Lonley, the life, that once I lead
Strange, the paths, on which we tread
Lead me to you, unlikely but true
Sabra girl, clouding my view

Rainy, the day, the first time we met
Deep was the talk, forever my debt
It didn't seem wrong to sing a sad song
Sabra girl, soon you'll be gone

Early, the morning, and sad the goodbye
With a wave of your hand and a smile of your eye
So, lately didn't meet, no sooner depart
Sabra girl, homeward, must start

Rosy, the lines that you wrote with your hand
Reading between them to misunderstand
I made the mistake you said not to make

Yes, reading the letters, conviction did grow
I thought it a chance, I knew I must go
It's hard to believe I could be so naive
Sabra girl, flattered but deceived

Now you just told me that friendship is all
I'm forced to repair the breech in my wall
Illusions and dreams, as usual, it seems
Sabra girl, they've been my downfall

Lonely the life, and dismal the view
Closed is the road that leads to you
Since better can't be, as friends we'll agree
Sabra girl, time will cure me


Lyrics submitted by LilyBear

Sabra Girl song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This is actually a cover of an Andy Irvine song called "Time Will Cure Me" the original version is also a very beautiful song.

    VolksR32on April 16, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Personally i feel the overall meaning is pretty straight forward but maybe open for slight interpretation.

    My take is that its a story of a young man who meets a Jewish girl who is visiting America (I'm assuming). The Narrator has been lonesome for several years, and had committed to the idea that this was his fate, and then he met her. He falls for her very deeply but they are living very different lives headed for different places. They both see the impracticalities of it but he has convinced himself that this is fate, and they can overcome it. She, however, is not convinced and shuns his advances, and while possibly feeling some affection for him, realizes the impossibilities of the relationship. She leaves to go home and tries to softly break it off because she does have some feelings for him, but yet doesn't want to encourage the already mounting hope he has inside him. He tries to keep in contact with her even after she has returned home, and she continues to be pleasant, which he continues to read into as something more. Eventually he convinces himself that if he is just close to her things will work, and goes to be with her. She rejects him, and the rashness of his advances cause her to be straight with him and let him know they will never be more than friends, crushing his hope, and making him feel foolish. He cannot accept the restraints of just being friends so he turns back to his life of loneliness awaiting the slow repair that time brings to his heart.

    thisismyhearton February 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Once again, I like the delicateness of her voice in this song. I like to sing along to it. I'm not exactly sure who or what this "sabra girl" actaully is, but I like the song anyway.

    LilyBearon September 29, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    well, i love this song but i wish somebody would comment on what they think it means. I have some ideas in my head but there probably not right. if anyone can understand it, please post it.

    thanks

    Cillaon March 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    for the longest time i thought a sabra was an instrument, then i realized i was wrong :). i think that this song is about somebody who meets this Sabra, and knows that she can't have a relationship because she has to leave, and falls in love with her anyway.

    belovedsmoreon April 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To those not in the know, a Sabra is a native-born Israeli...why they would write a song about a native-born Israeli is beyond me. I just think it's a love song about a mysterious girl. Sabra just sounds pretty...lol

    myname_is_benon May 27, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm trying to figure it out, but I think it's simpler than I thought it was in the first place. I think since they're using the phrase "Sabra Girl" then it was probably something that happened to one of them in real life. Since a sabra is such a peculiar word to choose.

    Anyway, I think it's saying how the narrator had been a lonely person and eventually ended up meeting a girl (or guy, maybe they're just using girl because I sounded better). They liked each other and this girl changed the way the narrator thought, OR this girl was the only thing the narrirator thought about.

    Something happened and the girl needed to go away, but they had known this since they had met. Then the narrator got letters from the girl and knew something was going on. I'm not sure what but it says that they were "reading between them to misunderstand" as if the girl was not telling the truth but they could see right through her. So then the narrator assumed that something was going on, but the girl insisted that there wasn't or something.

    The narrator read more letters and knew that they had to leave the girl even though they didn't want to. They couldn't believe they didn't see it in the beginning, and although they would've liked to stay with her, she was hurt. The girl then suggests just being friends, but she has hurt the narrator too much. And although to the girl it might seem like it wasn't that big of a deal, that it happens everyday, it hurt the narrator a lot.

    They eventually agree to be friends, but they want nothing more out of it, so it pretty much says that in time the narrator will be okay, but their future doesn't look good.

    SmileForElizaon December 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sara is an amazing musician, so is Cris and Sean, but Sara really shines in this song, absolutely amazing.

    flip the tapexXon December 09, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sabra: A native born Israeli. And thats direct from Dictionary.com. Maybe that should help give some insight to the song.

    Rinse_It_Awayon January 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think the song is definitely about a native-born Israeli girl. Also, it seems like it's from her point of view, especially because they have Sara singing the song.

    nathanielwhiteon December 11, 2006   Link

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