Sometimes in the light at the edge of the world
Is the ghost of a ship with it's dark sail furled
And night after night she would stand on the shore
And dream of the love that she knew before

The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in
Without a thought for the ways of men

He set sail for the Spanish Main
To rob the ships of the Queen of Spain
And she would be his pirate's bride
She gave him the pistol and the sword at his side

The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in
Without a care for the ways of men
I'd give three ships of Spanish gold
To see my love again

Full fathom five my true love lies
In a fine wooden casket no gold on his eyes
Where is the glory, where is the pride?
Where is the joy for this pirate's bride?

The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in
Without a care for the ways of men

Here in the light at the edge of the world
He'd wait for a ship with it's dark sail furled
And day after day he would stand on the shore
And dream of the life that he knew before

The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in
Without a care for the ways of men
I'd give three ships of Spanish gold
To see my love again

Overall Meaning

The Pirate's Bride is a somber ballad that presents two tragic characters whose love story was interrupted by the man's ambitions to become a pirate. The song is built around two parallel stories that take place on the same beach – the woman's mournful wait for her lover's return and the man's hopeless vigil for a sign of the lost love he betrayed. The imagery is centered around the sea that separates the singers, and the tide that is indifferent to their emotions. The woman stands on the shore every night, haunted by the ghostly presence of her lover's ship, dreaming of their past moments of love. Meanwhile, the man reminisces on his journey to become a pirate, trained and armed by his lover, but ultimately left to die in his watery grave.

The lyrics reveal the tragedy of two lives that were ruined by the call of the sea and the attraction to adventure and riches. The man's romantic ideals and his desire to make something of himself have turned his lover into a widow before they were even married. However, his failure to achieve success and his death at sea makes his pursuit meaningless. The woman, left behind to mourn and live with the memory of what could have been, is grappling with the loss of the love of her life. The Pirate's Bride is a melancholic song that explores the effects of ambition and the sacrifices it sometimes requires.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes in the light at the edge of the world
Every now and then, on this edge of the world, there is a sight of something extraordinary.

Is the ghost of a ship with it's dark sail furled
It is the silhouette of a ship drifting aimlessly and trailing its sails on the dark and lonely waters.

And night after night she would stand on the shore
She would always come to stand on the seashore when the moon is up.

And dream of the love that she knew before
She recalls loving someone very special and important to her heart.

The tide rolls out, the tide rolls in
The waters have a cycle that do not alter even for humans' predicament.

Without a thought for the ways of men
Nature and the world do not care for humankind's issues.

He set sail for the Spanish Main
He embarked on a voyage to make landfall for Spanish Main.

To rob the ships of the Queen of Spain
He went to plunder the ships of the Queen of Spain.

And she would be his pirate's bride
She would be his companion and partner in his pirate's life.

She gave him the pistol and the sword at his side
She handed him the tools and weapon he would use to survive, protect and provide.

I'd give three ships of Spanish gold
I would be willing to give away a great deal of my fortune.

To see my love again
I want to encounter and be with the person I love, once more.

Full fathom five my true love lies
My true love is resting under the ocean water, beyond the reach of those still living.

In a fine wooden casket no gold on his eyes
His body is intact and unscathed, lying in a carefully crafted wooden box with no gold.

Where is the glory, where is the pride?
Where are the inspiring and triumphant moments of honor, where is the feeling of self-gratitude?

Where is the joy for this pirate's bride?
Where are the moments of happiness and felicity for this woman who loves a pirate?

Here in the light at the edge of the world
In this place where the horizon and the sea meet bathed by the light of the sun.

He'd wait for a ship with it's dark sail furled
He would always wait for a ship bobbing on the waters with its sails down.

And day after day he would stand on the shore
Every day, he would come to stand at the water's edge.

And dream of the life that he knew before
He remembers and desires to have a life that has been left behind and is presently unreachable.

Without a care for the ways of men
The world and nature would move forward no matter what the humans go through.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GORDON SUMNER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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on gabriels_message

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