The story told in Haul Away is not immediately apparent as (like in other MK songs) it is masked a bit by the lovely music and clever writing.
The story begins clearly enough with the falling overboard of a sailor but the first clue that this may be no ordinary accident is the opening line that it was a windless night. You might expect such a fall to occur in a storm but not in calm seas.
The next clue is the narrator's comment "You never were a steady bold one" which reveals a bit of his feelings toward the unfortunate victim. Another clue is the use of "ah" in the line "I gave my hand, Ah but you did slip." This indicates a certain degree of resignation over the incident - as if the narrator doesn't feel quite so bad about the event. He certainly never expresses any sadness about it.
Why would he feel that way?
The answer is in the next verse which turns, rather abruptly, from talk of the accident to the narrator's wife. He speaks of her beauty and says his wedding ring is a heavy gold one - an interesting way of stating how strongly he feels about his commitment to her - particularly so with the use of "heavy."
The very next line takes us back to the drowned sailor. On the album Mark sings: "Now you lie alone" (not "lay" as shown in the lyrics above) as if to indicate the other fellow may have once laid next to the narrator's wife (or at least tried to) and has now paid for his indiscretion with his life. There's also the double meaning of "lie" in this case - a comment on the deceitful actions of the victim - just as the line "...and you're a cold one" may well be commentary on the actions of the dead man.
The closing verse and the lines about how the morning brings a new start and ends the doldrums (an end to both windless weather and to the narrator's depression) indicates he's putting things behind him and ready for a fresh start with his wife upon his return home.
So with all that, and getting back to that first verse, the question becomes did the fellow really fall? Or did he have a little help on the night he "left the ship?"
Very well thought out interpretation. But I disagree with it based on your assumption that a "sailor" has fallen overboard and I think you have over-complicated the song. I would bet you've studied deconstruction or other theories of criticism, but that's another story.
Very well thought out interpretation. But I disagree with it based on your assumption that a "sailor" has fallen overboard and I think you have over-complicated the song. I would bet you've studied deconstruction or other theories of criticism, but that's another story.
It is not "clear" that the "you" the narrator refers to is a sailor at all.
It is not "clear" that the "you" the narrator refers to is a sailor at all.
I think you are right that someone has fallen overboard, but I think the lyrics make it pretty clear that the person who has fallen overboard is the narrator's wife. Based on that, the song...
I think you are right that someone has fallen overboard, but I think the lyrics make it pretty clear that the person who has fallen overboard is the narrator's wife. Based on that, the song is a lament of love truly lost, and about moving on.
The narrator's obligation to his dead wife is strong, which is illustrated in the line: My wedding ring is a heavy gold one. The ring represents obligation, the gold represents the virtue of dedication, and its heaviness reiterates the man's strong feeling of obligation.
By the end of the song, the narrator has caught a fresh young wind (possibly a new love interest, or just a new perspective that challenges him to live again), and he is moved to live again, because his wife is dead and he is still living.
I agree with Anson12's interpretation. I wonder if the ship is a metaphor for Mark's band, or some other organization that he was part of. He does love those ship metaphors. Maybe "I gave my hand" refers to Mark offering friendship to this shy, socially awkward person ("you never were a steady bold one"), with the friendship (and the unnamed person's membership in the organization) ending as a result of the ensuing affair ("but you did slip" [up]).
I agree with Anson12's interpretation. I wonder if the ship is a metaphor for Mark's band, or some other organization that he was part of. He does love those ship metaphors. Maybe "I gave my hand" refers to Mark offering friendship to this shy, socially awkward person ("you never were a steady bold one"), with the friendship (and the unnamed person's membership in the organization) ending as a result of the ensuing affair ("but you did slip" [up]).
The ship speeding across the sea may refer to something that actually occurred, too, like...
The ship speeding across the sea may refer to something that actually occurred, too, like a trip together to Barbados...lucky because that is where they were married. Or perhaps they are going back to England and there is some other reason that the ship is lucky.
To add some fuel to the fire: no one said that his 'love as fair as a girl can be' is the same person as the wife, which has so sadly slipped on a windless night ;) It seems the weight of his marriage (maybe to a 'cold' but wealthy wife whom he never loved), perhaps coupled with a superstition of a woman on-board (probably during a prolonged period of windless weather) incited him to help her leave the ship. Regret, if there ever was any, does not seem to occupy his mind; in fact, he seems relieved to sail...
To add some fuel to the fire: no one said that his 'love as fair as a girl can be' is the same person as the wife, which has so sadly slipped on a windless night ;) It seems the weight of his marriage (maybe to a 'cold' but wealthy wife whom he never loved), perhaps coupled with a superstition of a woman on-board (probably during a prolonged period of windless weather) incited him to help her leave the ship. Regret, if there ever was any, does not seem to occupy his mind; in fact, he seems relieved to sail back home instead of starving to death due to windless weather and rejoices in his freedom found anew. Those privateers maybe weren't pirates, but they ain't the nicest kind either ;)
The story told in Haul Away is not immediately apparent as (like in other MK songs) it is masked a bit by the lovely music and clever writing.
