This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Under the surface...so crystal clear
Everyone was really tense
Waiting down there
He had his own world...just like I had mine
We'll go separate ways...till the next time
There are no words...to say
As my friend swims...away
(Chorus)
Captain Nemo said, "okay"
(five, four, three, two, one)
Then I raised my hand and waved
Captain Nemo went away
(Love me when I'm gone)
Left me all alone, Nemo's going home
And as I watched him, police boats approached
An alien force...haunting us like ghosts
"Wish I could stay here and play for a while
But I must be on my way..."
The warmest of smiles
Then he dived into waves
Among the...other whales
[Chorus]
[Instrumental]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
Everyone was really tense
Waiting down there
He had his own world...just like I had mine
We'll go separate ways...till the next time
There are no words...to say
As my friend swims...away
(Chorus)
Captain Nemo said, "okay"
(five, four, three, two, one)
Then I raised my hand and waved
Captain Nemo went away
(Love me when I'm gone)
Left me all alone, Nemo's going home
And as I watched him, police boats approached
An alien force...haunting us like ghosts
"Wish I could stay here and play for a while
But I must be on my way..."
The warmest of smiles
Then he dived into waves
Among the...other whales
[Chorus]
[Instrumental]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by liquid_diamonds
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Dudes. This song is a gay anthem. It was originally written by a Sweedish band called Dive and its a vignette of certain fleeting gay relationships that were common at the time the song was written. Sarah covered it cause it was a good song that she happened to like. But the gay dudes among us, especially the hidden ones, instantly understood the meaning of this song at the time and identified with it. Watch the original video by Dive if you don't believe me.
This song is amazing. The singer is a woman who has fallen in love with a magical shape shifting whale creature. In human form, the whale creature is something like an English Aquaman. He was born in the sea and has come to shore and fallen in love with a woman. Alas, they must part, because he can't live long on land. Society is against their love and the police are coming in boats to try to stop Captain Nemo from returning to the sea. They want to do experiments on him and punish him for loving Sarah Brightman. But they will fail, because Captain Nemo's shape shifting powers make it impossible to distinguish him from other whales, and also he can swim deeper than their best police submarines.
this song is based on the main character of the book "twenty thousand leagues under the sea" and partly in the book "the mysterious island" both by jules verne. the actual name "nemo" is latin for "nobody". in the books he is described as being uninterested in the world and its inhabitants, but still goes out of his way to help anyone in need.
sarah brightman's song romanticizes him as a man with a mysterious underwater world separate from everyone else.
captain nemo's background represents him as prince dakkar, the Hindu son of an Indian rajah, devoting himself to scientific research, develops an advanced electric submarine, the nautilus. he battled injustice, especially slavery.
(this being my first entry, it might me a little long winded. sorry)
This song and the movie "A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" made me want to read "Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." It wasn't my favorite book ever, but it helped me understand the song a bit better.