☝️ Key Points
- The song 'No Milk Today' is a metaphorical representation of heartache and the loss of love.
- The lyrics use the symbolism of an empty milk bottle and an abandoned house to portray feelings of abandonment and sadness.
- The lyrics address the destruction of hopes and dreams caused by the end of a relationship.
- The dark and lonely atmosphere after the end of the relationship is symbolized by the description of an empty street.
- In remembrance of happier times, the singer emphasizes the contrast to the current, sad and lonely times.
Interpretation
The song 'No Milk Today' by
Herman's Hermits is a metaphorical representation of the end of a love and the resulting loneliness and sadness.
'No milk today, my love has gone away. The bottle stands forlorn, a symbol of the dawn' - Here, the singer uses the image of an empty milk bottle as a symbol of the absence of his love. Previously, the bottle was filled (with milk), just like his life was filled with love. Now, the bottle stands empty and abandoned, just like he feels.
'How could they know just what this message means. The end of my hopes, the end of all my dreams' - The singer expresses his despair and sadness here. His hopes and dreams are shattered with the end of the relationship.
'But all that's left is a place dark and lonely. A terraced house in a mean street back of town' - The dark and lonely atmosphere that arises from the end of the relationship is symbolized here by the image of an abandoned house in a gloomy street.
'No milk today, it wasn't always so. The company was gay, we turned night into day' - The singer remembers the happy times he spent with his love and emphasizes that it wasn't always as sad and lonely as it is now.
Overall, the song expresses the sadness and loneliness that the singer experiences due to the end of his relationship. The empty milk bottle, the abandoned house, and the dark street are powerful images of his feelings.