A young boy listens to the stories and songs his grandfather tells. Whether they're true or not, they describe the exciting voyages the old man took as a sailor when he was much younger, and how life since then has been dull and he would like to travel overseas again. Most of the lyrics describe very clearly one part or another of those stories. I'm not sure what "number five" and "number two" alude to... apparently they have something to do with the different kinds of fortune or misfortune that a young sailor might experience.
A young boy listens to the stories and songs his grandfather tells. Whether they're true or not, they describe the exciting voyages the old man took as a sailor when he was much younger, and how life since then has been dull and he would like to travel overseas again. Most of the lyrics describe very clearly one part or another of those stories. I'm not sure what "number five" and "number two" alude to... apparently they have something to do with the different kinds of fortune or misfortune that a young sailor might experience.