On the Border
Al Stewart and Shot in the Dark Lyrics

The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Illegal activities take place at sea, where fishing boats act as a cover for smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border.

Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
A serious crime occurs where weapons are smuggled across the border of Spain, possibly for terrorist or political purposes.

The wind whips up the waves so loud
Strong winds make the waves violent and loud, adding to the dangerous nature of smuggling.

The ghost moon sails among the clouds
The moon is hidden behind the clouds, giving it a ghostly appearance which reflects the secretive and elusive nature of the smugglers.

Turns the rifles into silver on the border
The moonlight reflects off the weapons, turning them into silver which may signify their value or possibly their sacrifices.

On my wall the colours of the maps are running
Geopolitical changes are depicted and represented by movements of colors on maps, probably due to changes in power structures or national borders.

From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming
Significant alterations are foreseen and whispered by the winds blowing from Africa, possibly indicating either political or environmental transformations.

The torches flare up in the night
There is an uprising which is happening at night, where torches are used as a symbol of resistance or rebellion.

The hand that sets the farms alight
The agent of chaos or destruction sets fire to farms, which could be a metaphorical representation of a society engulfed by violence and strife.

Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border
The message of rebellion and hope for change is passed on to the ones on the border who are eagerly anticipating the revolution's arrival.

In the village where I grew up
The singer reminisces about his childhood and draws a comparison between the past and present day.

Nothing seems the same
Everything has changed and nothing is as it used to be.

Still you never see the change from day to day
Although changes are happening, they are not noticeable in a day-to-day manner.

And no-one notices the customs slip away
People are not aware of their traditions, culture, and even their freedom being taken away from them.

Late last night the rain was knocking at my window
The rain signifies an impending catastrophe, depression or hopelessness, which the singer is aware of and has difficulty accepting.

I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow
The artist moves through his dark room and sees only the light of his lamp, reflecting his isolation and separation from the world outside.

I thought I saw down in the street
The artist is uncertain if he actually saw something outside, which could be interpreted as him acknowledging that there is a threat looming, but it remains hidden from his sight.

The spirit of the century
The spirits of the present era, which brings about significant and transformative changes.

Telling us that we're all standing on the border
The current state of the world is reaching critical, dangerous, and transformative stages that will affect everyone, as the border symbolizes the threshold of change.

In the islands where I grew up
The artist grew up in an island, where he draws a comparison between his past and current situation.

Nothing seems the same
Everything has transformed or deteriorated, where the artist finds everything to be different.

It's just the patterns that remain
Only patterns from the past remain, where things that did not change turned into the symbols of the artist's memory.

An empty shell
The island is now an empty or hollow shell, with most of the things, the singer remembers now turned into memories.

But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well
There is something peculiar or off-putting that the artist perceives in the atmosphere, maybe hinting at an impending danger, as this is a common motif of the song.

On the border
The border is the symbolic representation of the current times, where everything has reached critical and transformative stages.

On the border
The repeated phrases underscore the importance of the border and the sense of danger and the unknown that it holds.

On the border
The final repetition serves as a cautionary statement, highlighting the importance of being vigilant to the present environment and not repeat past mistakes.