I honestly don't like the line, "and you love the sea". It's so vacuous. It's a poetic way of saying, you love "vast infinities to explore" and it means absolutely nothing or everything. In fact, I hear the line as "and you'd love to see what holy water contains a little drop, a little drop for me". And I like it better that way.
Either way, it implies that "Girl" and the singer are having a little disagreement about spirituality and the singer feels inclined to explain his position. He hasn't found any answers, but it's clear that he, as a normal human being, would really like to feel all these spiritual feelings. It's cold, it's dark, he's thristy, and yet nothing is really a solid solution. He wants to be convinced, but who will convince him?
In fact, the only thing he knows is that he loves Girl. And she might not even love him back, but it doesn't matter how much time they spend searching for answers, they will still die. And they still won't have any answers even if she seems happy to accept "faith" (vast infinite unexplainable) as an answer.
I particularly like the line "bound to the tracks of the train." It's a dark image when you imagine a freight-train bowling over two helpless people bound to the tracks. And yet it's somewhat ironic, given the context of the song. And that's why he's flippantly unexcited about it all and considers it somewhat of a joke. All these different conflicting religious beliefs and theories, all proclaiming to be correct; if they are all correct, then they are equally all incorrect, so picking one leaves you just as helpless as picking none.
The singer doesn't have much hope for conversion, but Girl is content to hope.
Then finally this line throws the whole song deep down a rabbit hole:
"is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me?"
Another line with double-meaning; both "hell" and consideration for "marriage" with Girl. And this is where alternate interpretations of the entire song can be created. It could be that the singer is "really" trying to explain his reluctance to commit to a long-term relationship with Girl and that the whole metaphysical explanation he gives is all a long reason for why it's hard for him to settle down with one person. He's not excited. He's more worried that with so many options out there, he's making the wrong decision. And if he can't choose a religion, how can he choose a wife?
@TheCripple I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about this song. I just wanted to add the line I know I love you and you love the sea always threw me off, doesn’t seem like it fits with the rest of the song. Just thinking about it and I feel like he just pointing that he still can love this other person despite them having differing religious views.
@TheCripple I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about this song. I just wanted to add the line I know I love you and you love the sea always threw me off, doesn’t seem like it fits with the rest of the song. Just thinking about it and I feel like he just pointing that he still can love this other person despite them having differing religious views.
I honestly don't like the line, "and you love the sea". It's so vacuous. It's a poetic way of saying, you love "vast infinities to explore" and it means absolutely nothing or everything. In fact, I hear the line as "and you'd love to see what holy water contains a little drop, a little drop for me". And I like it better that way.
Either way, it implies that "Girl" and the singer are having a little disagreement about spirituality and the singer feels inclined to explain his position. He hasn't found any answers, but it's clear that he, as a normal human being, would really like to feel all these spiritual feelings. It's cold, it's dark, he's thristy, and yet nothing is really a solid solution. He wants to be convinced, but who will convince him?
In fact, the only thing he knows is that he loves Girl. And she might not even love him back, but it doesn't matter how much time they spend searching for answers, they will still die. And they still won't have any answers even if she seems happy to accept "faith" (vast infinite unexplainable) as an answer.
I particularly like the line "bound to the tracks of the train." It's a dark image when you imagine a freight-train bowling over two helpless people bound to the tracks. And yet it's somewhat ironic, given the context of the song. And that's why he's flippantly unexcited about it all and considers it somewhat of a joke. All these different conflicting religious beliefs and theories, all proclaiming to be correct; if they are all correct, then they are equally all incorrect, so picking one leaves you just as helpless as picking none.
The singer doesn't have much hope for conversion, but Girl is content to hope.
Then finally this line throws the whole song deep down a rabbit hole: "is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me?" Another line with double-meaning; both "hell" and consideration for "marriage" with Girl. And this is where alternate interpretations of the entire song can be created. It could be that the singer is "really" trying to explain his reluctance to commit to a long-term relationship with Girl and that the whole metaphysical explanation he gives is all a long reason for why it's hard for him to settle down with one person. He's not excited. He's more worried that with so many options out there, he's making the wrong decision. And if he can't choose a religion, how can he choose a wife?
The sea is an alegory to the material world in christianity. Maybe that's what he meant.
The sea is an alegory to the material world in christianity. Maybe that's what he meant.
"Sea" is a pun on the Catholic Holy See. The person he loves is apparently a Catholic.
"Sea" is a pun on the Catholic Holy See. The person he loves is apparently a Catholic.
@TheCripple I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about this song. I just wanted to add the line I know I love you and you love the sea always threw me off, doesn’t seem like it fits with the rest of the song. Just thinking about it and I feel like he just pointing that he still can love this other person despite them having differing religious views.
@TheCripple I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about this song. I just wanted to add the line I know I love you and you love the sea always threw me off, doesn’t seem like it fits with the rest of the song. Just thinking about it and I feel like he just pointing that he still can love this other person despite them having differing religious views.