You know that insurance commercial that makes fun of the idea of a “she shed”? It’s not really a joke, when you think about it. When Virginia Woolf called for a “room of one’s own,” she understood the importance of having a physical place for women to set aside their other obligations to pursue their creative passions. After giving birth, Canadian singer Mary Milne found herself turning towards music that could be created (and played) around the needs of a tiny human. While Milne followed a new interest in electronic music, she was also pulled towards calm, contemplative folk music.
While “morningtown” has a sing-song, lullaby-like quality, its themes are quite mature. “As
we get older our perceptions are constantly changing-how we see our
parents, our lovers, our jobs, our art forms,” Milne wrote to me. “Morningtown looks at the
freedom that comes with gaining a new perspective as well as the
nostalgia we can still have for things we know aren’t meant to be.”
“It was the first song I released after a long time. I chose
to record a very simple one-mic version of it because I realized I had
gotten too caught up in both trying to make music more electronically
and also trying to chose songs that I thought might have the right
algorithms & would make it onto a playlist. I realized I was drifting from the essence of why I love songs and
songwriting. Morningtown seemed like the right place
to start.”
That honesty shines through for me. I know there’s not much of my own commentary here, but I think the song is so delicate, yet so strong and assured, that it speaks for itself. I was so taken by the lyrics, I asked Mary to share them with us.
I used to look for you in mirrors
in darkened window panes
to see what your faded heart was doing
and try and make mine do the same
you used to call me after midnight
when you were feeling in between
the darkness and the morning light
the real girl and the dream
fallalalalal what could I say
gather up those feathers and fly away
oh take me down to morning town
so I can see things clear and plain
I used to think you were the whole ocean
but you were just one drop of rain
these days I look for you on sidewalks
or in those cars that pass me by
and I wonder if I should go and find you
for one more round of
hello and goodbye
but seasons change and something keeps you
up there in my rearview mirror
along with all those other objects
that may be closer than they appear
tralalalalala what could I say
gather up those feathers and fly away
oh take me down to morning town
so I can see things clear and plain
I used to think you were the whole ocean
but you were just one drop of rain
Mary will continue to release one song a week throughout the year.