This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Southern bound from Glasgow town, she's shining in the sun
My Scotstoun lassie, on the border run
We're whistling down the hillsides and tearing up the climbs
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border Reiver.
Three hundred thousand on the clock and plenty more to go
Crashbox and lever, she needs the heal and toe
She's not too cold in winter, but she cooks me in the heat
I'm a six-foot driver, but you can't adjust the seat
In the Border Reiver
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
She's an Albion, she's an Albion
The ministry don't worry me my paperwork's all right
They can't touch me, I got my sleep last night
It's knocking out a living wage in nineteen sixty-nine
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border reiver.
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
She's an Albion, she's an Albion
My Scotstoun lassie, on the border run
We're whistling down the hillsides and tearing up the climbs
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border Reiver.
Three hundred thousand on the clock and plenty more to go
Crashbox and lever, she needs the heal and toe
She's not too cold in winter, but she cooks me in the heat
I'm a six-foot driver, but you can't adjust the seat
In the Border Reiver
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
She's an Albion, she's an Albion
The ministry don't worry me my paperwork's all right
They can't touch me, I got my sleep last night
It's knocking out a living wage in nineteen sixty-nine
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border reiver.
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
She's an Albion, she's an Albion
Lyrics submitted by DogSwede, edited by Metalyrical
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
This is about a truck driver journeying from Glasgow to the South (probably England)in a lorry called an Albion Reiver (makers name: Albion Motors of Scotstoun) They used to have a 'rising sun' emblem on the grill at the front of the truck, and were known for reliability, the company has long since gone, Mark sings of his paperwork being OK and of having enough sleep, that would have been the 'log sheets' that drivers had to fill out daily telling of their journey details and rest periods etc. this is the only tune I can recall that mentions trucks and trucking, especially British trucks.
An excellent article on the Albion here: carlustblog.com/2010/12/sure-as-the-sunrise.html<br /> The seats don't adjust--they're pretty barebones service-first trucks, much-loved by their drivers of a former era. And beautiful trucks/lorries. The song really captures the way the drivers felt about their trucks, it seems--some of the actual drivers helped with the research for this article and also mentioned loving Knopfler's song.
excellent catch on the lyric!
not sure if the six foot driver "can't" or "can" adjust the seat. sounds like MK is streaching out the "n" sound rather than a "t".
In that stanza, the driver is describing the attributes of his Albion & being able to move the seat back is necessary for a 6 foot driver with a "crash box & lever" that "needs the heel & toe". My 1949 Dodge truck with the unsyncronised gear box needed double clutching & not being able to move the seat closer (I'm not 6 foot) was inconvenient at best.
walterbyrd: don't believe this trucker has a government job; reference to the Ministry is the regulatory agency for truck drivers. What he is stealing is "time". He's driving fast "whistling down the hillsides & tearing up the climbs", using the heel & toe to shift quickly, to make a decent wage. He may be cheating a bit in his logs about sleep time.
He loves his truck; he repeatedly stresses that "It's an Albion". Not so much gloating as praising his Scotstoun lassie, sure as the sun rise, it's an Albion!
Retrograde: the truck is the "Reiver", an Albion Reiver. Albion named their truck models to imply toughness. The driver is just a working man trying to make a decent living. Don't think is a bad guy, just a hard worker.
"Stealing time" when driving is like "making time" and is a euphemism for speeding.
Im wasnt sure about the truck driver theme, border reiver who raiders along the border during the tudor dynasty however im pretty certain now the song is from the drivers viewpoint.
"Crash box and lever
This seems to be a reference to a manual transmission without a synchroniser. Such transmissions require double-clutching to shift gears. The driver pushes on the clutch to shift to neutral, then releases the clutch and immediately depresses it again to shift to the new gear.... hence "she needs the heel and toe."
Wonderful song! Being in the US I will likely never see an Albion, but will certainly keep an eye out for them.
There's not much I can add to the comments to this great song, apart from to confirm that the "heel-and -toe" does refer to what was called double-declutching - changing gear by briefing letting the cogs spin in neutral in a manual box without a synchromesh.<br /> <br /> And no, apparently you couldn't adjust the seat in an Albion Reiver! I love the line about "she's not too cold in winter but she cooks me in the heat". I haven't been able to find out if that was something Reivers were known to do - I'd be willing to bet it was. Mr. Knopfler likes to get things like this right.<br /> <br /> And finally, 'sure as the sunrise' was actually a 1950s and 60s catchphrase/ ad line of Albion's, referring to the rising sun emblem on the front (and of course their reliability).
oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-cheshire/albion_reiver_24.htm<br /> <br /> Here is a picture of an Albion Reiver.
Saw an Albion truck (lorry!) at the Carlisle, PA car show one year. It, however, was a Chieftain, not a Reiver. Took a photo which has disappeared. This was prior to cell cameras, darn it.
It must be "But you CAN"T adjust the seat" surely, to make sense..?
None of the commentators thus far have picked up on the true significance of the song title - Border Reiver. The Border reivers were feuding families that lived along the Scottish-English Border causing mayhem for 300 years during the middle ages; a region which neither the Scottish or English thrones had much control over; and so, in the name of survival in an era of lawlessness, turned their focus to thieving from each other; principally cattle! During this time, the border region was known as the debateable lands; perhaps for obvious reasons. And the people that lived there were known as Reivers. Another name for reiver, is raider. They were raiders! So Mark is just playing with a double entendre in referencing a lorry called a reiver whilst setting it in the border region. Very Good Mark. Next!!
such a beautiful song~ the melody is so enjoyable~ you just wanna dance to it.
Should anyone be interested, this is the Wikipedia page on Albion Motors...and about 3/4 of the way down the page in workman blue, there's a Reiver. :)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion_Motors
Sure as the Sunrise was the slogan for Albion trucks. One of their trucks was named the Border Reiver. Here's the ad that they had, made in Glasgow. flickr.com/photos/36844288@N00/5831260133