sort form Submissions:
submissions
Dar Williams – We Learned the Sea Lyrics 15 years ago
This song has always made me think of my mother. Every time I listen to it, regaurdless of the feeling I had before, I am always welcomed by a sorrow of amazing beauty. I can say for sure that Dar Williams did not write this song about my mom, but I feel like it's worth translating for anyone who's willing to listen.

I am the captain and I have been told
I am tha owner of this body (this ship) and they have told me.

That tomorrow we land and my ship has been sold
Tomorrow I am going to die.

Now losing this boat is worth scarce a mention
I am not afriad.

I think of the crew, most of all the first ensign
I think mostly of my children.

For all we learned the sea
For we learned to live, we learned life.


Guiding a ship, it takes more than your skill
Being a mother is more than just a skill.

It's the compass inside it's the strength of your will
It's about strength too, it's about love.

The first ensign watched as tempests all tried me
My children watched as I died.

I sang in the wind as if God were beside me
I was as strong as I could possibly be.

For all we learned the sea
For we learned to live, we learned life.


You take the wheel one more time like I showed you
You need to learn to live on your own, just like I taught you too all of these years.

We've reached the strait once even I could not go through
I can't follow you any more. I can't guide you any more.


I am the captain and I have been told
I am the owner of this body, and they told me that I am going to die.

But I am not shaken, I am eight years old
I am just as strong as ever, I am an old soul.

And you are still young, but you'll understand
You are all so new to this world, but I know you are good and smart.

That the stars of the sea are the same for the land
You will grow to know that life is just as beautiful when I am not here. Death does not define you.

And we came to learn the sea
We learned to live. We learned life.






* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.