The story begins clearly enough with the falling overboard of a sailor but the first clue that this may be no ordinary accident is the opening line that it was a windless night. You might expect such a fall to occur in a storm but not in calm seas.
The next clue is the narrator's comment "You never were a steady bold one" which reveals a bit of his feelings toward the unfortunate victim. Another clue is the use of "ah" in the line "I gave my hand, Ah but you did slip." This indicates a certain degree of resignation over the incident - as if the narrator doesn't feel quite so bad about the event. He certainly never expresses any sadness about it.
Why would he feel that way?
The answer is in the next verse which turns, rather abruptly, from talk of the accident to the narrator's wife. He speaks of her beauty and says his wedding ring is a heavy gold one - an interesting way of stating how strongly he feels about his commitment to her - particularly so with the use of "heavy."
The very next line takes us back to the drowned sailor. On the album Mark sings: "Now you lie alone" (not "lay" as shown in the lyrics above) as if to indicate the other fellow may have once laid next to the narrator's wife (or at least tried to) and has now paid for his indiscretion with his life. There's also the double meaning of "lie" in this case - a comment on the deceitful actions of the victim - just as the line "...and you're a cold one" may well be commentary on the actions of the dead man.
The closing verse and the lines about how the morning brings a new start and ends the doldrums (an end to both windless weather and to the narrator's depression) indicates he's putting things behind him and ready for a fresh start with his wife upon his return home.
So with all that, and getting back to that first verse, the question becomes did the fellow really fall? Or did he have a little help on the night he "left the ship?"
Very well thought out interpretation. But I disagree with it based on your assumption that a "sailor" has fallen overboard and I think you have over-complicated the song. I would bet you've studied deconstruction or other theories of criticism, but that's another story.
Very well thought out interpretation. But I disagree with it based on your assumption that a "sailor" has fallen overboard and I think you have over-complicated the song. I would bet you've studied deconstruction or other theories of criticism, but that's another story.
It is not "clear" that the "you" the narrator refers to is a sailor at all.
It is not "clear" that the "you" the narrator refers to is a sailor at all.
I think you are right that someone has fallen overboard, but I think the lyrics make it pretty clear that the person who has fallen overboard is the narrator's wife. Based on that, the song...
I think you are right that someone has fallen overboard, but I think the lyrics make it pretty clear that the person who has fallen overboard is the narrator's wife. Based on that, the song is a lament of love truly lost, and about moving on.
The narrator's obligation to his dead wife is strong, which is illustrated in the line: My wedding ring is a heavy gold one. The ring represents obligation, the gold represents the virtue of dedication, and its heaviness reiterates the man's strong feeling of obligation.
By the end of the song, the narrator has caught a fresh young wind (possibly a new love interest, or just a new perspective that challenges him to live again), and he is moved to live again, because his wife is dead and he is still living.
That's about it. Take care.
I agree with Anson12's interpretation. I wonder if the ship is a metaphor for Mark's band, or some other organization that he was part of. He does love those ship metaphors. Maybe "I gave my hand" refers to Mark offering friendship to this shy, socially awkward person ("you never were a steady bold one"), with the friendship (and the unnamed person's membership in the organization) ending as a result of the ensuing affair ("but you did slip" [up]).
I agree with Anson12's interpretation. I wonder if the ship is a metaphor for Mark's band, or some other organization that he was part of. He does love those ship metaphors. Maybe "I gave my hand" refers to Mark offering friendship to this shy, socially awkward person ("you never were a steady bold one"), with the friendship (and the unnamed person's membership in the organization) ending as a result of the ensuing affair ("but you did slip" [up]).
The ship speeding across the sea may refer to something that actually occurred, too, like...
The ship speeding across the sea may refer to something that actually occurred, too, like a trip together to Barbados...lucky because that is where they were married. Or perhaps they are going back to England and there is some other reason that the ship is lucky.
To add some fuel to the fire: no one said that his 'love as fair as a girl can be' is the same person as the wife, which has so sadly slipped on a windless night ;) It seems the weight of his marriage (maybe to a 'cold' but wealthy wife whom he never loved), perhaps coupled with a superstition of a woman on-board (probably during a prolonged period of windless weather) incited him to help her leave the ship. Regret, if there ever was any, does not seem to occupy his mind; in fact, he seems relieved to sail...
To add some fuel to the fire: no one said that his 'love as fair as a girl can be' is the same person as the wife, which has so sadly slipped on a windless night ;) It seems the weight of his marriage (maybe to a 'cold' but wealthy wife whom he never loved), perhaps coupled with a superstition of a woman on-board (probably during a prolonged period of windless weather) incited him to help her leave the ship. Regret, if there ever was any, does not seem to occupy his mind; in fact, he seems relieved to sail back home instead of starving to death due to windless weather and rejoices in his freedom found anew. Those privateers maybe weren't pirates, but they ain't the nicest kind either ;)