I'm pretty much going to summarize this song line-for-line so if you're reading this right now and didn't assume that this was some correction of the lyrics, go you.
Let me preface this by saying that I feel that this is about a first love. It is often said that it's about summers in Long Island (I believe) which would make sense as to why the writer (maybe Lacey) alluded to all things beachy.
Sent out an SOS call
It was a quarter past four in the morning
When the storm broke our second anchor line
Four months at sea
Four months of calm seas
To be pounded in the shallows off the tip of Montauk Point
Four seems to be a common number in the first verse. Not only does he say he sent out the "SOS call" at that time but he also goes on to say that he spent "fourth months at sea". It seems that this love affair lasted only four months and it is ironic that it suddenly went wrong at 4 am. I'm assuming that his girlfriend left him at this time or he didn't acknowledge her absence until that time. The SOS call is his utter urgency to see her or know where she is. It seems that before this leave of absence, the relationship was sailing smoothly. The reference to Montauk Point strengthens my Long Island theory. It also leads one to think of the movie The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is a mere coincidence, as the movie was released in 2004 while this album was released a year earlier. In no way are the two directly connected.
They call them rogues
They travel fast and alone
One-hundred-foot faces of God's good ocean gone wrong
What they call love is risk
'Cause you always get hit out of nowhere
By some wave and end up on your own
A rogue, by definition, is a dishonest person. His mistress was perhaps a nomad in that she couldn't stay with one person/one place for too long. "One-hundred-foot faces of God's good ocean gone wrong" alludes to the employment of big waves, breaking up God's intended serenity of the ocean, which alludes to the disbanding of the writer and his mistress."'Cause you always get hit out of nowhere" this portion shows love in the sense that it is unpredictable and you can easily be out on your own at any given moment despite the amount of love your relationship bears.
The hole in the hull defied the crew's attempt
To bail us out
Flooded the engines and radio
Half-buried bow
Here he is compairing their love to that of a boat's safety. It harbors them safely but once stormy waters are reached, the safety of it becomes encrippling to the two involved. 'Hulls' are the bodies of boats, showing that one little thing ruptured their otherwise perfect relationship. "Flooded the engines and radio" refers to the inner workings of the relation. The "engine" represents what makes a relationship run while the "radio" is the communication between the two. Therefore, a miscommunication was committed and thus ended their relationship.
Your tongue is a rudder
It steers the whole ship
Sends your words past your lips
Keeps them safe behind your teeth
But the wrong will strand you
Come off course while you sleep
Sweep your boat out to sea
Or dashed to bits on the reef
The beginnning of this verse clears up the confusion in the last. That she left due to something he said. In this verse he is repenting for what he said and sees that it completely demolished their relationship.
The vessel groans
The ocean pressures its frame
To the port I see the lighthouse
Through the sleet and the rain
And I wish for one more day
To give my love and repay debts
The morning finds our bodies washed up thirty miles west
Implies that they are nothing without their love.
They say that the captain stays fast with the ship
Through still and storm
But this ain't the Dakota
And the water's cold
Won't have to fight for long
Refers to the SS Dakota of which sank years ago. He alludes to the wellknown tradition of captains dying within their sinking ships. He can either be saying that he will not uphold to dying as love dies or figuratively dying as love dies, as in not experiencing life anymore or taking anymore risks in fear of being hurt again.
(This is the end)
This story's old but it goes
On and on until we disappear
The dying of love is an archetypal theme that has happened before them and will happen after them.
(This is the calm)
Calm me and let me taste the
Salt you breathed while you were underneath
Suggests she drowned. Really means that she feels the sting of his words. "Calm me and let me taste" suggests that he wants one more kiss to feel how she feels in reference to his words.
(We are drowning)
I am the one who haunts your
Dreams of mountains sunk below the sea
Refers to her "resting place" or life without him that she pretends to feel will be better without him. However, he haunts those dreams by being a constant in her thoughts.
(After the storm)
I spoke the words but never
Gave a thought to what they all could mean
He is either referring to his mean words that got them into this horrid entanglement or said "I love you" but never really gave it a second thought as the truth but now sees that he did in her absence.
(Rest in the deep)
I know that this is what you want
A funeral keeps both of us apart
Metaphorically, she died while underwater and a funeral is hosted in her honor. However, it truly means that the death of their love is keeping them apart.
(Washed up on the beach)
You know that you are not alone
I need you like water in my lungs
He's reassuring her that she is not alone in being angry/hurt. "I need you like water in my lungs" sounds kind of sarcastic but could be taken as a phrase of endearment in the sense that he needs her in order to get his breath back again.
(This is the end)
This story's old but it goes
On and on until we disappear
(This is the calm)
Calm me and let me taste
The salt you breathed while you were underneath
(We are breathless)
I am the one who haunts your
Dreams of mountains sunk below the sea
(After the storm)
I spoke the words but never
Gave a thought to what they all could mean
(Rest in the deep)
I know that this is what you want
A funeral keeps both of us apart
(Washed up on the beach)
You know that you are not alone
I need you like water in my lungs
I'm pretty much going to summarize this song line-for-line so if you're reading this right now and didn't assume that this was some correction of the lyrics, go you. Let me preface this by saying that I feel that this is about a first love. It is often said that it's about summers in Long Island (I believe) which would make sense as to why the writer (maybe Lacey) alluded to all things beachy.
