I think the meaning of this song is alot simpler than some of the posts I read.
I mean it makes sense...the scene Regina so beautifully portrays is very simple--she's sitting on a beach, there's a breeze--there's no real action. Even the imagery suggests simplicity--the sea is just a wetter version of the sky.
Once this image of simplicity is grasped, the song meaning is much more easily understood...
This woman enjoys keeping things simple. She thinks she wants real love--a serious committed relationship (Now I've been sitting on this abandoned beach for years
Waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears), but every time things start to turn serious or complicated with a guy, she gets scared and winds up alone.(But every time the tide come in to take me home...I get scared NOW I'm sitting here alone)
So she wants this person she begins addressing toward the end of the song to keep things simple with her, to simply hold her hand, to just come open up his folding chair next to hers.
But still, the complexity lies in this line here:
"There's a shadow, You can't see my eyes"
Its obviously important because of its repetition and appearance at the beginning and end of the song. She is content keeping things simple with a guy, just having someone around, but she still truly longs for real love that will come and sweep her away like a tide--only problem is she's scared to death of this. This is why its important that he can't see her eyes. He can't see her deep longings and fears. She wants to keep things simple so she does not let him see her real feelings, but because she does not let guys see her real feelings, things will stay simple, she won't find serious love which is secretly something she wants but is just scared of.
I think the meaning of this song is alot simpler than some of the posts I read. I mean it makes sense...the scene Regina so beautifully portrays is very simple--she's sitting on a beach, there's a breeze--there's no real action. Even the imagery suggests simplicity--the sea is just a wetter version of the sky. Once this image of simplicity is grasped, the song meaning is much more easily understood... This woman enjoys keeping things simple. She thinks she wants real love--a serious committed relationship (Now I've been sitting on this abandoned beach for years Waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears), but every time things start to turn serious or complicated with a guy, she gets scared and winds up alone.(But every time the tide come in to take me home...I get scared NOW I'm sitting here alone) So she wants this person she begins addressing toward the end of the song to keep things simple with her, to simply hold her hand, to just come open up his folding chair next to hers. But still, the complexity lies in this line here: "There's a shadow, You can't see my eyes" Its obviously important because of its repetition and appearance at the beginning and end of the song. She is content keeping things simple with a guy, just having someone around, but she still truly longs for real love that will come and sweep her away like a tide--only problem is she's scared to death of this. This is why its important that he can't see her eyes. He can't see her deep longings and fears. She wants to keep things simple so she does not let him see her real feelings, but because she does not let guys see her real feelings, things will stay simple, she won't find serious love which is secretly something she wants but is just scared of.