The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
There's an island hidden in the sound
Lapping currents lay your boat to ground
Affix your barb and bayonet, the curlews carve their Arabesques
And sorrow fills the silence all around
You come and see
There's a harbor lost within the reeds
A jetty caught in over-hanging trees
Among the bones of cormorants, no boot mark here nor finger prints
The rivers roll down to a soundless sea
That you come and see
Come and see
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
The willows mark the wind
And though we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again
Come and see
Come and see
In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
A brier cradle rocks its babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax and Patagon in parallax
A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep
You come and see
Come and see
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
The willows mark the wind
And all we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again
Come and see
Come and see
As I was a-ramble down by the water
I spied in sable the landlord's daughter
Produced my pistol then my saber
Said, "Make no whistle
Or thou will be murdered"
Lord
Lord
She cursed, she shivered
She cried for mercy
"My gold and silver
If thou will release me"
Lord
Lord
Lord
I'll take no gold, miss
I'll take no silver
I'll take those sweet lips
And thou will deliver, oh
Lord
Lord
I will dress your eyelids
With dimes upon your eyes
Lay you close to water
Green, your grave will rise
Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Forget you once had sweethearts
They've forgotten you
Think you not on parents
They've forgotten too
Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Hear you now the captain
Heave his sorrowed cry
The weight upon your eyelids
Is dimes laid on your eyes
Lapping currents lay your boat to ground
Affix your barb and bayonet, the curlews carve their Arabesques
And sorrow fills the silence all around
You come and see
There's a harbor lost within the reeds
A jetty caught in over-hanging trees
Among the bones of cormorants, no boot mark here nor finger prints
The rivers roll down to a soundless sea
That you come and see
Come and see
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
The willows mark the wind
And though we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again
Come and see
Come and see
In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
A brier cradle rocks its babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax and Patagon in parallax
A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep
You come and see
Come and see
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
The willows mark the wind
And all we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again
Come and see
Come and see
As I was a-ramble down by the water
I spied in sable the landlord's daughter
Produced my pistol then my saber
Said, "Make no whistle
Or thou will be murdered"
Lord
Lord
She cursed, she shivered
She cried for mercy
"My gold and silver
If thou will release me"
Lord
Lord
Lord
I'll take no gold, miss
I'll take no silver
I'll take those sweet lips
And thou will deliver, oh
Lord
Lord
I will dress your eyelids
With dimes upon your eyes
Lay you close to water
Green, your grave will rise
Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Forget you once had sweethearts
They've forgotten you
Think you not on parents
They've forgotten too
Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Hear you now the captain
Heave his sorrowed cry
The weight upon your eyelids
Is dimes laid on your eyes
The Island: Come and See; The Landlord's Daughter; You'll Not Feel the Drowning song meanings
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