Sent out an SOS call It was a quarter past four in the morning When the storm broke our second anchor line Four months at sea Four months of calm seas To be pounded in the shallows off the tip of Montauk Point
Four seems to be a common number in the first verse. Not only does he say he sent out the "SOS call" at that time but he also goes on to say that he spent "fourth months at sea". It seems that this love affair lasted only four months and it is ironic that it suddenly went wrong at 4 am. I'm assuming that his girlfriend left him at this time or he didn't acknowledge her absence until that time. The SOS call is his utter urgency to see her or know where she is. It seems that before this leave of absence, the relationship was sailing smoothly. The reference to Montauk Point strengthens my Long Island theory. It also leads one to think of the movie The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is a mere coincidence, as the movie was released in 2004 while this album was released a year earlier. In no way are the two directly connected.
They call them rogues They travel fast and alone One-hundred-foot faces of God's good ocean gone wrong What they call love is risk 'Cause you always get hit out of nowhere By some wave and end up on your own
A rogue, by definition, is a dishonest person. His mistress was perhaps a nomad in that she couldn't stay with one person/one place for too long. "One-hundred-foot faces of God's good ocean gone wrong" alludes to the employment of big waves, breaking up God's intended serenity of the ocean, which alludes to the disbanding of the writer and his mistress."'Cause you always get hit out of nowhere" this portion shows love in the sense that it is unpredictable and you can easily be out on your own at any given moment despite the amount of love your relationship bears.
The hole in the hull defied the crew's attempt To bail us out Flooded the engines and radio Half-buried bow
Here he is compairing their love to that of a boat's safety. It harbors them safely but once stormy waters are reached, the safety of it becomes encrippling to the two involved. 'Hulls' are the bodies of boats, showing that one little thing ruptured their otherwise perfect relationship. "Flooded the engines and radio" refers to the inner workings of the relation. The "engine" represents what makes a relationship run while the "radio" is the communication between the two. Therefore, a miscommunication was committed and thus ended their relationship.
Your tongue is a rudder It steers the whole ship Sends your words past your lips Keeps them safe behind your teeth But the wrong will strand you Come off course while you sleep Sweep your boat out to sea Or dashed to bits on the reef
The beginnning of this verse clears up the confusion in the last. That she left due to something he said. In this verse he is repenting for what he said and sees that it completely demolished their relationship.
The vessel groans The ocean pressures its frame To the port I see the lighthouse Through the sleet and the rain And I wish for one more day To give my love and repay debts The morning finds our bodies washed up thirty miles west
Implies that they are nothing without their love.
They say that the captain stays fast with the ship Through still and storm But this ain't the Dakota And the water's cold Won't have to fight for long
Refers to the SS Dakota of which sank years ago. He alludes to the wellknown tradition of captains dying within their sinking ships. He can either be saying that he will not uphold to dying as love dies or figuratively dying as love dies, as in not experiencing life anymore or taking anymore risks in fear of being hurt again.
(This is the end) This story's old but it goes On and on until we disappear
The dying of love is an archetypal theme that has happened before them and will happen after them.
(This is the calm) Calm me and let me taste the Salt you breathed while you were underneath
Suggests she drowned. Really means that she feels the sting of his words. "Calm me and let me taste" suggests that he wants one more kiss to feel how she feels in reference to his words.
(We are drowning) I am the one who haunts your Dreams of mountains sunk below the sea
Refers to her "resting place" or life without him that she pretends to feel will be better without him. However, he haunts those dreams by being a constant in her thoughts.
(After the storm) I spoke the words but never Gave a thought to what they all could mean
He is either referring to his mean words that got them into this horrid entanglement or said "I love you" but never really gave it a second thought as the truth but now sees that he did in her absence.
(Rest in the deep) I know that this is what you want A funeral keeps both of us apart
Metaphorically, she died while underwater and a funeral is hosted in her honor. However, it truly means that the death of their love is keeping them apart.
(Washed up on the beach) You know that you are not alone I need you like water in my lungs
He's reassuring her that she is not alone in being angry/hurt. "I need you like water in my lungs" sounds kind of sarcastic but could be taken as a phrase of endearment in the sense that he needs her in order to get his breath back again.
(This is the end) This story's old but it goes On and on until we disappear
(This is the calm) Calm me and let me taste The salt you breathed while you were underneath
(We are breathless) I am the one who haunts your Dreams of mountains sunk below the sea
(After the storm) I spoke the words but never Gave a thought to what they all could mean
(Rest in the deep) I know that this is what you want A funeral keeps both of us apart
(Washed up on the beach) You know that you are not alone I need you like water in my lungs
(This is the end)