. "There's a political sphere in this song," Sting explained. "There's also a romantic sphere in this song. Today might be the day when he meets the one of his dreams, the one who's gonna transform life for him."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.