Right Ahead, Young Sailor!

i think the 'young sailor' is a metaphor for an inexperienced, young man ... whilst the 'captain' is the far more experienced of the two. so the young sailor goes to his captain for advice on how to deal with heartbreak and other mature issues.

I love this song.

It's pretty self-explanatory, I think. Seems to me that the sailor and his captain are talking back and forth to each other about the sailor's current problems.

Incredible, I only wish it was a longer song.

andy said he was writing these songs as a continuous story about the sailor. and this song is after the one where he is basically saying his wife cheated on him with flesh and blood. so im guessing this one is about how he is trying to deal with it. he is questioning if anna wanted to hurt him. and telling her that he has been trying to drink away his troubling thoughts on this subject and how he is trying to calm down. and then he says how he could be a bigger man, but he really just feels like killing the man she cheated with. and then the captain comes in trying to be the voice of reason. to me, it feels like he is saying to just let her go and start over with a new life on the big blue canvas they have. but the sailor comes back saying he can't just forget about his old life because he has a wife and a daughter. but the captain replys with the fact that they need a father and the sailor can't provide the role of father figure if he is out at sea. and the captain is trying to comfort him by saying that it would be easy if we all knew what life had planned for us, but there isn't a plan for life. we just go through it.

thats just what i see at least.

the one line that really gets me about this song is "love is nothing more than an action" It's like the captain is saying, how can you expect your wife to keep her love for you if you're never there for her to show it too. it really is the most beautiful song i think i've heard. also the lines: "what an ocean, what a world, on the big blue seas you can change it all if you want to" i think the captain is saying, forget about it you've got the world in front of you if you want to change something about your life then you go and do it you don't sit around and complain about things. this song puts life into perspective. although i wish it was longer it's the sort of song you can listen to on repeat for days on end and not get sick of it. every time you listen to it it means something new. completely gorgeous

Great song

this is the best RAGC song. ugh, it's so beautiful.

... other mature issues such as alcoholism and having children.

i'm thinking the young sailor's wife cheated with someone. possibly even the captain, but maybe that's just too far. & the sailor is saying how can i not do anyting? i have kids. & the captain is speaking in wisdom saying that's why you can't do anything kinda thing. also saying it'd be so much easier if.. but then again what does the bigger man even mean? & what ever does a plan really do?

siiiick song.

oops. that was supposed to be he has a son and a daughter. sorry.

hands down, the best RAGC song.