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Seven Island Suite Lyrics
Seven islands to the high side of the bay, 'cross the bay
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
We went walking on the high side of the bay on a chilly morn
And we saw how leaves had fallen on the beds where trees were born
Any man in his right mind could not fail to be made aware
Any woman with a gift of wisdom would not seek her answers there
Seven islands to the high side of the bay if you're looking west
To the sunset you can see it, all in fiery autumn dress
Anytime would be the right time to come up to your bed of boughs
Anybody with a wish to wander could not fail but to be aroused
Living high in the city, guess you think it's a pretty good way
You get to learn but when you get burned you got nothing to say
You seem to think because you got chicken to go you're in luck
Fortune will not find you in your mansion or your truck
Brothers will desert you when you're down and shit out of luck
Look around at the morning, guess you're doing the best you can
Surely you know that when you go nobody gives you a hand
Think of the air you're breathing in, think of the time you waste
Think of the right and wrong and consider the frown on your face
It's time you tried living on the high side of the bay, you need a rest
Any woman or a man with a wish to fade away could be so blessed
Fortune will not find you in your mansion turned to gold
Brothers will desert you when your nights turn long and cold
If you feel it you better believe it, you're gonna see it, so you really know
It is rising like a feather, dipping and dancing from below
There's a new wave that is breaking in the wake of a passing ship
Every nation's gonna be shaken, put it together, don't let it slip
It's time you tried living on the high side of the bay, you need a rest
Any man or a woman with a wish to fade away could be so blessed
Seven islands to the high side of the bay, 'cross the bay
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
We went walking on the high side of the bay on a chilly morn
And we saw how leaves had fallen on the beds where trees were born
Any man in his right mind could not fail to be made aware
Any woman with a gift of wisdom would not seek her answers there
Seven islands to the high side of the bay if you're looking west
To the sunset you can see it, all in fiery autumn dress
Anytime would be the right time to come up to your bed of boughs
Anybody with a wish to wander could not fail but to be aroused
You get to learn but when you get burned you got nothing to say
You seem to think because you got chicken to go you're in luck
Fortune will not find you in your mansion or your truck
Brothers will desert you when you're down and shit out of luck
Surely you know that when you go nobody gives you a hand
Think of the air you're breathing in, think of the time you waste
Think of the right and wrong and consider the frown on your face
Any woman or a man with a wish to fade away could be so blessed
Fortune will not find you in your mansion turned to gold
Brothers will desert you when your nights turn long and cold
It is rising like a feather, dipping and dancing from below
There's a new wave that is breaking in the wake of a passing ship
Every nation's gonna be shaken, put it together, don't let it slip
Any man or a woman with a wish to fade away could be so blessed
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
Song Info
Submitted by
butneveroutgunned On May 27, 2006
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There are at least two places in Canada called Seven Islands, both are on a bay, chances are, the song is about that, not the end of the world.
I think deemic and kevinyc are both right about the meaning. Great song.
I think deemic and kevinyc are both right about the meaning. Great song.
Some people have said it's about Sept-Iles (7 Islands) on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. That doesn't jibe with the lyrics. "Seven Islands on the high side of a bay, if you're looking west..." From Sept-Iles you'd be looking southeast. As you sail out of Severn Sound on Georgian Bay on the Ontario side of Lake Huron there are seven islands to the west -- one of which is Christian Island, the subject of another one of Lightfoot's songs. I'd say Lightfoot was saying, "Don't waste your life in the city. Come up to the woods and live...
Some people have said it's about Sept-Iles (7 Islands) on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. That doesn't jibe with the lyrics. "Seven Islands on the high side of a bay, if you're looking west..." From Sept-Iles you'd be looking southeast. As you sail out of Severn Sound on Georgian Bay on the Ontario side of Lake Huron there are seven islands to the west -- one of which is Christian Island, the subject of another one of Lightfoot's songs. I'd say Lightfoot was saying, "Don't waste your life in the city. Come up to the woods and live life fully." No need to invoke end times.
Anyone have any idea what islands he's referring to in this song?
It's a song about the end of times. Not getting wrapped up in the material things of the world or putting all your trust in people, and stopping to consider what's really important. Armagaedon song.
I believe this song to be about spirituality and the seven Chakras (Islands) of the body and how spiritual energy rises in the body. The opening stanzas of the song are about tuning in to that spiritual energy and inner wisdom. The next couple of stanzas refer to materialism and how people view it as a virtue but it always lets them down at some point. He is also referencing how your fellow man cannot be counted on so it is important to find your connection to God and by doing that you will find the peace and contentment that people search for. Once you feel the power of God and are really aware of God in your life, then you know the truth, that God is real and nothing can change that. I think the final part of the song refers to the inner spiritual awakening that is starting to occur on the planet and once an individual is aware of his spirituality and "sees" it, nothing can change the truth. I think the final part also refers to getting yourself in order, relaxing and preparing to meet God because the end is going to play out in nuclear war and probably in the majority of people's lifetimes.
Just as his song “Rain on the Rock“ refers to the planet, “Seven Islands”refer to the Earth and Its continents and it’s a fucking masterpiece. As we all know, he traveled around the world, performing his music, and he had a very comprehensive worldview. Life is an adventure. he can’t tell you everything he seen, but he can give you a feel for the granduer of the Earth.
Good music will always solicite personal feelings and interpretation. There are some very interesting interpretations of this song here but it is actually very straight forward. Per GL's own admission the song was inspired by a fly-in fishing trip to Northern Ontario in 1967 where he stayed on a remote lake and was taken by a grouping of 7 small islands. The song is an ode to the beauty of nature and pleasures of leaving, if even just briefly, the complexities of the modern world behind.
GL songbook says:"The entrance going down to Port MacNichol from the eastern extremity of Lake Huron into Georgian Bay. There are three smaller islands closer in and four magnificent islands farther out. It was a vacation spot when I used to go sailing. The boat was named Sundown, incidentally. A romantic ballad about the rigors of everyday life and getting back to nature."