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When Mermaids Cry
Eagle-Eye Cherry Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She was drowned in suicide
Faithless lover cast aside
This is how she came to be
Lorelei of the sea
Hopes destroyed, she wanted to find
Certain death peace of mind
Now you wonder who is she, Lorelei of the sea
Many tales I´ve been told of sailors having died
After seeing a mermaid known
Known as Lorelei
Faithless lover that is me
And she siren of the sea
So next time that the seagulls fly
Don´t you cry sweet Lorelei

Seagulls fly
When mermaids cry
Those tears won´t dry
For Lorelei

The guilt is mine I was untrue
The question is what am I to do
All I know is I got to try
Try to find sweet Lorelei
Make amends for what´s been done
´Cause I believe that she´s the one
And I will go where seagulls fly
Try to find sweet Lorelei

Seagulls fly
When mermaids cry
Those tears won´t dry
For Lorelei

There she is I hear her cry
She´s asking me if I will die
There ain´t nothing I won´t do
For you Lorelei

Seagulls fly
When mermaids cry
Those tears won´t dry
For Lorelei

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Eagle-Eye Cherry's song When Mermaids Cry tells the story of a woman named Lorelei who has been drowned in suicide after being cast aside by a faithless lover. Because she was unable to find peace of mind, she wanted to experience death. The song's narrator wonders who Lorelei is, and he recounts many tales that he has heard of sailors who have died after seeing her. The singer then reveals that he is the faithless lover that cast aside Lorelei, and he feels guilty about it. He does not know what to do to make amends but believes he must try to find her. He hears her cry and pledges to do anything for her, even if it means sacrificing himself.


The song touches on themes of love, loss, guilt, and redemption. The Lorelei is a mythical mermaid who is said to lure fishermen to their deaths with her beauty, and the singer uses this myth to illustrate how his lover was drawn to suicide by his mistreatment of her. The song's chorus describes how the tears of a mermaid won't dry, reinforcing how the pain of loss and regret can linger and haunt us.


Line by Line Meaning

She was drowned in suicide
She took her own life by drowning in the sea


Faithless lover cast aside
Her lover betrayed her and abandoned her


This is how she came to be
These events led to her becoming a mermaid


Lorelei of the sea
This is the name of the mermaid, representing sadness and despair


Hopes destroyed, she wanted to find
Her dreams were shattered and she couldn't bear the pain any longer


Certain death peace of mind
She sought death as a release from her emotional turmoil


Now you wonder who is she, Lorelei of the sea
The song introduces the story of Lorelei and invites the listener to know more


Many tales I´ve been told of sailors having died
There are stories of sailors who died after seeing Lorelei


After seeing a mermaid known
The mermaid in question is Lorelei


Known as Lorelei
This line reaffirms the mermaid's name


Faithless lover that is me
The singer admits to being unfaithful and responsible for the mermaid's fate


And she siren of the sea
Lorelei's singing voice is irresistible to sailors


So next time that the seagulls fly
This line suggests a connection between seagulls and mermaids


Don´t you cry sweet Lorelei
The singer pleads for Lorelei to stop crying, as her tears are a symbol of sorrow


The guilt is mine I was untrue
The singer acknowledges the harm he has caused and takes responsibility


The question is what am I to do
He faces a dilemma and seeks a way to make up for his wrongdoing


All I know is I got to try
He is determined to make things right, even if it's difficult


Try to find sweet Lorelei
The singer wants to locate Lorelei and offer her comfort


Make amends for what´s been done
He wants to make up for his betrayal by doing something positive


´Cause I believe that she´s the one
He feels a strong connection to Lorelei and wants to make things right with her


And I will go where seagulls fly
He is willing to search for Lorelei wherever necessary, even if it's dangerous


There she is I hear her cry
The artist has found Lorelei and hears her sorrowful cries


She´s asking me if I will die
Lorelei is tempting the singer to join her in the afterlife


There ain´t nothing I won´t do
Despite the risk, the artist is willing to do anything for Lorelei


For you Lorelei
The singer expresses his devotion to Lorelei


Seagulls fly
This line represents the idea of freedom and the vastness of the sea


When mermaids cry
Lorelei's tears represent sadness and despair


Those tears won´t dry
Lorelei's sorrow is eternal


For Lorelei
The song is dedicated to Lorelei, a symbol of heartbreak and loss




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EAGLE-EYE CHERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

dekipedija

She was drowned in suicide
Faithless lover cast aside
This is how she came to be
Lorelei of the sea
Hopes destroyed, she wanted to find
Certain death peace of mind
Now you wonder who is she
Lorelei of the sea
Many tales I've been told of sailors having died
After seeing a mermaid known
As Lorelei
Faithless lover that is me
And she siren of the sea
So next time that the seagulls fly
Don't you cry sweet Lorelei

[CHORUS:]
Seagulls fly
When mermaids cry
Those tears won't dry
For Lorelei

The guilt is mine I was untrue 
The question is what am I to do
All I know is I got to try
Try to find sweet Lorelei
Make amends for what's been done
'Cause I believe that she's the one
And I will go where seagulls fly
Try to find sweet Lorelei

[CHORUS]

There she is I hear her cry
She's asking me if I will die
There ain't nothing I won't do
For you Lorelei



All comments from YouTube:

dekipedija

She was drowned in suicide
Faithless lover cast aside
This is how she came to be
Lorelei of the sea
Hopes destroyed, she wanted to find
Certain death peace of mind
Now you wonder who is she
Lorelei of the sea
Many tales I've been told of sailors having died
After seeing a mermaid known
As Lorelei
Faithless lover that is me
And she siren of the sea
So next time that the seagulls fly
Don't you cry sweet Lorelei

[CHORUS:]
Seagulls fly
When mermaids cry
Those tears won't dry
For Lorelei

The guilt is mine I was untrue 
The question is what am I to do
All I know is I got to try
Try to find sweet Lorelei
Make amends for what's been done
'Cause I believe that she's the one
And I will go where seagulls fly
Try to find sweet Lorelei

[CHORUS]

There she is I hear her cry
She's asking me if I will die
There ain't nothing I won't do
For you Lorelei

Caio Lucas Novais

Thanks

patou 04

Merci de m'avoir fait comprendre cette chanson 🤗

shitcasecinema

I've always loved this song since first hearing it when buying the album but just now discovered the video! Awesome! Eagle-Eye is such an underrated talent.

Disturbed Pyro

don't know why everyone is covering their ears!? this song is iconic! such a great song to sing along to.

lavender fox

The man singing is representative of laureli's call that drives people to suicide.

Disturbed Pyro

@lavender fox oh ok. That makes sense. Thanks for the info

Purple Schmurple

The entire album Desireless is incredible but this is my personal favourite 💖

Calypso

This is one of my favorite songs. I remember listening to this (and the whole album) 15 years ago, when my life was not as sweet as it is now - and songs like this one helped me so much to get through those times. Thank you.

matyera

Let seagulls fly, let mermaids cry
For our beloved Mamezuku Rai.

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