“Early In The Morning”: A Gentle Anthem of Lingering Love and Fading Dreams
Ah, my dear reader, cast your mind back to a time when melodies were gentle and harmonies soared, a period when pop music possessed an innocence that still tugs at the heartstrings of those of us who remember it well. We’re talking about the late 1960s, a fascinating crossroads where the raw energy of rock was colliding with the lingering sweetness of the pop sound. And from this era emerged a tune that, for many, became an immediate, comforting embrace: Vanity Fare’s “Early In The Morning.”
Released as a single in June of 1969, this delightful British offering quickly found its way into the homes and hearts of listeners across the globe. It wasn’t a raucous revolution; instead, it was a subtle, persistent charmer. In the UK, it climbed steadily, reaching a very respectable peak of number 8 on the Official Singles Chart. Across the Atlantic, American audiences also took to its understated charm, propelling it to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and an impressive number 4 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It was a testament to its universal appeal, its gentle harmonies resonating in a world often clamoring for something louder, something more overtly dramatic.
“Early In The Morning” wasn’t born out of some grand, epic saga or a tumultuous personal revelation. Instead, it was the collaborative work of two talented songwriters, Mike Leander and Eddie Seago, their first joint effort, in fact. The magic of this song lies in its simplicity, its ability to evoke a quiet, reflective mood without needing to shout. It paints a picture, soft and hazy, of the dawn, a time of introspection and subtle renewal.
The song’s meaning, at its core, revolves around a deep, unwavering love that finds its truest expression in the quiet moments of the day. The lyrics speak of the evening offering “nothing much to see,” a sense of emptiness, only for the narrator to “come to” when it’s “early in the morning.” This isn’t just about the sun rising; it’s about the internal light that companionship brings, the feeling that “life is very good to me, you know.” It’s the quiet assurance that despite the uncertainties of life, despite the “fading dreams” hinted at in the gentle melancholy of the melody, the promise of a loved one “coming home, home to me” brings a profound sense of peace and contentment. The imagery of the “song bird on my pillow” and the “fun in weeping willow” speaks to an almost childlike wonder, a rediscovery of joy in the familiar, a testament to how love can transform the mundane into something truly beautiful.
For those of us who came of age with these sounds, “Early In The Morning” brings back a flood of memories. It was the kind of song you might hear drifting from a transistor radio on a lazy summer afternoon, or perhaps on the jukebox at your local diner, the kind of tune that provided a gentle soundtrack to everyday moments. Vanity Fare, a group of school friends from Kent, England, whose name was a playful nod to William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair, specialized in this kind of harmonious, melodic pop. While they had an earlier UK hit with “I Live for the Sun” and a later worldwide success with “Hitchin’ a Ride,” it is often “Early In The Morning” that remains etched most fondly in the collective memory, a warm, fuzzy echo from a simpler time. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most profound emotions are best conveyed not with a bang, but with a whisper, a gentle, melodic embrace that lingers long after the final note fades.