They bought a round for the sailor
And they heard his tale
Of a world that was so far away
And a song that we'd never heard
A song of a little bird
That fell in love with a whale

He said, 'You cannot live in the ocean'
And she said to him
'You never can live in the sky'
But the ocean is filled with tears
And the sea turns into a mirror
There's a whale in the moon when it's clear
And a bird on the tide

Please don't cry
Let me dry your eyes

So tell me that you will wait for me
Hold me in your arms
I promise we never will part
I'll never sail back to the time
But I'll always pretend you're mine
Though I know that we both must part
You can live in my heart

Please don't cry
Let me dry your eyes

And tell me that you will wait for me
Hold me in your arms
I promise we never will part
I'll never sail back to the time
But I'll always pretend that you're mine
I know that we both must part
You can live in my heart


Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce

Fish & Bird Lyrics as written by Thomas Alan Waits Kathleen Brennan

Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC

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Fish & Bird song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    What a beautiful fable about a love affair that can never happen. the whole stanza about the ocean turning into a mirror and the whale in the moon and the bird on the tide shows that they can make belive that they are together and its pure poetry. so tragic

    there is also the possibility that the sailor is reminiscining about a romance that happened in the "world that was so far away" so it could be about a long distance relationship.

    the final verses are definitely a lover talking to someone that they are leaving but dearly love. "I'll always pretend that you're mine" shows the love and the line "promise that you will wait for me" could be distance but also could be that they'll love each other until they die and meet in heaven.

    over all this is a experimentally beautiful portrayal of love that can never be

    so-far-awayon June 19, 2009   Link

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