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Sonnez les Matines

from Gentlemen Thieves by emperor penguin

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about

Partly inspired by the French nursery rhyme Frère Jacques"), also known in English as "Brother John". The rhyme is traditionally sung in a round.

The song is about a friar who has overslept and is urged to wake up and sound the bell for the matins, the midnight or very early morning prayers for which a monk would be expected to wake.

In our version, strange things are happening in Brother John's dream. Or is it a dream?

lyrics

Someone’s home no lights are on,
Are you sleeping Brother John?
I have a name that you won’t spell,
all quiet ‘til you ring the bell
He’ll take your peace without a fight,
a silent thief who came at night
What’s mine is yours and yours is mine,
until he hits you one more time

And you’re free again, thanks to me again
You can fly away, no-one dies today

Fix my sights on a northern star, and navigate to where you are
And try to break loving grip, a saviour with a wrinkled lip
You blow like blossom through the trees, a sunlit blizzard on the breeze
Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the most vacant of them all?

He ran away to find the truth, surrounded by the hopes of youth
For ninety years in just one night, the space expanded into flight
Like toast the poison’s golden brown, and concrete boots will weigh him down
Behind a door without a lock, the oily waters of the dock

Sonnez les Matines
Sonnez les Matines
Sonnez les Matines
Sonnez les Matines

credits

from Gentlemen Thieves, released January 18, 2024

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emperor penguin UK

Savage Frenzy Productions is proud to present those peerless purveyors of powerful pop: EMPEROR PENGUIN.
Nigel: guitar, bass, vocals
JT: guitar, bass, vocals, harmonica, ebow
Rich: drums
Neil: guitar, vocals, keyboards, computer stuff ... more

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