Lead singer James Reyne is not from Sydney, but on face value, this song is an obvious reference to the morning ferry commute from the northern seaside suburb of Manly across the harbor (Oz "harbour") south to Circular Quay, where watercraft of all shapes and sizes dock. It's adjacent to the city center and business areas.
The subtext of this song deals with Robert Falcon Scott, known as "Scott of the Antarctic," and his tragic expedition, actually reaching the South Pole only to discover that Roald Amundsen had just beaten him and then dying on the return. In a similar vein, Irish/English explorers Burke and Wills were the first to cross Australia from south to north only to starve, too weak to move, a few miles from salvation. They were actually camped by a tree that had buried provisions, but misunderstood the markings on the base camp tree.
Thus, the underlying meaning of this song could be:
He has spent an unspecified time alone ( "So long she's been away...") and is now waiting to meet his girlfriend who is arriving on the Manly ferry. The references to Scott/Antarctic, Burke & Wills, and a Russian sub beneath the Arctic are telling us how alone he felt, presumably during previous nights; dramatizing the feeling of utter isolation. While waiting, he is also warning himself, soliloquizing, not to be reckless or unnecessarily boisterous in front of her when she arrives, because she hates that behavior and may leave him again.
The line, "Throw down your guns" means don't show traits such as recklessness, aggressiveness, or extreme independence popularly associated with cowboys. For many a jilted lover, the song contains a hint of cosmic irony.
Lead singer James Reyne is not from Sydney, but on face value, this song is an obvious reference to the morning ferry commute from the northern seaside suburb of Manly across the harbor (Oz "harbour") south to Circular Quay, where watercraft of all shapes and sizes dock. It's adjacent to the city center and business areas.
The subtext of this song deals with Robert Falcon Scott, known as "Scott of the Antarctic," and his tragic expedition, actually reaching the South Pole only to discover that Roald Amundsen had just beaten him and then dying on the return. In a similar vein, Irish/English explorers Burke and Wills were the first to cross Australia from south to north only to starve, too weak to move, a few miles from salvation. They were actually camped by a tree that had buried provisions, but misunderstood the markings on the base camp tree.
Thus, the underlying meaning of this song could be:
He has spent an unspecified time alone ( "So long she's been away...") and is now waiting to meet his girlfriend who is arriving on the Manly ferry. The references to Scott/Antarctic, Burke & Wills, and a Russian sub beneath the Arctic are telling us how alone he felt, presumably during previous nights; dramatizing the feeling of utter isolation. While waiting, he is also warning himself, soliloquizing, not to be reckless or unnecessarily boisterous in front of her when she arrives, because she hates that behavior and may leave him again.
The line, "Throw down your guns" means don't show traits such as recklessness, aggressiveness, or extreme independence popularly associated with cowboys. For many a jilted lover, the song contains a hint of cosmic irony.
You nailed it
You nailed it
@CorgiKid Beautiful interpretation.
@CorgiKid Beautiful interpretation.
@CorgiKid Close, but no cigar
@CorgiKid Close, but no cigar