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

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.