I got these five verses off a friend's Bernie Parry tape years ago:

The village fool goes everywhere,
Singing to the empty air,
Empty air and empty head,
He doesn't talk he just sings instead,
Are you lonely?
Oh no sir, says he,
The birds and bees they are my friends,
And always will I sing to them,
Good Morning I sing, Good Morning do I sing.

He stands upon the village green,
Making faces, dreaming dreams,
Seeing things and being things.
The village people they smile at him,
Do they hurt you?
Oh no sir, says he,
All these people are my friends
And always will I sing to them,
Good Morning I sing, Good Morning do I sing.

Once when all his roses died,
First, he laughed and then he cried.
Empty heads don't realise
Seasons change and flowers die.
In his sadness and his madness still he sings:
The flowers all they are my friends
And always will I sing to them
Good morning I sing, good morning do I sing.

He strolls along, he rambles on,
And everywhere he sings his song.
Through the trees and on the breeze
his broken voice comes merrily
Are you happy? Oh yes sir says he;
All these things they are my friends,
And always will I sing to them
Good morning I sing, good morning do I sing.

The village fool goes everywhere,
Singing to the empty air,
Empty air and empty head,
He doesn't talk he just sings instead,
Are you happy?
Oh yes sir, says he,
All these things they are my friends,
And always will I sing to them,
Good Morning I sing, Good Morning do I sing.


It always felt like a song about innocent joy. I don't think I'd sing verse 3 if I ever took up this song again because I'm not comfortable with the way it links madness and a lack of sophistication. There's no evidence in the rest of the song that the Village Fool is mad; he sounds very sane to me.

Better be careful who you sing this song to. I can imagine that some listeners might well take offence at a song about someone with learning difficulties, whatever the meaning of the song.

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