Sea of Heartbreak
Don Gibson Lyrics
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Don't shine for me
I'm like a lost ship
Adrift on the sea
The sea of heartbreak
Lost love and loneliness
Memories of your caress
So divine, how I wish
You were mine again, my dear
I'm on this sea of tears
The sea of heartbreak
How did I lose you?
Oh, where did I fail?
Why did you leave me?
Always to sail
The sea of heartbreak
Lost love and loneliness
Memories of your caress
So divine, how I wish
You were mine again, my dear
I'm on this sea of tears
Sea of heartbreak
Oh, what I'd give to sail back to shore
Back to your arms once more
Oh, come to my rescue
Oh, come here to me
Take me and keep me
Away from the sea
The sea of heartbreak
Lost love and loneliness
Memories of your caress
So divine, how I wish
You were mine again, my dear
I'm on this sea of tears
The sea of heartbreak
The sea of heartbreak
Yeah, the sea of heartbreak
Mm, sea of heartbreak
The lyrics to Don Gibson’s song Sea of Heartbreak describe the feeling of being adrift in a sea of desolation and loneliness after a love is lost. The song’s imagery draws from the nautical metaphor of a lighthouse that symbolizes hope and guidance, but for the singer, the harbor lights no longer shine, leaving him lost and aimless. The sea of heartbreak is described as an immense body of water, reflecting the vastness of the pain and sorrow he feels. The memories of his lost love’s caress are so divine that he wishes he could have her in his life once again. He can only lament over his tears, which are like the endless waves upon this sea of lost love. The singer is perplexed as to how he lost her and where he failed. The lyrics invite the listener to share in the singer's pain and sorrow, as he longs for his lover to rescue him from the sea of heartbreak.
Overall, this song is a plea to the singer’s ex-lover to return to his life and stop him from drowning in the sea of heartbreak. As he is lost adrift, he is willing to do whatever it takes to return back to shore and to his lover's embrace. The song's repetition of the line "Sea of Heartbreak" emphasizes the depth of the emotions that the singer is feeling. The imagery of the sea is a common theme in this song, symbolizing the vast emptiness of a life without love, the overwhelming sense of despair, and the endless waves of tears that the singer is experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
The lights in the harbor
The guiding lights of love and companionship no longer exist for me
Don't shine for me
I am no longer their focus or priority
I'm like a lost ship
I am aimlessly navigating life without a clear direction
Adrift on the sea
I'm lost without a clear sense of direction on this tumultuous journey
The sea of heartbreak
I am engulfed by the overwhelming emotions of heartbreak
Lost love and loneliness
I am full of heartache and the feeling of being alone
Memories of your caress
I remember the tender touch of my loved one and how it made me feel
So divine, how I wish
I yearn for the past when things were blissful and perfect
You were mine again, my dear
I long for my loved one to come back to me and rekindle our relationship
I'm on this sea of tears
I am constantly crying due to the pain in my heart
How did I lose you?
I am trying to come to terms with losing the love of my life
Oh, where did I fail?
I am questioning my actions and trying to figure out where I went wrong
Why did you leave me?
I am struggling to understand why my loved one chose to walk away
Always to sail
My loved one is gone, leaving me alone and to deal with my emotions
Oh, what I'd give to sail back to shore
I would do anything to go back in time and fix my mistakes to save my relationship
Back to your arms once more
I yearn to be close to my loved one again and feel their warm embrace
Oh, come to my rescue
I need my loved one to come back and rescue me from my feelings of despair
Oh, come here to me
I am extending an invitation for my loved one to return back to me
Take me and keep me
I want my loved one to take me back and keep me in their life
Away from the sea
I want to escape this painful sea of heartbreak and find happiness again
Yeah, the sea of heartbreak
The emotional turmoil of heartbreak is a never-ending, constant reminder of my pain
Mm, sea of heartbreak
The sea of heartbreak can consume and overwhelm even the strongest of emotions
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hal David, Paul Hampton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wayne1king
Some songs appear to be the absolute peak of a singer's career. This may well have been Don Gibson's best song ever. I was a kid when I first heard it and it went right to my soul. Knew I was hearing a classic piece of music even at 13 years old. Still true at 72.
@juharonka3239
This is the best music probably the humankind has been able to produce. I'm a Finnish guy and I'm supposed to be as hardened steel, which I am, but I have a soft side in me, and this kind of music hits my heart. I envy the Americans who had the chance
to hear these great singers live.
@eddriver7815
This song brings a lump in my throat as I remember being in grade school room listening to the janitors radio in the boiler room by myself the first time I heard it . It was 1961 and I was 12 years old ... great music never dies .Deep in the bowels of the school in the boiler room and the radio echoing around the boiler room ... what a great memory .
@1ausskipper
Faultless recording. Faultless voice.Damn near the most perfect song ever made.
@rubbersoul4469
capt tim + I've always thought exactly the same
@jeanniebevinsfavorites1168
I love how you love me
@1940limited
One of the greatest pop tunes ever written and recorded. Great lyrics and you can understand everything he says. Whatever happened to that? I don't understand how kids get excited over today's music. I try to figure it out, but it escapes me.
@LB__1
This was the perfect song for the opening credits of Heartbreak Ridge.
@Serena3878
Gibson has the perfect voice for this song. No one sings this song like he does.
@timothyday8565
Johnny Cash once said this song was a must have in music library. High praise