Herman’s Hermits No Milk Today

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Herman’s Hermits No Milk Today

"Silhouettes" by Herman's Hermits

Baroque Pop

Songwriter Graham Gouldman had a unique style. In the songs “For Your Love” and “Bus Stop” he employed a “picardy cadence” or modulation from minor to parallel major (i.e., A-minor to A-major)., to the express going from something sad to something happier. Gouldman uses the same technique in his 1967 song “No Milk Today.” It was also the first Herman’s Hermits record to employ a string section as well as some awesome chimes in the bridge.

The three-word title is about tragedy and heartbreak. It refers to an old tradition of a milkman leaving bottles at the door each morning, and the resident sometimes leaving a note instructing him not to leave any milk that day. The song tells the story of a man who’s lover has abandoned him . While the message on the note seems quite mundane to passersby, it’s actually sad (“How could they know just what this message means? The end of my hopes, the end of my dreams.”)

In 1966, “No Milk Today” was in the Top 40 in the U.S., reaching #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a B-side to “There’s a Kind of Hush,” which made it to #4. However, it was a huge hit in several European countries (#1 in Norway and Australia, #2 in New Zealand, #3 in Sweden, and #7 in the U.K.).

In an interview Hermit’s lead singer Peter Noone said: “Personally, I think ‘No Milk Today’ is Herman’s Hermits’ best recording, and perfectly captures the moment and the feel of Manchester terraced houses and what was the end of a British era.”

Here are the lyrics to “No Milk Today” by Herman’s Hermits:

” No milk today, my love has gone away
The bottle stands forlorn, a symbol of the dawn
No milk today, it seems a common sight
But people passing by don’t know the reason why

How could they know just what this message means
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams
How could they know the palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen

No milk today, it wasn’t always so
The company was gay, we’d turn night into day

But all that’s left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Becomes a shrine when I think of you only
Just two up two down

No milk today, it wasn’t always so
The company was gay, we’d turn night into day
As music played the faster did we dance
We felt it both at once, the start of our romance

How could they know just what this message means
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams
How could they know a palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen

No milk today, my love has gone away
The bottle stands forlorn, a symbol of the dawn

But all that’s left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Becomes a shrine when I think of you only
Just two up two down

No milk today, my love has gone away
The bottle stands forlorn, a symbol of the dawn
No milk today, it seems a common sight
But people passing by don’t know the reason why

How could they know just what this message means
The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams
How could they know a palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen

No milk today, it wasn’t always so
The company was gay, we’d turn night into day

But all that’s left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Oh all that’s left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Oh all that’s left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town.”

For other songs by Herman’s Hermits: “Silhouettes” and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.”

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “No Milk Today” by Herman’s Hermits.


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Jane Minogue

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