Not Your Average Sunday Morning. Analysis and Origin of 'Sunday Morning'

Written by Lou Reed and John Cale, Sunday Morning was first released as a single in 1966 and was then released on The Velvet Underground and Nico in 1967. The song was recorded in November of 1966 at Mayfair Studios in New York City under the Verve Records label. Although Sunday Morning is the first track on the album, it was the last to be recorded. Another interesting fact about the song is that it featured an instrument called the celesta, which was played by John Cale. The celesta is a keyboard instrument, similar to the piano, but when played, sounds an octave higher than the written pitch.  

When I listened to this song, I had very mixed emotions. At first, I found it happy and relaxing, it made me think about the way that I feel on Sunday morning. But as the song continued to play, I found myself getting sad and tired. As I thought about this song and the album as a whole, I began to think about a drug trip and how it is very similar to this song. In the beginning, it may start out as a happy and enjoyable experience, but when coming down from a high, depression and exhaustion set in.  Another reason why I relate the song to a drug trip is the line “watch out the world’s behind you."  This line brings a sense of paranoia which is usually associated with a drug trip. I find this song so interesting because the melody of the song is so peaceful, but the lyrics seem to suggest the opposite.