Hey little babe you're changing
Babe are you feeling sore?
It ain't no use in pretending
You don't wanna play no more

It's plain that you ain't no baby
What would your mother say?
You're all dressed up like a lady
How come you behave this way?

Sail away sweet sister
Sail across the sea
Maybe you'll find somebody
To love you half as much as me
My heart is always with you
No matter what you do
Sail away sweet sister
I'll always be in love with you

Forgive me for what I told you
My heart makes a fool of me
You know that I'll never hold you
I know that you gotta be free, yeah

Sail away sweet sister
Sail across the sea
Maybe you'll find somebody
To love you half as much as me
Take it the way you want it
But when they let you down my friend
Sail away sweet sister
Back to my arms again

Hot child don't you know you're young
You got your whole life ahead of you?
And you can throw it away too soon
Way too soon

Sail away sweet sister
Sail across the sea
Maybe you'll find somebody's
Gonna love you half as much as me
My heart is always with you
No matter what you do
Sail away sweet sister
I'll always be in love with you


Lyrics submitted by Andomray

Sail Away Sweet Sister Lyrics as written by Brian May

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Sail Away Sweet Sister song meanings
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    General Comment

    It's ambiguous if it's a relation or a lover but I think it is less incestuous as it comes across even if it is about Brian's imaginary sister (since he was an only child). Though I do think it is about a sister because if it wasn't about a "sister", it wouldn't have been dedicated "to the sister I never had". The "sore" I think is most likely the synonym for "angry" not being physically sore, BTW. I suspect that this person Brian is writing about it actually not a real person but a story he imagined. I know several of my only-child friends growing up imagined siblings pretty much out of pure loneliness. He might have had a made up sister in his head when he was a child and this song is kind of saying goodbye to all that (as in the line "ain't no use in pretending, you don't want to play no more"). He's grown up and now his imaginary sister has to go but "she" will always be a fond memory in his heart. I think the not liking her life choices part is just a part of the story of why she is going away to make the song interesting. Any tie to Killer Queen, as discussed before, is most likely because it sounds like the "sister" might have gotten herself into trouble being a call girl, which is what Killer Queen is about (a high class call girl). Brian's songs tend to tell stories instead of being a mix of interesting lyrics without a real solid meaning (left to the listener to determine themselves) like BoRhap, We Are the Champions, etc. or is just kind of describing and event/a person in no particular order like Somebody to Love, Killer Queen, Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon which Freddie's lyrics tended to be more like. Brian's songs tend to have a clearer beginning, middle, and end and tell stories, like '39, It's Late, Sleeping on the Sidewalk, The Prophet's Song, Brighton Rock, etc. I think a lot the songs start out as an imagined story in Brian's head and then parts of his own experiences slide into it. At least that's my take on his songwriting. Still though, I have to say, Brian's songs tend to be the one's I don't get sick of hearing on the albums. I feel like Freddie was good at writing commercial hits but his non-released songs on albums were significantly less strong than Brian's.

    GeoWhovianon November 07, 2019   Link

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