My Ship Isn't Pretty
Kings of Convenience Lyrics
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Before was the silence and the panic it brought
The sky was the blankest sheet
We drew lines upon it
So our thoughts could meet
Through cables black and cold
We carry our intentions to bridge
And bring home
Would it all be so clear
If the lines were erased
And the silence restored?
Boys of today write lines on walls
In the streets at night
In suburbs of cities with no name
Is this destruction or just quiet protest
Against loneliness
The cargo lies in our laps
They're weight is so heavy
And this is all we know
Our message will need a ship
To travel across oceans
That can't otherwise be crossed
It undulates on the waves
And cautions the water so we can be safe
It undulates on the waves
Then cautions the water so we can be safe
The Kings of Convenience's song, "My Ship Isn't Pretty," is a meditation on communication and isolation in the modern world. The first verse refers to the creation of the telegraph, a technology that allowed for communication across long distances for the first time. The telegraph is described as giving "hope," contrasting with the "silence and panic" of the past. The sky, seen as a "blank sheet," is now drawn upon with lines (presumably electrical wires carrying telegraph messages) that allow thoughts to "meet" despite distance. The second verse shifts to a critique of contemporary culture, with "boys of today," likely graffiti artists, drawing lines on walls in the streets at night. This is seen as a form of "quiet protest against loneliness" - an interpretation that suggests that the boys feel isolated or disconnected from others and are compelled to make their mark on the physical world. The final lines of the song reiterate the importance of the message, which needs a ship to travel across oceans that can't be crossed any other way. The ship serves as a metaphor for the means of delivering communication between people separated by distance, while the "water" and "waves" evoke the unpredictability of that process.
Overall, "My Ship Isn't Pretty" is a melancholy reflection on the ways that communication both brings people together and illuminates their distance from one another. The telegraph, for instance, may have allowed people to communicate across continents, but at the same time, it was a reminder that they were not physically present with each other. The walls that the boys of today inscribe with lines may give them a temporary sense of connection or significance, but ultimately they are left alone in their own minds. The ship that carries the cargo of the message, meanwhile, must cross treacherous waters, suggesting that communication is always vulnerable to misinterpretation, breakdown, or loss. In this song, the Kings of Convenience seem to be lamenting the gulf that exists between human beings, despite (or perhaps because of) their attempts to bridge it through technological or artistic means.
Line by Line Meaning
The telegraph gave us hope
Technology gave us hope for better communication
Before was the silence and the panic it brought
Without technology, there was only silence and panic
The sky was the blankest sheet
The sky was empty and blank
We drew lines upon it
We used technology to create lines of communication
So our thoughts could meet
So we could share our thoughts with each other
Through cables black and cold
Through the physical cables that transmit messages
We carry our intentions to bridge
We use technology to connect and bridge distances
And bring home
And bring people closer together
Would it all be so clear
Would communication be so easy
If the lines were erased
If we lost the ability to communicate through technology
And the silence restored?
And we were left with silence again?
Boys of today write lines on walls
People today use graffiti to express themselves
In the streets at night
In public places, under the cover of darkness
In suburbs of cities with no name
In places that are ignored or forgotten
Is this destruction or just quiet protest
Is this considered destruction or peaceful protest against feeling lonely?
Against loneliness
Against feeling lonely and isolated
The cargo lies in our laps
We have the burden of responsibility for our messages
They're weight is so heavy
Our messages can be emotionally heavy
And this is all we know
This is the only way we know how to communicate
Our message will need a ship
Our messages need a means of delivery
To travel across oceans
To reach far-off places
That can't otherwise be crossed
That can't be reached without a form of transport
It undulates on the waves
The ship carrying messages moves with the motion of the ocean
And cautions the water so we can be safe
The ship navigates the ocean carefully so that our messages are delivered safely
Then cautions the water so we can be safe
The ship continues to navigate safely to ensure our messages arrive
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EIRIK GLAMBEK BOE, ERLEND OTRE OEYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind