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I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way.
I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past.
I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts.
I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea.
We had grown closer, 'till his joy meant everything to me.
And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light.
And they loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into night.
Chorus:
And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.
She'd had to leave us, my keeper he prayed for a safe return.
But when the night came, the weather to a raging storm had turned.
He watched her ship fight, but in vain against the wild and terrible wave.
In me so helpless, as dashed against the rock she met her end.
Chorus
Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the sand.
He kissed her cold face, that they'd be together soon he'd swore.
I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand.
And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran.
Chorus
I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way.
I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past.
I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts.
I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea.
We had grown closer, 'till his joy meant everything to me.
And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light.
And they loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into night.
Chorus:
And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea.
And the winds that blow remind me, of what has been, and what can never be.
She'd had to leave us, my keeper he prayed for a safe return.
But when the night came, the weather to a raging storm had turned.
He watched her ship fight, but in vain against the wild and terrible wave.
In me so helpless, as dashed against the rock she met her end.
Chorus
Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the sand.
He kissed her cold face, that they'd be together soon he'd swore.
I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand.
And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran.
Chorus
I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way.
Lyrics submitted by kevin
Track duration: 05:02
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Nickel Creek is an inspirational band with all Christian band members. Most of their songs come back to the bible in some way even if it isn't focused on it. But that doesn't necessarily mean that all their songs are Christian.
Before their performance. Chris Thile, the lead singer, said "My friend Adam and I had a thing for lighthouses. Not exactly sure why. We wanted to know what it would sound like to hear a song sung from a lighthouse. What lighthouses go through, what are their deals? Whats up with them? Thats the question we asked and this is what we came up with."
He was laughing and did not seem serious so it either had a deeper meaning he did not want to share in front of a non-christian crowd, or its just a goofy idea for a song that turned out to be really popular.
So their is a chance this song was just meant to be poetic and just came out while writing about a lighthouse and have no extra meaning to it. Trust me a lot of artists write like that. Just irrelevant things that sound nice and flow.
BUT, if the song was meant to be Christian and have a deeper meaning then I would have to say the meaning is along these lines: Jesus is THE light of the world, his followers are also the light of the world.
"I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way."
The main character the lighthouse says he was happy but his joy didnt last. He probably isn't God or Jesus. He is probably a light in the world.
"I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past.
I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts."
The keeper is probably Jesus because as his followers his joy is ours. As well as the keeper seems to have taught and helped the lighthouse.
"I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea.
We had grown closer, 'till his joy meant everything to me."
The bride of Christ is to become holy and pleasing without blemish. Again we are the light of the world.
"And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light.
And they loved each other, and with me watched the sunsets into night."
Jesus wept when he saw his followers in pain. He told them He had to leave to prepare a room for them in heaven. He then sacrificed His life for us so that we could have eternal life with Him in heaven.
"Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the sand.
He kissed her cold face, that they'd be together soon he'd swore.
I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand.
And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran."
No matter what happens in life we can't stop doing our duty. He can't stop being holy and righteous lights leading others to the way the truth and the life of Jesus Christ. No matter what happens or if we feel alone. We must never give up.
"I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves.
And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way."
Hope you enjoy. God Bless.
The lighthouse is telling us this story about his keeper who loses his wife and then kills himself to be with her. And obviously the lighthouse misses them both. That's the obvious part.
Here's the deeper part(I think anyway):
It is the lighthouse's job to warn the ships at sea of the rocks. It is also it's job to be shelter for the keeper. And this lighthouse "failed"(for lack of a better word) at it's job on both fronts. Even though it warned the ship the wife was on, it still was dashed against the very rocks it warned others about.
Instead of being a safe shelter, he became a plank for the keeper who ran off his edge.
So even though the lighthouse tried to do everything right, he still lost the keeper and his wife. Then every night he is reminded of how he lost them because of the weather.
By the end of the song, he is empty and alone, warning sailors of the rocks that devastated his joy. It is as if he can help others, but not himself.
seriously amazing.