The Captain and the Hourglass Lyrics

Lyric discussion by ambersweet 

Cover art for The Captain and the Hourglass lyrics by Laura Marling

I wondered what people thought this verse in particular meant:

"The captains got his boots on and he’s heading out the door, Leaving his lady alone thinkin' "He don’t love me no more." He’s done with all this bullshit, He’s going back to war, If Heaven is as Heaven does, then this is Hell for sure... And he’ll tick tick tick tick tick tick tick away. Another second lost with every fallen grain."

siobhan x

amazing song!

I think the verse is kind of about how he [the captain] has wasted his time and his wife feels bad that he is leaving, but he just wants to go.

'If heaven is as heaven does than this is hell for sure' I think it's kind of saying that is heaven is what it preaches about etc then this is far from it, which is basically easy to figure out. Perhaps it's also about how he's leaving her for something better, but also questioning if there is something better, or perhaps he has left her and now he realises that...

I think that verse reflects a fear of abandonment. "Leaving his lady alone thinking he don't love me no more, he's done with all this bullshit, he's going back to war" sounds to me like she is voicing her fears about him leaving her.